Sept. 24, 2009
By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com
It is a big game week. Isn't it? It is a game that is supposed to feel different than other weeks, right? It's a matchup that means a little more because it's a rivalry game, I think.
As the Knights prepare for their biggest game of the year, the question is who is the biggest rival that UCF plays?
For starters, the school to the left does not count. USF is not on the schedule any time soon and that's eliminates them from the discussion. So who are the rivals for UCF?
With no non-conference opponent appearing on a yearly basis, the answer must be from the list of Conference USA schools. But first, what makes a game a rivalry game?
Webster's Dictionary says a rival is one of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess or one striving for competitive advantage. That at least sounds kind of tough. But to make it simple for us, a rival is a team that players, coaches and fans don't like.
You don't like them because they think they are better than you. You wish defeat on them because their fans are obnoxious. You want them winless because their mere existence makes your life miserable. Harsh, but it sounds good.
So using that criteria, who makes the list as a rival for UCF? How about Tulsa? The Golden Hurricane and Knights have played four times in four years and twice in the conference championship game. The problem is the two schools won't play again in the regular season for a while with the schedule rotation. They could meet in another title game and that would certainly add to the rivalry.
Next up, Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles and Knights meet every season because they are east division foes. The last four meetings have been close and there appears to be a sense of big city team verses small town team when the two play.
Marshall and UCF have been playing from the days in the MAC (I write that as if that's been for 50 years). There is some bitterness here. Marshall fans felt UCF acted as if they were too good for the MAC. While the Herd won games in that other league, UCF has won all four meetings in C-USA. This matchup has all the elements of a rivalry.
East Carolina holds a 7-1 advantage in games over UCF. But the dislike among fans has built over the last few seasons. UCF comes into the league and wins a division and league title in its first three seasons. ECU captured the crown last season and believes it can repeat.
Another factor that binds UCF and ECU is the never-ending rumors about BCS expansion and who might be a better candidate. Each school makes its case and each group of fans never fails to turn up the venom when squaring off.
No offense to anyone else in the east division, but there is little evidence to suggest UCF fans have any dislike for Memphis or UAB on the football field, yet.
And so we leave the debate to you. Players admit this week seems a little more important and fans seem to feel the same. So in the end, perhaps this week is more than just another key conference game to stay in the league race, maybe this is UCF's rival game of the year.
Marc Daniels' From the Pressbox runs several times per month on UCFAthletics.com. Listen to Marc during UCF football, men's basketball and baseball radio broadcasts on the UCF-ISP Sports Network. Each weekday, Marc hosts "The Beat of Sports" on ESPN 1080 in Orlando from 9-11 a.m.