This is the team we’ve been waiting for

Don't think this isn't the season.

Don't think this shouldn't be, or doesn't have to be, the year.

It is. It does.

UCF football is going all-in this season, and don't think anyone in the locker room doesn't know it.

I'm not talking necessarily about being a BCS-buster. That's a pretty heavy expectation any season. What I'm saying is: this is the season where the Knights need to win 10 or 11 games. This is the season where the

Knights need to crack the Top 25, and not just for a week.

This is the season where this program needs to transition from sleeping giant; that program that could be good one day; that school with the really nice facilities located on the really pretty campus with the really pretty people in the really nice television market. It needs to transition from all that into real relevance.

National relevance, to be precise.

The variables are all there.

Let's look back just a year ago. The Knights blew two games early last season at East Carolina and Southern Miss before they really jelled, led by an unexpected transfer quarterback named Brett Hodges, who emerged as the calm and collected leader. Despite the change, the Knights finished with eight wins on a schedule that featured Texas and Miami.

This year, the BCS opponents — the "big games" — are North Carolina State and Kansas State. The conference as a whole is anticipated to have a down year. More importantly, there are no games like Texas or Miami last year that the Knights simply will be expected to lose. The toughest games on this schedule are, in no particular order; at Houston, at Kansas State, and against NC State, and all are winnable. The Knights may even be favored in some of, possibly most of, these games.

Ranking-wise, the Knights have one of the easiest schedules in the country. Although this schedule doesn't feature the true "big game" that gets the community excited, such as hosting Miami last season or South Florida the year before, it has the right mix of "should win" games, respectable conference opponents, and beatable lower-tier BCS teams, to make a ten to eleven win season relevant, Top 25-worthy. Go undefeated, and, well, it creates some possibilities of its own.

This has to be the season because the enthusiasm of the little-program-that-could is running out. Because to truly make the transition to national relevance you've got to post a ten win season, win your bowl game, be ranked. This is the season that seems the most possible, and if it comes to fruition, watch and see the Knights next recruiting class.

UCF is already stealing away recruits being sought after by BCS programs. They're buying into the dream, in addition to the perks of a beautiful campus, state of the art facilities, and all that good stuff. Maybe come National Signing Day this time around, the Knights can sell recruits on the reality of a program that's taking names.

The sooner UCF has a breakout season, the kind I'm talking about, the sooner UCF fans can start to realistically daydream of being a BCS-buster. That's the beauty of the BCS-buster route, it can be an easier route, but the drawback is it requires perfection.

This could be that year. There is not a single game on the schedule that Knights are unable to win.

But that's not what this year has to be about.

This year has to be about a C-USA title.