The issue for the UCF Knights this season will be straightforward – how much the offense has improved versus how much the defense has regressed. The offense gets its key pieces back, but there are many starters to be replaced on defense, especially in the secondary. If the Knights can finally run a Scott Frost offense the way it ought to be run and can come close to last year’s production on defense, UCF will be a dangerous team.

Last Year

In 2016, the Knights rode a 6-6 regular season record to the Cure Bowl, where they were hammered by a fired-up Arkansas State team that overwhelmed the Knights’ porous offensive line.