Cincinnati, Houston, UCF and BYU to Join Big 12 in Summer of 2023
Jun 10, 2022
CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 04: Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell runs onto the field with his players before the game against the Houston Cougars and the Cincinnati Bearcats on December 4, 2021, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Big 12 will add four new schools in the summer of 2023.
Central Florida, Cincinnati, Houston and BYU will officially join the conference next summer.
American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco announced Friday the AAC has reached early-exit agreements with UCF, Cincinnati and Houston that will take effect July 1, 2023, and allow them to move to the Big 12.
The Big 12 announced in September that all four schools would join the conference "no later than the 2024-25 athletic year."
Per ESPN's Heather Dinich, AAC bylaws require schools to give a 27-month notice before they leave in addition to paying a $10 million buyout fee. The earliest exit date for the schools if they abided by those rules would have been July 1, 2024.
Aresco told Dinich the AAC was willing to negotiate a higher exit fee that would allow UCF, Cincinnati and Houston to leave early:
"We typically do, because it's not a great situation when you know somebody's leaving. Often you can mitigate some of that by just again getting a larger exit fee and having them leave earlier so we'll certainly be willing to negotiate that as we've done in the past and as other conferences have done in the past, but I can't tell you precisely yet at this point, nobody's indicated what year."
Per Brett McMurphy of the Action Network, the three schools are paying $18 million apiece to leave early after the AAC initially sought $45 million.
All of these moves come after Texas and Oklahoma accepted invitations in July to join the SEC from the Big 12.
Per Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman, the 2024-25 athletic year is "still a more realistic target date" for the Longhorns and Sooners to leave.
If that ends up being the case, the Big 12 will have 14 members for the 2023-24 athletic year.
Report: Cincinnati, Houston, UCF Negotiating $17-20M Settlement to Join Big 12 in '23
May 3, 2022
CINCINNATI, OHIO - NOVEMBER 20: Head coach Luke Fickell of the Cincinnati Bearcats reacts in the second quarter against the SMU Mustangs at Nippert Stadium on November 20, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Cincinnati, Houston and UCF are
reportedly in talks with the American Athletic Conference about a
settlement that would allow them to leave for the Big 12 in 2023
instead of 2024.
Brett McMurphy of the Action Network
reported Tuesday the schools are discussing an agreement worth in the "$17 million to $20 million range" after AAC Commissioner Mike
Aresco sought a $35 million early-exit fee.
Sources told McMurphy the three
programs are "fully confident" a deal will be finalized this
month.
A whirlwind of movement started last
July when Oklahoma and Texas accepted offers to join the SEC no later
than 2025, which jump-started a battle between the conferences to
remain viable once the dust settled from the realignment.
Losing OU and UT, its two most valuable
programs, led the Big 12 to seek an expansion to 14 teams that it will achieve with the addition of the three AAC schools and BYU, which
will give up its independent status in football.
Now, with most of the conference
changes having been agreed to, schools are beginning to seek early
departures to avoid the multiyear wait times before the switch.
A fee of up to $20 million is no small
thing. In November, Russ Heltman of Sports Illustrated noted
Cincinnati spent $74 million on athletics during the 2020-21 school
year. So, all other things being equal, adding the settlement on top
would represent a 27 percent increase in spending.
The television deal is the equalizer,
though. Cincinnati will go from $6 million per year from that revenue
stream to $26 million annually following the Big 12 move, per
Heltman.
In other words, the early-exit fee could pay for itself in year one and then turn into pure profit from that
point forward.
Meanwhile, the timing of the AAC
departures is going to have an impact on other changes.
There are six Conference USA programs
waiting to join the AAC—Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas,
Rice, UAB and UT San Antonio—and three other C-USA teams heading
to the Sun Belt—Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss.
In turn, C-USA has added Jacksonville
State, Liberty, New Mexico State and Sam Houston State with
discussions to also bring in Eastern Kentucky and Tarleton State,
though the latter discussions have been tabled for now, per McMurphy.
So, while the wheeling and dealing
continues, college sports fans can expect a lot of new rivalries no
later than 2025 and possibly as soon as 2023.
