Following an undefeated season and a Peach Bowl win, expectations are sky-high for UCF in 2018. That’s a lot of pressure on first-year head coach Josh Heupel, but that’s just how he wants it.

We already knew who the Knights were playing in 2018, but the American Athletic Conference released the full schedule on Tuesday.

Let’s take a look at UCF’s 2018 football schedule.

2018 schedule:

at UConn

South Carolina State

at North Carolina

Florida Atlantic

Pittsburgh

SMU

at Memphis

at East Carolina

Temple

Navy

Cincinnati

at South Florida

Note: the AAC championship game will be played on Saturday, Dec. 1st and will be hosted by the team with the best record.

A few thoughts on the schedule:

** Unlike last season, this is a very favorable schedule for the Knights, especially at the beginning and at the end of the season. UCF opens up against a rebuilding UConn team, which should gives Josh Heupel a chance to get acclimated with the conference right away. Then UCF gets South Carolina State before preparing for a big road game against North Carolina.

** The beginning of the schedule is good for the Knights, but the end of the schedule is even better. UCF won’t leave the state of Florida after their October 20 game against East Carolina in Greenville. The Knights play three consecutive home games in November, followed by a Black Friday showdown against USF in Tampa.

** Lane Kiffin is coming to Orlando on Friday, Sept. 21st. This could end up being UCF’s toughest challenge of the season, which is not what they expected when they scheduled this home-and-home with the Owls. UCF is scheduled to go to Boca Raton in 2019.

** For the second straight season, the bye week falls right where most coaches want it to be: right before the final stretch of the season. Now, let’s hope a storm doesn’t change things up this season, as it has the last two years. UCF gets 11 days to prepare for a Temple team that should be much-improved in year two of the Geoff Collins era.

** Because of a Thursday night game against Temple, the Knights will benefit from having two extra days to prepare for the Navy triple-option the following week. Another bonus for the Knights.

** After only playing one non-Saturday game last season, the Knights will play four this season, which means more national television opportunities. The game against Temple has already been picked up by ESPN and games against FAU and USF have a very good chance of that as well.

** The toughest part of the schedule for the Knights will be the North Carolina-FAU-Pittsburgh trio. FAU is expected to be the best team out of the three, but Pittsburgh showed some signs at the end of last year, while the Tar Heels are not expected to be a 3-9 team again this season.

** As for conference play, UCF is set up to make a run at a fourth conference title championship in the last six seasons. That would be a dynasty, even with a 0-12 season mixed in there.

Connecticut

When: Thursday, Aug. 30

Where: Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT

Last year: 3-9 (2-6 AAC)

Last meeting with UCF: lost to UCF 49-24 on Nov. 11, 2017.

South Carolina State

When: Saturday, Sept. 8

Where: Spectrum Stadium

Last year: 3-7 (2-6 MEAC)

Last meeting with UCF: lost to UCF 38-0 to open the Scott Frost era in 2016.

North Carolina

When: Saturday, Sept. 15

Where: Kenan Memorial Stadium, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Last year: 3-9 (1-7 ACC)

Last meeting with UCF: first meeting

Florida Atlantic

When: Friday, Sept. 21

Where: Spectrum Stadium

Last year: 11-3 (8-0 C-USA). Beat Akron 50-3 in Boca Raton Bowl.

Last meeting with UCF: lost to UCF 33-29 in 2003.

Pittsburgh

When: Saturday, Sept. 29

Where: Spectrum Stadium

Last year: 5-7 (3-5 ACC)

Last meeting with UCF: Beat UCF 52-7 in their only meeting back in 2006.

Southern Methodist

When: Saturday, Oct. 6

Where: Spectrum Stadium

Last year: 7-6 (4-4 AAC). Lost to Louisiana Tech 51-10 in Frisco Bowl.

Last meeting with UCF: lost to UCF 31-24 in 2017.

Memphis

When: Saturday, Oct. 13

Where: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tenn.

Last year: 10-3 (7-1 AAC). Lost to Iowa State 21-20 in AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

Last meeting with UCF: lost to UCF 62-55 in double overtime in AAC Champ. Game.

East Carolina

When: Saturday, Oct. 20

Where: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville, N.C.

Last year: 3-9 (2-6 AAC)

Last meeting with UCF: lost to UCF 63-21 on Oct. 14, 2017.

Temple

When: Thursday, Nov. 1

Where: Spectrum Stadium

Last year: 7-6 (4-4 AAC). Beat FIU 28-3 in Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl.

Last meeting with UCF: lost to UCF 45-19 on Nov. 18, 2017.

Navy

When: Saturday, Nov. 10

Where: Spectrum Stadium

Last year: 7-6 (4-4 AAC). Beat Virginia 49-7 in Military Bowl.

Last meeting with UCF: lost to UCF 31-21 in 2017.

Cincinnati

When: Saturday, Nov. 17

Where: Spectrum Stadium

Last year: 4-8 (2-6 AAC)

Last meeting with UCF: lost to UCF 51-23 last year in a rain-shortened game.

South Florida

When: Friday, Nov. 23

Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.

Last year: 10-2 (6-2 AAC). Beat Texas Tech 38-34 in Birmingham Bowl.

Last meeting with UCF: lost to UCF 49-42 on Black Friday in 2017.