Welcome to the Big 12, UCF Knights, and welcome to a harrowing schedule with potential pitfalls at almost every turn. The UCF season predictions for the 2023 season offer up some dicey games, marquee moments, and a potential star-studded affair for UCF this fall.
UCF Season Predictions: Predicting the Game-By-Game Results
Using groupthink, College Football Network analysts have painstakingly gone through every game for every team in the Big 12 and across the country.
Find every Big 12 Season Prediction per team: Baylor | BYU | UCF | Cincinnati | Houston | Iowa State | Kansas | Kansas State | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | TCU | Texas | Texas Tech | West Virginia
Picking these games straight up with a projected score using the rosters as up-to-date as the last spring practice, the UCF season predictions indicate what fans can possibly expect for the Knights in 2023.
Week 1 – UCF vs. Kent State: Win, 30-23
The Kent State program was decimated this offseason with losses in the transfer portal and their former head coach Sean Lewis to Colorado. However, they still present a unique challenge for UCF to withstand in their season opener.
The Golden Flashes have plenty of speed at every turn, but UCF is certainly set to be much faster in 2023. John Rhys Plumlee should have a field day with his legs against a sluggish front seven for Kent State in this game.
Week 2 – UCF @ Boise State: Loss, 28-31
A tough game in Week 2, the Knights have to make the trek to Boise State and the blue turf. Fans of Central Florida will certainly have fond memories when their Knights play at Albertson’s Stadium but that’s likely where the fondness stops.
The Boise State roster possesses a ton of talent on defense and if their season-ending success from a year ago is any indicator, they’ll be a tough offense to figure out as well. Taylen Green is the real deal at quarterback and one of the tougher signal-callers to figure out anywhere on the Big 12 non-conference schedule.
Week 3 – UCF vs. Villanova: Win, 43-12
Back home and back to bouncing, UCF fans can chalk up a victory here against FCS Villanova, but it’s imperative that they get out of dodge with a healthy roster and iron out their kinks on both sides of the ball. As long as they don’t focus too much on their next outing, this is a game to rest the starters in the second half.
Week 4 – UCF @ Kansas State: Loss, 25-29
The defending Big 12 Champions welcome UCF for their conference opener, the first as a member of the Big 12. However, this Kansas State team has a lot of questions and pause is required before crowning them as a successful title defender.
The Jayhawks hold a ton of promise all along their roster and if they want to win this game against UCF, riding their potentially potent rushing attack will be key.
Week 5 – UCF vs. Baylor: Win, 31-26
The Baylor Bears head to Orlando for this matchup seeking answers on defense and on their offensive front. There is no reason not to expect Plumlee to have time to set his feet and for the UCF pass rushers to feast in this matchup.
UCF’s work in the transfer portal this offseason should start to pay dividends in this game as the Power Five talent they’ve acquired add depth in key places for this matchup.
Week 6 – UCF @ Kansas: Loss, 24-29
Rewind to the first third of the season a year ago for Kansas. That was when Jalon Daniels was firmly in the Heisman Trophy discussion. Fast forward to the end of the season, the final game against Arkansas, when he returned from injury and threw for 544 yards and five touchdowns in a dramatic loss to an SEC foe.
That’s the Daniels we can expect to see and the Jayhawks roster is still on the rise. Heading to Lawrence for this matchup, the home-field advantage is too much for UCF to contend with Kansas here.
Week 8 – UCF @ Oklahoma: Loss, 21-37
Dillon Gabriel faces his former team as the Oklahoma Sooners host the Knights off their bye week in 2023. It’s a tall task to head to Norman and compete with Oklahoma, especially when Gabriel has the firepower he has with the Sooners this season.
Oklahoma has done a great job of adding through the portal. As their roster still feels a bit under construction under head coach Brent Venables, the sheer talent on this roster is too much for nearly every opponent on their schedule this fall, UCF included.
MORE: History of the UCF Knights
Week 9 – UCF vs. West Virginia: Win, 30-20
The West Virginia Mountaineers are a unique team in 2023. There is a lot to like on their roster in certain parts. However, before they’re more than just the sum of all their parts, this roster cannot be looked as a team to compete for much more than a handful of surprising moments and not many victories.
UCF’s roster is built to withstand what WVU wants to do on offense — run CJ Donaldson — and should be able to score far more with their firepower than the Mountaineers can. It’s a prime game for UCF to announce themselves to the Big 12.
Week 10 – UCF @ Cincinnati: Win, 33-24
Heading to the Queen City for a matchup with a familiar foe entering the Big 12 with them, the Cincinnati-UCF rivalry is a budding one in college football. However, this season, the Bearcats’ roster is far less superior to the Knights as they transition to a new era of football.
Scott Satterfield is the coach, taking over after Luke Fickell left for Wisconsin, and Satterfield has brought more than his fair share of former Cardinals with him. However, they’ll be outdueled at almost every position by UCF in what feels like a comfortable victory for the Knights.
Week 11 – UCF vs. Oklahoma State: Win, 25-22
The Cowboys haven’t had a losing season since Mike Gundy’s first year as head coach (2005) but that looks like it is firmly in the cards for Oklahoma State in 2023. They have no answer at quarterback and have lost their fair share of talent through the transfer portal in the process.
Sure, they’ve added a few pieces themselves, but until they have an answer at QB and who will step up offensively for the Cowboys, they’ll be a ground-first attack on offense and unable to keep up with a team like UCF>
Week 12 – UCF @ Texas Tech: Loss, 25-33
Texas Tech’s work in developing players under Joey McGuire will be put on display this season as the Red Raiders look to improve on a terrific 8-5 season a year ago. The offense is expected to be a well-rounded unit and one that should give opposing defenses fits as they can attack in multiple facets.
Week 13 – UCF vs. Houston: Win, 33-28
Like UCF, Houston enters the Big 12 after years of success in the AAC. However, that’s all their similarities are at this point, as the Cougars have a bevy of questions on their roster this fall.
UCF finishes the season with a high-flying victory over their rival Cougars and entertains a 7-5 record in their first season in the Big 12.