Jerome Ford NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Cincinnati RB
Feb 24, 2022
CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 04: Cincinnati Bearcats running back Jerome Ford (24) carries the ball for a touchdown during the game against the Houston Cougars and the Cincinnati Bearcats on December 4, 2021, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
HEIGHT: 5'10 1/2"
WEIGHT: 210
HAND: 9 1/8"
ARM: 30 5/8"
WINGSPAN: 6'1 1/4"
40-YARD DASH: 4.46
3-CONE: DNP
SHUTTLE: DNP
VERTICAL: 31"
BROAD: 9'10"
POSITIVES
— Above-average build for the position. Runs with good power and play strength to run through arm and side tackles.
— Understands how to tempo his pace on run plays. Will press the hole to set up blocks and get second-level defenders to commit. Has more than enough burst to accelerate through holes.
— Runs with a good, wide base, which allows him to stay consistently balanced when cutting. Keeps shoulders square to the line of scrimmage.
— Has quick feet and tight footwork when jump-cutting to find a hole.
— Good long speed. Can pull away from defenders and create explosive plays when he gets a runway.
—.Good hands in the passing game.
— Willing blocker in pass protection.
NEGATIVES
— Route running has consisted mostly of checkdowns.
— Not overly shifty making defenders miss in tight spaces.
Jerome Ford has the overall talent and skill set to be a three-down running back in the NFL. He plays with proper tempo on various run concepts and knows how to help out his blockers by pressing the hole and making defenders commit downhill. But he doesn’t get caught up in the wash when pressing, showing vision and knowing when to put his head down and get forward.
Ford shows the burst and long speed to take advantage of the holes created. He is able to quickly get to the next level when he decides to get north. He consistently runs with good balance, footwork and a strong base. That allows him to quickly get in and out of his cuts when he decides to plant his foot, and he also has enough strength to run through arm and side tackles and create more yards after contact.
Ford has legitimate home run speed to take runs the distance when he's given a crease, but he also has enough awareness to take advantage of the singles and doubles that are blocked for him. He shows natural hands when serving as a receiver out of the backfield as well, looking comfortable when the ball does come his way. He is also a willing blocker when asked to work in pass protection.
Ford doesn’t have overwhelming size and is more solidly built. He will have to be paired with another back to help with the touches to maximize his skill set. He also has limited experience working from the backfield. While he has good hands, he was asked to run a simplistic route tree mostly consisting of checkdowns with the occasional wheel route.
Ford will also have to continue to hone in on the mental side of pass protection. He brings good physicality when blocking, but he can be a step slow in recognizing his assignment.
Overall, Ford is a balanced runner who can be effective in any type of run scheme. He understands how to take advantage of his blockers but also brings juice to the position to create explosive plays. He will need to continue to refine his route running and pass protection to become a true three-down back, but he has flashes already of being able to contribute on passing downs.
Ford would be best paired with another back to split touches and ease some of his workload due to his lack of overwhelming size. But he has the athleticism and skill set to be a starting back for most NFL teams, one who can be an effective, explosive featured player in the run game.
Luke Fickell, Cincinnati Agree to Contract Extension Worth $5M per Year Through 2028
Feb 14, 2022
Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell watches his team warm up before the Cotton Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game against Alabama, Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
Helping the Cincinnati Bearcats become the first-ever Group of Five conference team to make the College Football Playoff was quite lucrative for head coach Luke Fickell.
Fickell told Justin Williams of The Athletic he and Cincinnati agreed to a contract extension that sources said will pay him $5 million annually and run through 2028. The deal still needs to be approved by the Board of Trustees, which will meet on Feb. 22.
In addition to the pay raise, Williams reported the contract "includes a significant bump in the staff's salary pool and comes with further assurances on a new permanent indoor practice facility."
If nothing else, this further signals Fickell's commitment to the Cincinnati program. That is significant because he was connected to the Michigan State job and the Notre Dame job the past two years and seemed like a logical candidate to continue being included in speculation whenever a Power Five conference job opened.
The Bearcats are poised to become a Power Five program soon with a move to the Big 12, and they apparently have their coach for the foreseeable future.
