UCF's odds of reaching the College Football Playoff were long before the weekend began.
On Friday, the climb to the top of the Playoff mountain became even more daunting, with Knights QB McKenzie Milton suffering a gruesome leg injury in Central Florida's rivalry battle with South Florida.
Midway through the second quarter, Milton (nearly 7,000 yards passing over the last two seasons) executed a keeper run from the Wildcat formation. He then sprinted toward the right sideline, seemingly hoping to cut inside for a downfield rush.
However, a South Florida player made a clean low tackle that, at first blush, didn't appear to have serious consequences.
Yes, Milton (seven straight games of multiple TDs) was writhing in pain, but the public at large couldn't fully absorb what had just occurred.
Everything changed when the ABC cameras unwittingly panned to a tight shot on Milton ... revealing his leg had been twisted in a frightening manner.
From the TV perspective, Milton–who had piloted the Knights to 23 consecutive victories (including last year's Peach Bowl upset of Auburn)–had seemingly incurred a broken leg.
Here's the clip of Milton's final play.
WARNING: This video might contain disturbing imagery at the point of contact.
In the latest release of the College Football Playoff rankings, UCF had ascended to its best-ever slot, commandeering the No. 9 ranking (ahead of Ohio State, Florida, Penn State, West Virginia and Texas).
However, in lieu of Milton's injury, it's difficult to imagine the Playoff committee rewarding UCF with a berth in the national semifinals, without the help of their most prominent player.
The rationale: The 2018 Knights have a decent resume ... but also possess weaker signature wins (Memphis, Pittsburgh) than the elite-level likes of LSU, Georgia, Washington State or Oklahoma.
