When UCF travels to Baylor this Saturday, the Knights will begin a crucial stretch of games that could make or break their season.
With five games remaining, UCF (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) needs two more wins to be bowl eligible for the first time since 2023.
The Knights have an 84.3% chance of reaching six wins, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.
“We’re just going to focus on this game right now. I’d love to see these guys finish this season in a way where everybody’s happy and they feel like they’ve accomplished a lot,” said coach Scott Frost. “This team’s made a lot of strides. The tough thing is we were close to winning another one or two [games], making this a completely different year, but now we got a chance down the stretch to see if we can win some of those close games.”
Baylor is a slight favorite over UCF this weekend. Still, according to ESPN analytics, the Knights have a 63% chance of beating No. 22 Houston next Friday and a 95% chance of defeating Oklahoma State on Nov. 22.
The chances for wins at No. 13 Texas Tech (85%) and at No. 10 BYU (84.6%) are less likely with both teams heavily favored, making this Saturday’s matchup with the Bears critical to UCF’s chances of a postseason run.
“It’s a five-week season. We have five games left that’s guaranteed on our schedule and we’d like to earn another one,” said offensive coordinator Steve Cooper. “It really starts with being the most excited team to play on Saturdays and then go figure the way to do that is be the most excited team to play on Tuesday practice, Wednesday practice and put it all together.”
“It’s a great opportunity for us to showcase what we’re about and what we preach,” added quarterback Tayven Jackson. “We want to be the best in the Big 12, so we have to beat the best.”
Scouting the opponent: 5 questions about Baylor ahead of UCF matchup
It’s not the first time that a game against Baylor has impacted UCF’s program.
The 52-42 win over then-No. 6 Baylor in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl not only was the first New Year’s Six bowl win for the Knights, but it has been credited for helping put the football program on the national radar.
The second meeting with the Bears was significant because it was the first Big 12 home game for UCF. The Knights led 35-7 with 8 minutes left in the third quarter, only to surrender 29 unanswered points and suffer a 36-35 loss on Sept. 30, 2023.
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