An extension comes as no surprise seeing as how Fickell is 48-15 in five years at the helm for Cincinnati. While last year's undefeated run to the CFP stands out even with a loss to Alabama in the semifinals, it was a continuation of the progress he has quickly made with the program.
The Bearcats went 4-8 in his first season in 2017 before making a head-turning jump to 11-2 in 2018, 11-3 in 2019 and 9-1 in 2020. That 9-1 effort in 2020 included an undefeated regular season with the only blemish coming in a three-point loss to Georgia in the Peach Bowl.
Fickell only figures to continue building momentum for the Bearcats with more recruiting pitches.
With the extension as further proof of his commitment to the program, he can highlight the improved competition the team will face when it joins the Big 12 and likely be able to show off a path to the NFL when players like cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner and quarterback Desmond Ridder are drafted in April.
Throw in the improved facilities that will also apparently come with this extension, and Cincinnati is trending upward.
Cincinnati's Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner Declares for 2022 NFL Draft; Projected Top-15 Pick
Jan 4, 2022
Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner (1) plays during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Tulsa Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
After helping lead Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff, cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner is turning pro.
Gardner told Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports in a phone interview that he is declaring for the 2022 NFL draft.
“I talked things over with my family,” Gardner said Tuesday. “My work at Cincinnati is done. I came in and did everything I was supposed to do. I listened to everything the coaches were telling me to do to get in a better position to take care of my family.”
Thamel noted Gardner is projected as a first-rounder, with some scouts believing he could go off the board within the top 15 picks.
Per B/R's NFL Scouting Department, Gardner is the No. 5 cornerback and the No. 26 player overall in the 2022 draft class.
ESPN's Todd McShay wrote that Gardner is "tall and long, and he smothers coverage underneath," as well as having "strong recognition ability in zone" and "is an adequate wrap-up tackler and flashes playmaking skill."
Gardner was a key player for the Bearcats during their run to the College Football Playoff this season. He started 13 games, setting career highs with five tackles for loss, three sacks and tying his career high with three interceptions.
A native of Detroit, Gardner was a 3-star recruit coming out of Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School in 2019. He was named to the All-AAC first team in each of his three seasons at Cincinnati.
As a junior in 2021, Gardner was named AAC Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American. He recorded five total tackles and one tackle for loss in a 27-6 loss to Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal on Dec. 31.
Gardner can become the third player in Bearcats history selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Quarterback Greg Cook (No. 5 overall in 1969) and defensive tackle Bob Bell (No. 21 overall in 1971) are the only Cincinnati alums drafted in the first round.
Bryce Young, Alabama Beat Cincinnati 27-6 to Advance to 2021 CFP Championship
Dec 31, 2021
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 31: Brian Robinson Jr. #4 of the Alabama Crimson Tide carries the ball past Ja'von Hicks #3 of the Cincinnati Bearcats during the first half in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic for the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium on December 31, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Alabama will play for its second straight national championship after earning a 27-6 win over Cincinnati in the 2021 Cotton Bowl on Friday.
Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young threw three touchdown passes in the College Football Playoff national semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, while Brian Robinson Jr. stole the show with a career-high 204 rushing yards.
The Crimson Tide controlled the game everywhere but the scoreboard early on, holding just a 17-6 lead through three quarters. The Bearcats limited the damage with a bend-don't-break defense and kept the favorites scoreless in the third quarter.
Cincinnati simply couldn't get in the end zone.
Alabama (13-1) will compete in the CFP title game for the sixth time in the last seven years, facing the winner of Michigan and Georgia in Friday night's Orange Bowl. The Crimson Tide are one game away from becoming the first team to win back-to-back championships since they accomplished the feat after the 2011 and '12 seasons.
Cincinnati was the first Group of Five team to earn a spot in the CFP, but it couldn't keep its dream season alive.
Desmond Ridder was held without a touchdown for the first time all year as the Bearcats suffered their first loss of the season after reeling off 13 victories.
