Step aside, Deion, this is UCF’s ‘Primetime’ moment | Commentary

The door is open.

The stars have aligned.

The opportunity is here.

The time is now.

“We’ve got to seize the moment,” UCF coach Gus Malzahn says.

Literally, figuratively, symbolically, the UCF Knights can show Saturday if they are ready for primetime, er, Primetime.

Deion Sanders — the man who was once known as “Primetime” but now prefers to be called “Coach Prime” — will be in Orlando and with him will come all of the eyeballs, the conversation, the controversy and TV ratings.

If it were any other coach with a mediocre football team coming to town, nobody would really care except UCF fans themselves. But because it’s Coach Prime, EVERYBODY cares. Love him or hate him, Coach Prime cannot be ignored, and this week is certainly no exception.

“College football is entertainment and he brings juice and attention to our league,” Malzahn says.

Which is the main reason why Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff Pregame Show will broadcast live from UCF’s campus Saturday, thanks, in part, to Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, UCF officials and Deion himself lobbying Fox sports executives to bring their version of ESPN GameDay to the Big 12’s new, thriving market in Orlando.

And while the nation’s eyes are always fixated on Deion, this is UCF’s big chance to steal the show and become nationally relevant once again.

Let’s face it, it’s been years since UCF was on the national stage and its program was being discussed by the Finebaums and Herbstreits of the world. The last time it happened was when GameDay came to town in 2018 amid the Knights’ second consecutive undefeated regular season.

Remember?

Remember the thousands upon thousands of placard-carrying fans surrounding the GameDay set at Memory Mall in the middle of UCF’s campus and a bemused Kirk Herbstreit asking: “Is this a record for signs?”

Back then, though, UCF was perceived as a pesky, rabble-rousing little Group of 5 program that ruffled the feathers of the establishment by self-proclaiming to be national champions the year before. The Knights carried a chip on their shoulder back then because they couldn’t get a sniff of the playoff because the four-team format was nothing more than a Power 5 invitational.

As one placard read during GameDay’s appearance at UCF in 2018: “I had a better sign, but the Playoff Committee Wouldn’t Let It In!”

Now, it’s different.

Now, the Playoff Committee has to let UCF in if the coaches and players take care of business on the field.

The Knights are now part of college football’s new order and can show the nation that they are legitimate contenders to win the Big 12 and earn an automatic bid into the 12-team playoff.

This is a big moment not only for UCF’s program but for Malzahn as its coach. Gus often says that UCF is “the future of college football” — and now is his chance to prove his point to college football fans and recruits across the country.

The Knights will supposedly have more recruits at this game than they’ve ever had in their history. Make no mistake about it, this is an unbelievable opportunity to make an indelible impression on many of the best recruits in the state, highlight the energy of game day at the Bounce House and persuade these prospects that UCF is the place to be.

It’s also an opportunity to keep building on the national exposure that started two Saturdays ago when the Knights, in a Fox national primetime game, rallied from a three-touchdown deficit to win a thriller on the road at TCU. Now comes Saturday’s national game on Fox. And next week, the nation will be watching UCF’s game against Florida in what could be Billy Napier’s final game as as the Gators’ coach.

This stretch of games has a chance to be a defining moment in the history of the program; a chance for UCF to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight; a chance to show the Big Ten and SEC snobs that UCF can play physical, big-boy football as well.

There’s a reason the Knights are a 15-point favorite against Colorado, and it’s because they lead the nation in rushing, run the football right at you and dare you to stop them.

Now is the time to run through the Colorado defense and crash through this window of opportunity.

UCF has everything it needs to take this step.

They have the talent.

They have the coaching.

They have the nation’s attention.

“Seize the moment,” Malzahn says.

Step aside, Deion.

It’s time for the Knights to show the world that Primetime belongs to them.

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com . Hit me up on X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen