Knights’ stay at the top expected to continue
UCF picked by media to capture 3rd straight AAC championship
NEWPORT, R.I. — UCF on Tuesday morning was picked to win its third consecutive American Athletic Conference football conference championship in 2019.
But don’t expect the team that embraced coach Josh Heupel’s 1-and-0 mantra to spend much time thinking about preseason media polls.
The Knights are grateful they’re still known as a top team in the AAC, but they also know how hard it was to win the conference title the past two seasons.
“It means a lot that a lot of people think highly of us, but we try not to think about that kind of stuff because we don’t want to get complacent and think we got it [won],” UCF center Jordan Johnson said. “Each and every Saturday, there is a team that is gunning for us. That means we have to bring our best game every time.”
Said receiver Gabe Davis: “We’ve always had that goal to be the conference champs again and have another undefeated season, but we’re just taking it one day at a time. We don’t really listen to what the media says. If we do what we’re supposed to do on the field, everything else will work itself out.”
The Knights received 12 out of 30 possible votes in the preseason media poll released Tuesday morning. UCF placed four votes ahead of Cincinnati. Memphis (six) and Houston (four) were next in line.
This is the first time UCF has been picked to win the AAC. The last six seasons, the preseason favorite has gone on to win just once, with Cincinnati claiming a co-championship in 2014.
UCF was picked to win the
Eastern Division after earning 19 first-place votes and 169 total points. Cincinnati was the only other team in the division to earn first-place votes (11), and it finished second with 157 points. USF was third with 107 points, followed by Temple (101), East Carolina (66) and UConn (30).
Memphis edged Houston for the top spot in the West with 15 first-place votes and 165 points. The Tigers claimed the last two division titles. Houston earned 14 first-place votes and 162 points to finish second.
SMU is the only other team in the division to receive a first-place vote (87), with the Mustangs fourth in the rankings behind Tulane. Navy (70) and Tulsa (38) wrap up the rest of the division.