Alabama with 140 rushing yards midway through the 2nd quarter, including 102 from Brian Robinson Jr. #Bearcats defense had allowed 137.5 rushing yards per game entering today.
This strategy led to 301 rushing yards and an average of 6.4 per attempt. Robinson reached 100 yards in just four of 12 games this season, but he was unstoppable against Cincinnati.
It still took the passing game to get into the end zone, as Bryce Young connected with wideouts Slade Bolden and Ja'Corey Brooks and tight end Cameron Latu.
The star quarterback wasn't as productive as we've seen him in the past and threw a rare interception, which initially kept the game close. He was still a difference-maker with his ability to elude defenders and find teammates down the field.
The Crimson Tide fell short of their 42.5 points per game average, but the offense did enough to come away with the win.
Upset Bid Falls Flat for Cincinnati
Cincinnati needed a monumental performance from Desmond Ridder to pull off the upset, but the quarterback wasn't at his best Friday.
The Bearcats scored just three points in the first half, which came from a field goal on the opening drive.
Dismal first half for Desmond Ridder. 8 for 17. Only 59 passing yards. Sacked three times. Cincy had 60 yards on its opening drive, and managed just 16 total yards on the next four series. Ouch.
A coach once told me the difference between power 5 schools and others are the size of the lines on both sides, and roster depth. Alabama’s O line is case in point.
It was simply too difficult to hold down the Crimson Tide the whole game.
Cincinnati certainly held its own against a bigger, stronger, deeper opponent, but an upset bid wasn't in the cards.
Cincinnati's Coby Bryant Wins 2021 Jim Thorpe Award
Dec 10, 2021
CINCINNATI, OHIO - DECEMBER 04: Coby Bryant #7 of the Cincinnati Bearcats celebrates an interception during the second half of the 2021 American Conference Championship against the Houston Cougars at Nippert Stadium on December 04, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Cincinnati cornerback Coby Bryant has won the Jim Thorpe Award, which the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame presents to the nation's top collegiate defensive back.
The winner was announced at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday.
Oregon safety Verone McKinley III and Baylor safety Jalen Pitre were also finalists for the award.
The award has been given out since 1986, and previous winners include football luminaries such as Deion Sanders, Charles Woodson and Patrick Peterson.
The last five winners of the award have all ended up being selected in the first or second round of the NFL draft. Las Vegas Raiders safety Tre'von Moehrig won the trophy in 2020 when he suited up for TCU.
Here's a brief look at each finalist's resumes, starting with the winner.
Cincinnati CB Coby Bryant
The undefeated Bearcats earned their first-ever College Football Playoff berth in part because of players like Bryant, who helps form a rock-solid defense that has helped propel the team to great heights.
He had 40 tackles (32 solo), two interceptions and 11 passes defended for the undefeated Bearcats. He's a shutdown corner whose work has been recognized nationwide. Of note, Pro Football Focus thinks highly of the fifth-year senior's efforts:
His best game was at No. 6 Notre Dame, when Bryant had seven tackles and three passes defended in a 24-13 win.
Cincinnati's defense was exceptional that day, as it has been all season, with the Bearcats allowing the fourth-fewest points in Division I FCS (16.1 PPG).
Baylor S Jalen Pitre
Pitre will forever be a Waco legend. He was the only member of the 2017 Bears class who stayed with the program after head coach Art Briles was fired, per John Werner of the Waco Tribune-Herald.
In 2021, he had 70 tackles (54 solo), 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, seven passes defended and three forced fumbles. The fifth-year senior helped Baylor earn a No. 7 College Football Playoff ranking, a Big 12 Championship and an 11-2 record.
Pitre's best game, which occurred during a 38-24 win over BYU, ended with him earning the Senior Bowl's Defensive Player of the Week honors:
Baylor responded to that pick by going 48 yards in five plays for a touchdown and 20-7 lead.
Pitre added seven more tackles (two for a loss) and two pass breakups in the Bears' 21-16 Big 12 Championship Game win versus Oklahoma State.
Oregon S Verone McKinley III
You can't find many defensive backs more productive than McKinley, who is equally adept at delivering big hits as he is at making huge interceptions and pass breakups.
