UCF head coach Gus Malzahn appeared on a pair of SiriusXM shows this week in advance of Saturday's American Athletic Conference Championship at Tulane.
On Wednesday, Malzahn hopped on ESPNU's "Full Ride" with Chris Childers and Rick Neuheisel.
The major talking points were addressed first, including Malzahn's assessment of last week's game at South Florida and his thoughts on facing the Green Wave.
He was then asked straight up: Will quarterback John Rhys Plumlee play this weekend?
"He's playing," Malzahn said. "He's dealt with this injury for about three to four weeks. He's managed it each week. He's practiced this week and definitely planning on playing. We'll see what happens. We've got some other good quarterbacks if something were to happen, but that's the plan right now."
Childers suggested Malzahn may actually now have a better job than he did at Auburn, given UCF is going to the Big 12, expansion of the playoff, location, not having to deal with the "nuttiness" of the SEC, etc.
"I always thought if the right guy ever got here, stayed here and built it, and not look at it as a stepping stone, it could be one of the best jobs in college football," Malzahn said. "We're a young fanbase. I think our average alumni is 36 and they're all on social media. College football is more social media-driven than ever before with recruiting and everything that goes with it.
"We're going to the Big 12 and that's a game changer for us. The sky is the limit at this place. We've got a great athletic director in Terry Mohajir who was with me at Arkansas State. Everything is aligned. We've got a great president. The sky is the limit. I'm blessed to be here."
Malzahn added the upcoming Big 12 move is huge for UCF.
"When I took the job, I knew this program was going places," Malzahn said. "I didn't know it was going to the Big 12. Since we made that announcement, it's opened doors recruiting like crazy. This has been a very successful place as far as winning before I got here. There were great players and great coaches. It's opened up the doors for recruiting and we think we can compete with anybody in the country in recruiting."
