The next chapter in Cincinnati’s football history starts tomorrow night. It’s a very exciting chapter because this Bearcat team is set up for success. This is, on paper, one of the most talented teams Cincinnati has ever had. They are starting a former top quarterback prospect. They have one of the deepest group of receivers in the nation. They have a highly regarded middle linebacker in Jeff Luc. They have what could be an NFL defensive end in Silverberry Mouhon. The talent level is almost where it was at around the Sugar Bowl era.
It’s an exciting chapter because the schedule has broken almost perfectly. Some in good ways, like Ohio State looking vulnerable at home for the first time in ages, Miami being another typical Miami team of this decade (applies for both actually) and the best conference teams come to Cincinnati. There are some bad ways that the schedule has broken. Ohio State is in some part vulnerable because Braxton Miller is injured. Toledo is vulnerable because they just lost their starting quarterback to an ACL tear.
Some of this excitement was had last season. The schedule last year was worse. The Bearcats played absolutely no one in the non-conference portion. The cookie crumbled in week 2 though, with a loss at hapless Illinois. Hopes for a conference title were dashed in the first ever American game. We’ve seen a scenario where Cincinnati could run the table until a huge finale dashed as recently as a year ago. So why the excitement this time around?
Because 2014 is a new year. 2014 is whatever the Bearcats make it. I don’t think the Bearcats of last year thought ‘Let’s make this a disappointing season,’ but it was clear they weren’t as good as we thought. If they were as good as we thought, they wouldn’t have lost to Illinois by a million.
Not only does the talent look to be there, not only is the schedule there, but there is even more motivation for some of these games, especially in the non-conference. Cincinnati hasn’t defeated Toledo since 1995. The 2012 season had some excitement dashed when UC lost at Toledo right because the Bearcats were going to play Louisville. Cincinnati hasn’t beaten Toledo since 1993.
I don’t even need to tell you about Ohio State. You already know.
Cincinnati is 1-10 against the Miami Hurricanes. That win came in 1947. If you watched Miami against Louisville, you could see that Miami was pretty much Miami of the last few years. A lot of talent, but a lot of why aren’t you winning as well.
Conference wise, the schedule has broken well, despite all the losing. Memphis certainly doesn’t look like the pushover they have been in the past. The Tigers have a tricky game against Middle Tennessee before heading to Ole Miss. They’ll probably have 2 losses when they roll into Cincinnati, but that isn’t the same old Memphis.
SMU is a dumpster fire so the first conference road game should be a win.
South Florida has kind of given Cincinnati fits when the Bearcats haven’t blown them out. Playing at home, the revenge spirit is there.
Tulane is someone Cincinnati has had a ton of trouble beating in the past. Cincinnati is only 3-11 against the Green Wave. “I bet all 3 wins were in Conference USA,” you might be thinking, but no. Cincinnati beat them one time and lost five times. Tulane wasn’t always bad.
East Carolina has an NFL prospect at quarterback. They are also a former Conference USA team Cincinnati had little success against at just 5-12. Cincinnati did win the last 3 meetings. The Bearcats and Pirates played pretty much every year from 1986-2004, so the Pirate run of success was a decade long before the Bearcats snapped it some.
Cincinnati has dominated Connecticut, 8-2. They have played Houston and Temple to near draws, although Cincinnati has a losing record to both.
A season set on revenge and trying to even the odds is some damn fine motivation for a season. But that’s not all Cincinnati has. Without even playing, the Bearcats are emerging as a front runner to the dangling carrot bowl spot for teams outside the group of 5. Boise State, UCF, Lafayette, they have all taken losses. Cincinnati only is voted behind Marshall in the polls. BYU is not eligible for the spot. Marshall plays absolutely NO ONE this year. If Cincinnati is able to pull of a big win at Ohio State or Miami, the scene is set. They can split those games and still have a great shot if they run the conference table.
The season finally starts tomorrow and our anticipation for the 2014 Bearcats will be satiated. We’ve made it through the longest stretch without Cincinnati football we, hopefully, will ever have to endure. Tomorrow night, Cincinnati will take the field. Tomorrow night we will see the future at quarterback with Gunner Kiel. Tomorrow night we will witness one of the best groups of receivers in UC history do their thing. Tomorrow night we’ll see Silverberry raise hell off the end. Tomorrow night we’ll see Zach Edwards patrolling his spot at safety. Tomorrow night we’ll see the first step of what’s sure to be a hell of a 2014. We are one day away. We made it. Now let’s kick some ass.
Go Bearcats.
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