Oregon was in the College Football Playoff picture midseason in part because of a strong running game and a playmaking defense featuring a superstar on each level (edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, linebacker Noah Sewell and McKinley on the back line).
In conjunction, those three did excellent work for the Ducks, which won 10 games and finished as the Pac-12 runner-up.
As far as McKinley went, the third-year sophomore starred with 71 tackles and six interceptions.
His best game came in Oregon's 42-35 win at Ohio State on Sept. 11, when he had six tackles, two passes defended, one forced fumble and one huge interception to kill off a late OSU drive with the Buckeyes down seven with under three minutes remaining:
"And that may do it!"
Oregon's Verone McKinley III with a huge INT late in the fourth quarter vs. Ohio State 😱
That ended up being one of the most impressive wins of the season from any team. McKinley played a big role in that effort, which is part of the reason why he was acknowledged as one of college football's top three defensive backs.
CFP Chairman Says Committee Has 'Great Respect' for Cincinnati After No. 6 Ranking
Nov 2, 2021
Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell looks on during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Navy, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
The Cincinnati Bearcats are right in the middle of the College Football Playoff race at No. 6 after the release of the initial rankings on Tuesday, but some were surprised to see them below No. 2 Alabama, No. 4 Oregon and No. 5 Ohio State.
Those three teams all have a loss while the undefeated Bearcats remain undefeated, but CFP chairman Gary Barta told reporters the selection committee still respects the American Athletic Conference team.
"The committee has great respect for Cincinnati," he said. "The win at Notre Dame is really impressive. When you look at their schedule after that, who else did they beat? That was the question."
While the Bearcats are on the outside looking in when it comes to the top four, Tuesday's release was also just the first set of rankings.
They still have a golden opportunity to become the first Group of Five team to make the CFP, and the win at Notre Dame that Barta mentioned is a primary reason why. Cincinnati was in full control for much of that contest and survived a late challenge from the Fighting Irish, who checked in at No. 10 following wins over Virginia Tech, USC and North Carolina.
If Notre Dame continues to win, that victory will only look better in retrospect for Luke Fickell's squad.
The Bearcats would be better positioned, though, if Indiana lived up to expectations. The Hoosiers lost just one regular season game in 2020 to Ohio State and had high expectations coming into the 2021 campaign but are just 2-6 at this point.
Cincinnati's win over Indiana is not carrying nearly as much weight as was expected and is surely one reason why its strength of schedule is ranked 100th by ESPN.
There is still a pathway for the Bearcats to reach the CFP considering No. 1 Georgia could play No. 2 Alabama in the SEC title game, No. 5 Ohio State still plays No. 3 Michigan State and No. 7 Michigan, and No. 4 Oregon has potentially challenging road games against Washington and Utah remaining on the schedule.
That means a number of potential losses remain for the top contenders, and the Bearcats could move up if they keep winning.
They are also ahead of undefeated Oklahoma and Wake Forest, which might ultimately be more important than whether they are behind teams that still have to play each other.
Iowa's Loss Opens the Door for Romping Cincinnati into the CFB Playoff
Oct 16, 2021
CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 16: The Cincinnati Bearcats mascot holds up a replica of the National Championship trophy and a sign that reads
Cincinnati knows it.
In fact, everybody knows it.
For the Bearcats to make the College Football Playoff, they must go above and beyond. They must convince the College Football Playoff selection committee, which has made it clear it does not much care for teams outside of Power Five conferences, that it can't omit them this time around.
The Bearcats must leave no doubt, and that seems like an almost impossible task. Perhaps most importantly, they must get some help.
That help has steadily trickled in as the losses for other teams have mounted. Last week it was No. 1 Alabama falling to Texas A&M. This Saturday, No. 2 Iowa fell at home to Purdue.
Everything that needs to happen for Cincinnati to make the College Football Playoff is happening.
Iowa's loss means Cincinnati will likely climb up yet another spot. And because Iowa was dominated at home, we might as well pull them from playoff consideration. One less team to worry about.
All of this is terrible news for teams still on Cincinnati's schedule.
On Saturday, that team was Central Florida.
While the matchup between these two programs was a thriller a season ago, that was not the case this year. The Bearcats mauled the Knights 56-21, limiting a once-potent offense to less than 300 total yards.
If there was any doubt about how Luke Fickell's team would fare in one of the "tougher" games remaining on its schedule—and at this point it's hard to see how doubt will creep in—the answer was a convincing one.
The primary source of offense wasn't quarterback Desmond Ridder, who has wiggled his way into the Heisman conversation. Instead, it was running back Jerome Ford—someone who should be appreciated far more than he is—who finished with 189 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
In many ways, Ford's performance is synonymous with Cincinnati's season. Overpowering and unrelenting. Constant and inevitable.
CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 16: Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) high-fives fans after the game against the UCF Knights and the Cincinnati Bearcats on October 16, 2021, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sports
It's not just about the win. It's about the score and a sustained level of dominance. From this point forward, expect the score to be lopsided in just about every game Cincinnati plays. For this team to make the playoff, it cannot sit on the ball with a lead. It has to turn victories into blowouts and blowouts into laughers.
Meanwhile, the losses have piled up around them. Chaos has been served weekly this season—the kind of season necessary for a Group of Five team to crash the CFB Playoff party—and Cincinnati has answered by bulldozing most everything in its path.
The Bearcats entered Saturday at No. 3 in the AP Poll, which is not normal placement for a team outside the Power Five. Although the playoff field won't be decided for some time, the fact that Cincinnati has climbed the AP Poll this quickly speaks to the Bearcats' play and the carnage this college football season has generated.
At 6-0, Cincinnati has wins over Indiana and Notre Dame. Both of those games were played on the road. While the Hoosiers are nowhere near the team they were a season ago, a double-digit win over the Irish in the back pocket could be quite meaningful come playoff time.
Still, the schedule has a ceiling. The remaining games simply don't pack the same punch as what many other playoff hopefuls have in front of them.
Cincinnati still plays at Navy, at Tulane and at East Carolina. The Bearcats will be sizable favorites in all three of those games (obviously). The Bearcats' most meaningful remaining regular-season game is a home contest against SMU at the end of November.
The Mustangs are unbeaten, and they have wiggled their way into the AP Top 25. Still, Cincinnati will be a sizable favorite here and in every game on the horizon.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - OCTOBER 16: Jerome Ford #24 of the Cincinnati Bearcats celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the UCF Knights at Nippert Stadium on October 16, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Ge
Even in a season where madness is the only constant, it's hard to find the loss. This is a team with incredible balance, having entered Saturday with the nation's No. 2 scoring defense and the nation's No. 9 scoring offense.
And sure, the competition plays a role in that, but the point is inescapable.
At what point will the losses around Cincinnati become so pronounced that the College Football Playoff selection committee finally, once and for all, rewards a Group of Five team?
If it's going to happen under the current playoff format, this feels like the year. While the arguments over the schedule will persist up until the moment the four-team field is decided, Cincinnati is making this discussion less controversial each week.
Years from now, the conversation will be different. For starters, Cincinnati will eventually play a Big 12 schedule and be treated much differently by the committee—assuming it still exists. The playoff will eventually expand to eight or 12 teams, giving others outside major conferences a legitimate crack at crashing the party.
For now, however, that exercise has proved to be impossible. A perfect regular season for the Bearcats last year wasn't enough. Although in truth, that team wasn't this good.
Something more than perfection will be required. Cincinnati will have to continue to blow teams out and cruise in the American Athletic Conference.
And yes, it might need more help. With so many more meaningful games to be played by College Football Playoff contenders, that help is likely to come. Whether it'll be enough for Cincinnati to finally break through will be determined in the next few months.
For now, we know this: The Bearcats are good. No, really good. They belong.
With Iowa's loss on Sunday, they will likely be ranked behind only Georgia in the AP Poll. That's it.
Cincinnati has put itself in a position to crash a party no program like it has ever crashed—a party many are still hoping it doesn't attend.
The deck is still stacked against them. The Bearcats know that. As such, good luck to everyone standing in their path.
