In November, Bob Diaco said he would create a trophy for UConn’s annual game with Central Florida and he would call the game the Civil Conflict. This spring, he stayed true to his word.
So on Tuesday, when he said he expects his Huskies to go undefeated and win the National Championship, we should believe him.
“We’re going to win every game,” he declared. “We’re going to play as one of the four teams in the playoff and win a national championship.”
2015-16 will be the first football national championship in school history, and with thousands of Connecticuters eager to congratulate the team, you can expect the university to announce the parade route any day now. A meeting with President Obama is also on the horizon, so please discuss amongst yourselves which player will pull a Stefanie Dolson and become bff with the most powerful man in the world (my guess: Canadian hero Hergy Mayala).
UConn’s national championship season kicked off officially at American Athletic Conference media day, where the Huskies were picked to finish first in the AAC East inverted preseason coaches’ poll:
It’s no secret that the league believes this is a UConn team unlike any we’ve ever seen. Diaco took plenty of time on Tuesday to praise his group, calling his safeties the “best tandem in the country” and challenging reporters to name a better group. No one spoke up.
On wide receiver Noel Thomas, he said, “if he’s not one of the best wide receivers in the country, then shame on him.”
This team — no, this gridiron juggernaut — can do more than just outclass an opponent. On junior mountain man tackle Andreas Knappe, he said “Not only could he tackle the bear and choke it out to death, he could also pop it from a good bit away.”
UConn estimates there to be about 700 bears in the state of Connecticut. For now.
Naturally, Diaco was also asked about who the starting quarterback would be for this year’s undefeated squad. Like most undefeated national champions, quarterback is a major question mark, but Diaco says Bryant Sherriffs has separated himself from the pack. No official starter has been named, but it looks to be Sherrifs’ spot to lose, with Tim Boyle next in line.
Media Day has already been heralded as a success for UConn, with national outlets heaping praise on Diaco and his squad:
“Tuesday is Day 2 of AAC media days (Newport, R.I., turn up!), also known as “the day Bob Diaco tried to kickstart Connecticut football’s playoff candidacy.” – SB Nation
“Bob Diaco may be college football’s version of Donald Trump.” – New York Post
“Knights. Huskies. Oct. 10, fuckers. Mark it down.” — Deadspin
But perhaps Diaco put it best:
“Now, if someone is choosing between the Food Network or the UCF game, they may choose us.”
Ticket and travel information for the 2016 College Football Playoff can be found here.
The Huskies open the season on Sept. 3 when they host Villanova at PAWS ARF.
