:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67582404/usa_today_15018514.0.jpg)
Well, there goes the playoff chance. With the Big 12 imploding, the AAC followed suit. UCF was the best team in the conference until this weekend, when Tulsa ruined their playoff hopes. I picked Tulsa as a surprise team before the season, and it’s looking like this team’s going to be a problem.
ECU hasn’t changed a bit
This is by no means any disrespect to Georgia State, but how are you going to let a Sun Belt team run all over you? I’ve defended ECU all offseason and supported this team when others didn’t, but I’ve had enough. And I’m not just talking about the defense. Yes, Georgia State scored 49 points and produced 485 yards, but the Pirates offense disappeared too. They only produced 286 yards. That’s it. An offense that was supposed to explode this year couldn’t do anything against a Sun Belt team. Embarrassing. Holton Ahlers looked bad. The Pirates averaged 1.9 yards per carry. Give me my time to grieve here, this one was tough.
UCF is its own worst enemy
What a disaster for the Knights. Saturday’s game against Tulsa was a nightmare thanks to mental mistakes and questionable coaching decisions. The penalties continue to plague the UCF offense, and it doesn’t appear that Josh Heupel and his staff are addressing it. Multiple false start penalties killed drives all night, and the offense appeared to be lacking leadership. Heupel also decided not to let his offense try to score with under a minute remaining in the first half. Why? You have one of the best offenses in college football and you take your foot off the gas? It was a brutal night for the Knights, and gave them their second consecutive loss to Tulsa. That’s what you get when you play conservative. Dillon Gabriel doesn’t deserve to be put in that situation either.
Tulsa emerges as a dangerous team
Good for the Golden Hurricane. With UCF struggling with penalties and coaching, Tulsa took control of the game on Saturday. Zach Smith made a number of big time throws to upset the Knights, and his team found a way to win the game. Tulsa’s own penalties were their downfall in their first game against Oklahoma State, but they made sure that they didn’t repeat those mistakes. They now hold a four game winning streak over the 2017 National Champions, and sit at the top of the AAC for now.