This is the seventeenth post in our 24-part Super Squad Series, recognizing the best programs over the last three years in every single Division I FBS & FCS Conference, as well as the upperclassmen & staff who’ve anchored them.
Full updated rankings after last week‘s rundown of Colonial Athletic Association programs:
About Super Squad Rating
Super Squad Ratings range 0-100, heavily-weighed toward zero. A 100.0 rating is only achievable for a team that finishes #1 in College Football all three years, with a 100+ power rating each year. The top three 2020 Super Squads rate in at 78, 57, and 47, respectively.
Best thought of as a notoriety score:
“How many normal people out of 100 should recognize this program’s success the last three years?”
EXAMPLE
Consider an SSR (Super Squad Rating) of 78 to abstractly mean that program deserves 78% of Americans’ attention.
Conversely a program with a 1.1 SSR would be worth the attention of only 11 out of 1,000 Americans.
After dipping into the FCS for a week to celebrate James Madison’s CAA dominance, we’re back up with the big dawgs…or big Knights if we’re being literal.
The UCF Knights have virtually-owned the American Athletic Conference since its 2013 inception (formerly the Big East), with hands in four of seven existing titles, and winning two of the last three.
Congratulations UCF for being our 2020 CAA Super Squad! Kudos to your entire program, especially the 46 young men who were on the roster each of these three years – 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20 – listed here:
CONGRATULATIONS Otis Anderson, Antwan Collier, Brendon Hayes, Zamari Maxwell, Adrian Killins Jr., McKenzie Milton, Eric Mitchell, Bryon Brown, Gabriel Davis, Nevelle Clarke, Hayden Kingston, Marlon Williams, Brandon Moore, Kalia Davis, Bentavious Thompson, Richie Grant, Shawn Burgess-Becker, Greg McCrae, Alex Swenson, Aaron Robinson, Alex Ward, Monterious Loggins, Jon Powell, Dedrion Bacote-Sweat, Kyle Benkel, Josh Kelly, Dylan Barnas, Nate Evans, Jonathan Gebka, Darious East, Randy Shannon, Parker Boudreaux, Kyle Back, Cole Schneider, Steven Moss, Jordan Johnson, Samuel Jackson, Jake Brown, Alex Harris, Jacob Harris, Jake Hescock, Anthony Roberson, Austin Camden, Anthony Montalvo, Stephon Zayas, Mason Cholewa.
Before getting too caught-up in their accolades, these are the runners-up, from worst-to-first:
12th
#223 UConn Huskies
2.4 Super Squad Rating
Record:
6-30 Overall
2-22 American Athletic
Average Power:
34.6
Yearly Finish:
#191, #225, #229
11th
#181 East Carolina Pirates
3.2 Super Squad Rating
Record:
10-26 Overall
4-20 American Athletic
Average Power:
42.4
Yearly Finish:
#173, #181, #174
10th
#152 Tulsa Golden Hurricane
3.9 Super Squad Rating
Record:
9-27 Overall
5-19 American Athletic
Average Power:
46.8
Yearly Finish:
#165, #174, #103
The City of Tulsa has been in the news a lot this week. Significant events there that happened 99 years ago this month didn’t make it into my own history book, likely yours neither, aren’t football related, and undoubtedly still affect us all.
If you’re reading here, take 9 minutes to understand the history of Tulsa’s Greenwood District after this.
9th
#96 Houston Cougars
5.7 Super Squad Rating
Record:
19-18 Overall
12-12 American Athletic
Average Power:
55.9
Yearly Finish:
#82, #110, #100
8th
#95 South Florida Bulls
5.8 Super Squad Rating
Record:
21-16 Overall
11-13 American Athletic
Average Power:
55.4
Yearly Finish:
#47, #128, #125
7th
#91 SMU Mustangs
6.0 Super Squad Rating
Record:
22-16 Overall
14-10 American Athletic
Average Power:
56.2
Yearly Finish:
#98, #142, #44
6th
#78 Tulane Green Wave
6.4 Super Squad Rating
Record:
19-19 Overall
11-13 American Athletic
Average Power:
57.7
Yearly Finish:
#100, #90, #58
5th
#75 Temple Owls
6.5 Super Squad Rating
Record:
23-16 Overall
16-8 American Athletic
Average Power:
58.6
Yearly Finish:
#85, #74, #85
4th
#64 Cincinnati Bearcats
7.6 Super Squad Rating
Record:
26-13 Overall
15-9 American Athletic
Average Power:
61.1
Yearly Finish:
#167, #35, #33
3rd
#60 Navy Midshipmen
8.2 Super Squad Rating
Record:
21-18 Overall
13-11 American Athletic
Average Power:
62.1
Yearly Finish:
#46, #150, #21
2nd
#35 Memphis Tigers
10.3 Super Squad Rating
Record:
30-11 Overall
19-5 American Athletic
1 American Athletic Title (2019)
Average Power:
66.9
Yearly Finish:
#36, #81, #22
WINNER
#16 UCF Knights
16.3 Super Squad Rating
Record:
35-4 Overall
22-2 American Athletic
2 American Athletic Titles
(2017, 2018)
Average Power:
75.2
Yearly Finish:
#12, #27, #28
There’s no disputing this winner. At 35-4, the Knights have a better Win-Loss record than any Super Squad we’ve awarded thus far, most-notably going a perfect 13-0 in 2017, beating an Auburn team who had two-games-earlier just knocked off that year’s eventual National Champion, Alabama.
UCF’s rise and recent dominance has made them a formidable force who has even held the esteemed bragging rights as Florida’s top program for a good portion of recent years, above the entire legacy triumvirate of Miami–Florida–FSU and their cross-state conference rival, USF.
Congratulations all Knights coaches, staff, administrators, players, and especially the 46 young men present on the roster all three years to earn this title!
Super Squad Rankings
These are our up-to-date Division I Super Squad rankings after this week’s announced winner. Follow along as each Sunday we fill in more teams and announce our next Super Squad!
If you like our content and would like to support us, please consider following us on social media, sharing this post, or becoming a Patron via the link below:
