Fresh off another slap in the face from the College Football Playoff Committee, No. 19 UCF looks to continue to make its case as a legitimate national contender when it hosts Connecticut on Saturday afternoon.
Kickoff is scheduled for Noon ET and will be broadcast on ESPNU. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch the game online, on your phone or on another streaming device via one of the following over-the-top, cable-free, live-TV streaming services. They cost a monthly fee but all come with a free trial, so you can watch today’s game for free:
DirecTV Now: ESPNU is included in the “Just Right,” “Go Big” and “Gotta Have It” channel packages. They range from $50 to $70 per month, but it comes with a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose. You can watch on your computer via your browser, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app
Sling TV: ESPNU is included in the “Sling Orange” plus “Sports Extra” channel packages. That costs a total of $25 per month, but it comes with a free 7-day trial. You can watch on your computer via your browser, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app
PlayStation Vue: ESPNU is included in the “Core,” “Elite” and “Ultra” channel packages. They range from $45 to $75 per month, but it comes with a free 5-day trial. You can watch on your computer via your browser, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the PlayStation Vue app
Preview
As UCF continues to get Rodney Dangerfield-ed, FiveThirtyEight gives Scott Frost’s team a one percent chance of making the playoff even if they win out. But while the chances of making the Final Four are essentially non-existent, the Knights are still in a position to represent the Group of Five conferences in a New Year’s Day bowl.
While the ranking of the Knights has been head-scratching, there’s nothing they can do about that now. The only thing to do is to keep winning–and win big–to at least prove they belong in the conversation.
This week, winning big shouldn’t be a problem for UCF. Connecticut, which is just 3-6 in its first year with Randy Edsall back as head coach, ranks 124th in the country in points allowed per game (40.6), 125th in yards allowed per play (6.8) and 130th in yards allowed per game. That’s bad news against a Knights squad that has moved the ball at will this season, averaging 45.0 points and 548.6 yards per game.
McKenzie Milton, who is second in the nation in passing efficiency behind Baker Mayfield, should have no trouble cutting up a Connecticut defense that allows a putrid 9.1 yards per attempt and 381.1 passing yards per contest.
“McKenzie is a better thrower overall,” said Edsall. “He’s accurate and I’m impressed with how quickly he gets rid of the ball in terms of where to go with the ball. He’s spot on with his reads and then he has the ability to pull the ball down and run. He’s very, very talented.”
The Knights are favored by a silly 40 points in this one. That may seem like a lot, but with the way things have gone, they may need to win by that much to keep the selection committee satisfied.
Comments
UConn vs UCF Live Stream: How to Watch ESPNU Without Cable