UCF Ranked Middle of the Pack Amongst FBS Programs

Expectations heading into head coach Scott Frost's second year back at UCF are much higher, with key returners and new additions making up a talented Knights roster.

Frost and members of his staff have talked about their level of confidence from this year to last, with all of them saying that this offseason has been much smoother and has allowed them to pinpoint specific areas of improvement.

On Wednesday, CBS Sports released rankings of all 138 FBS programs, with UCF falling in at No. 59.

Ranking right behind Kansas and Cincinnati, this designation lands the Knights at No. 13 amongst Big 12 schools, which has been a pretty consistent prediction throughout the offseason.

But, players within the facilities don't care about these rankings, as they have talked about lofty goals for this upcoming season.

Alonza Barnett III, the most notable transfer acquired by UCF, has led these beliefs, talking about the "addicting" feeling of playing in a College Football Playoff environment.

"That's addicting bro," Barnett said about the opportunity. "It was crazy. Growing up, playing video games against Oregon, like De'Anthony Thomas, all the different flashy uniforms and all that stuff. It was loud from the first quarter through the fourth. Nobody left."

Barnett went on to talk about the festivities that came with the experience, including a duck, Oregon's mascot, riding on a motorcycle out of the tunnel.

Its safe to say that the bright lights did not faze Barnett, however, as he accounted for three total touchdowns while throwing for 273 yards passing and recording 45 yards rushing.

James Madison scored 34 points as a team, which is impressive considering the same Oregon defense blanked the Big 12 Champion Texas Tech Red Raiders in the following round.

For Barnett, he has frequently talked about being a leader the team can depend on and making the most of his final year.

"I look forward to enjoying each and every game as it’s my last collegiate season…" Barnett said at a recent meet-and-greet. "Fans can expect a great brand of football, some fireworks here and there and some really consistent play."

The former Duke has talked about adopting a "why not us?" mentality within the locker room, while telling media that the team has bought into the underdog role.

In a Big 12 Conference where six different teams have captured the regular season title in six consecutive seasons, the door is open for a team like UCF to capitalize on this parity.

With Barnett's vocal leadership and Frost's history in Year 2 at UCF, the team could make some legitimate strides towards conference contention if it all comes together.