Central Florida knew that moving to the Big 12 would be challenging.
The Knights won six games in their first season in the conference, played in a bowl game for the eighth year in a row, and were more competitive than their 3-6 record in conference games might suggest.
Although this might seem decent, it wasn’t good enough for coach Gus Malzahn and his players.
UCF’s first losing season (6-7) since 2016 ended with a defeat against Georgia Tech in the Gasparilla Bowl.
The season included highlights like a significant win over Oklahoma State when the Cowboys were ranked in the Top 25, but it was also marred by narrow losses to Baylor, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech, totaling just four points.
“Our team I really feel like has a chip on their shoulder,” Malzahn said. “If that didn’t leave a sour taste in our mouth we’ve got something wrong with us.”
Malzahn, who had a successful eight-season run as head coach and won a national championship as a coordinator at Auburn, believes UCF has what it takes to improve in the Big 12.
“It starts with the head coach and getting back to me and the team taking on my personality,” Malzahn said.
“I said before, we want a disciplined team. We weren’t really a hard-nosed, physical edge team like I’ve had in the past. Really, we’re developing that. It’s a process. It can’t be one or two, it’s got to be who we are as a group.”