The undefeated UCF Knights were shut out of College Football Playoff semifinals again.
UCF was ranked No. 8 in the final playoff rankings and will face off with No. 11 LSU in the Fiesta Bowl. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Jan. 1 and the game will air on ESPN.
The Knights are riding the nation's longest win streak spanning 25 games and won back-to-back American Athletic Conference titles, but it has long been clear the College Football Playoff Selection Committee believed UCF didn't have a tough enough strength of schedule to earn one of four playoff semifinal bids.
That belief was confirmed Sunday when the top six playoff teams were unveiled on ESPN.
No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 4 Oklahoma earned semifinal bids.
The top three were undefeated, while the Sooners had one loss.
Georgia, a two-loss team, took the No. 5 spot and one-loss Ohio State took the No. 6 slot.
It's unlikely star quarterback McKenzie Milton staying healthy would have been enough to change the Knights' fate based on rankings leading up to Selection Sunday.
The Knights were such an afterthought, ESPN's analysts didn't ask the playoff selection committee chairman about them during a brief interview after the top six teams were unveiled.
Instead, UCF is headed to a New Year's Six Access Bowl as the highest ranked Group of Five conference champion.
The Peach Bowl had the first chance to lobby for its preferred matchup, but the playoff selection committee made the final call.
"You want to pay particular attention to not sending the same teams to the same bowls," playoff selection committee chairman Rob Mullens said on ESPN when asked about how teams were assigned to New Year's Six games.
When asked about possibly matching UCF up with Florida, Mullens said Michigan was the highest ranked team at No. 7 and deserved to play closest to home. The Wolverines ranking combined with the Knights' appearance in the Peach Bowl last year helped send UCF west to the Fiesta Bowl.
During an interview on ESPN, UCF offensive lineman Wyatt Miller said the Knights are looking forward to their bowl matchup.
"We're always excited when we get another chance to play another game," he said. "Any time you get an extra opportunity to step out on the field ... we don't take it for granted."
When asked what it would mean to follow a win over Auburn in the Peach Bowl last season with a win over LSU in the Fiesta Bowl this season, Miller said, "I think it just builds our resume. Last year, we had 13 straight wins, this year we're going on 12."
If UCF can somehow continue its win streak through next season, it is widely believed the team would earn a playoff semifinal bid and chance to play for a national title.
For now, the Knights are rallying around backup quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. after Milton's horrific leg injury during the regular season finale sidelined him. Mack responded by passing and throwing for six touchdowns, helping the Knights defeat Memphis in the AAC title game and earning title game MVP honors.
"This team is full of fighters and winners and I think you saw that yesterday," Miller said.
The Fiesta Bowl has special memories for the Knights, who set a then-school record with 12 wins after upsetting Baylor 52-42 to cap the 2013 season.
Quarterback Blake Bortles earned Offensive Player of the Game honors after passing for 301 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for a career-high 93 yards. Linebacker Terrance Plummer earned Defensive Player of the Game honors after tallying a team-high 14 tackles, including half a sack.
UCF earned national attention during the past year after athletics director Danny White declared the Knights national champions after finishing as the only undefeated team at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.
After the Knights rallied to beat Memphis 56-41 during the American Athletic Conference Championship Game on Saturday night, coach Josh Heupel and White both argued the Knights deserved a chance to play for a national championship after posting back-to-back undefeated seasons.
"Our football team and our student-athletes have now won 25 straight games and deserve to be in the playoff. If that does not occur, it's another glaring example that a four-team playoff is not adequate" White said.
UCF used its football Twitter account to express its frustration over the lack of a path for the Knights to the playoff semifinals despite sweeping every game on its schedule.
UCF urged fans to purchase Fiesta Bowl tickets through the school.
Each bowl team is responsible for selling out a ticket allotment and fan tickets purchased through anywhere but the school don't count toward the Knights' tally.
UCF officials stressed strong ticket sales can be a factor in future bowl selections. The school is offering a commemorative ticket and back-to-back perfect season gift.
