UCF Disappointment and Appreciation: Not Mutually Exclusive

By Casey Gillespie

Photo Credit: Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel

In the exciting two-year run that produced a 25-1 record from 2017-2018, the biggest beef UCF fans had was with the College Playoff Committee. Just about every fan has argued for respect against a fan of a Power 5 program, or shouted expletives during the revelation of the weekly CFP rankings. What came along with back-to-back historic seasons was a contentious battle with UCF critics.

The quest for respect was tenable based on the fact that the fan base was in unison, like a perfectly executed Zombie Nation chant in the Bounce House. Generating conversation upon meeting new fans was easy. There were plenty of easy openers…

“I can’t believe UCF is only ranked….”

“That damn committee…”

“How can they penalize us for winning every game…”

“How can they rank (overrated Power 5 team) with (1+) losses ahead of us…?"

Every UCF fan was in agreement. We had a special team on an incredible winning streak that we felt was getting dispected by voters, writers, TV analysts and most importantly committee members. You’d have a better chance of finding a source of drinking water in the '07 Bounce House Opener than a fan with a contrasting opinion.

But like what happens in the majority of sports years with adversity, there develops a bit of dissension among the fan base. I found that following the loss on October 4th to Cincinnati that UCF fans were not immune to this trend.

I have previously made my feelings about that game and the season as a whole very clear. But if you are unaware. I will briefly summarize.

That loss was a disaster caused by coaching errors and stubbornness by Josh Heupel that blew a golden opportunity that was this season. I entered this season with extremely high expectations, looking at this roster and having very high hopes for the possibility of this being the greatest UCF team in program history, even without McKenzie Milton.

In my life as a sports fan, I have always defined a disappointment as a season result that falls short of its expectations. It’s safe to say both the 2017 and 2018 campaigns exceeded most fans’ expectations. The 2019 one fell short. Thus, despite the opportunity to end on a good note and capture a tenth win, I would consider this season a disappointment.

Was this season a disaster? Absolutely not.

Did UCF slip back into irrelevance? Not a chance.

Is there still plenty of reason for optimism about the future of the UCF program? Of course.

What’s my point? I have noticed somewhat of a “Civil War” amongst UCF fans this season.

One side has been extremely negative, acting like the sky was falling, cursing and boycotting the underwhelming bowl assignment against Marshall on December 23rd.

The other side has been exceptionally positive, and completely resistant to any criticism of the team or its coach.

While it is much healthier to have a positive outlook than a negative one, I do not view the latter to be any more innocuous than the former.

I know that I am using hyperbole to characterize these two groups of fans and I acknowledge most of the UCF faithful is all over the spectrum.

Like with most divisive topics, and those much more critical than an outlook on a college football team, people generally feel compelled to gravitate to one side more than the other. This occurs subconsciously, even if that person’s true opinion is more balanced than what they express.

I admit to being guilty of it. I admit to tweeting “Fire Heupel” in reaction to the Cincinnati game. It was the heat of the moment, and I was very angry at the result of that excruciating loss. And I wasn’t ready to hear from those fans who instantly recovered from it with the “Let’s go 1-0 next week” reaction.

If I am being completely honest, I questioned the sanity of fans with the ability to exhibit this Pollyanna attitude just seconds after the clock hit zero.

I am not suggesting or urging anyone to dwell on a loss, especially beyond the classic 24-hour rule. But I am encouraging something that I have not seen enough from UCF fans this season.

Objectivity.

Objectivity is a good trait. It is a very strong trait amongst long-time, respected and established fan bases. Fan objectivity represents the ability to have realistic expectations. It represents being able to recognize, appreciate and praise great performance. In turn, it also means being able to identify poor performance, mistakes and short-comings - especially when the team is capable of playing better.

I am not asking for the stars. But as the program continues to grow, so should the fan base. And one of the ways we can do that is by trying to embrace more objectivity.

So, what does that mean in the context of this season? It means acknowledging the following truths about the 2019 UCF Knights:

This is a very good football team.

This football team fell short of expectations.

Dillon Gabriel demonstrated flashes of brilliance that should have everyone thrilled for his future.

Dillon Gabriel had his share of freshman moments and has a lot of room to grow.

Josh Heupel is a promising young coach who was a tremendous Scott Frost replacement who has begun his coaching career with an impressive 21-4 record.

Josh Heupel had several blunders that arguably cost this team a third consecutive NY6 bowl appearance and dare I dream a spot in the playoff..

Heupel is also a second-year coach with plenty of room to grow.

UCF is an ascending football program with terrific leadership and opportunity well beyond 2019.

Everyone of the above statements can be true. And by believing each of them, it doesn’t make you negative, spoiled or ungrateful. There is nothing wrong being critical when it's deserved. But it's every bit as important always be there to support. And this program has done more than enough to deserve that, regardless of their bowl game location and opponent.