There’s nothing more exciting than two great teams going at it on the football field with a memorable ending. Every year, fans mark on their calendar the day that their team plays its biggest game.
Well, I think it’s safe to say that we’ve found the biggest for the Cincinnati Bearcats in the near future.
UC has recently signed a big deal to play a series against UCLA, tentatively set to occur in 2019 and 2020. I might be in the minority in saying this, but I’m personally not a fan of this deal. Why you might ask? It has nothing to do with the thought process that I think UCLA is an unworthy opponent for Cincy or vice versa. It’s completely about when these games will be played. In my opinion, with how often power in football changes, signing a contract to play a team years down the road simply makes no sense.
Sure, UCLA finished 10-3 last year in the Pac-12 Conference and second in the South division, just missing out on a conference championship berth. Sure, the opportunity to play against a Pac-12 team is hard to resist, especially considering potential TV markets the Bearcats can reach and the amount of money a game like this can bring in. Sure, a win against a good team like UCLA can be huge for the ‘Cats to move up in the rankings.
However, what if the Bruins end up 6-6 in 2015 and begin a downward trend from there? Now this huge game against a Pac-12 team just becomes another game that the ‘Cats should win with no real meaning to it.
I’m not saying this will happen without a doubt, but it can’t be ruled out as a possibility. Whether it’s due to some sort of trouble that the program got in to, struggles through recruiting and development of talent, or a coaching change, football programs can quickly change how good they are and have a “one-year wonder” season that they can’t keep up for the long term. Penn State and USC, two perennial powerhouse programs, due to NCAA sanctions, were unable to live up to the normal expectations that the fans have for these teams. What if UCLA is next? All of a sudden, this home-and-home matchup looks a lot less important.
Another huge reason I don’t support this series is what if UCLA is as good as they are now, if not better, and the ‘Cats are hoping for a potential College Football Playoff bid? All of a sudden, a loss in this game could mean that UC could win every game the rest of the season and miss out on the playoff. Last year’s Oregon-Michigan State matchup was a huge game, but it essentially cost Michigan State a chance to play in the playoff. A game against a MAC or Conference USA team that looks like a nearly automatic win makes the record look that much better and could make the committee look at them in a better light as well.
Last year’s national champion, the Ohio State Buckeyes, played no ranked teams in their non-conference schedule, meaning they were virtually unchallenged to bolster their record. They may have snuck into the playoff, but getting in was all they needed to become champions. UC may want to consider following the same plan in order to bolster their schedule when it looks like they could be a top team.
I’m personally not a fan of teams not challenging themselves, but if the playoff committee isn’t bothered by it, as they showed last season, then there’s no reason not to go that route. The only people a team needs to convince that they’re good enough is the committee, not you and I. So why wouldn’t the ‘Cats think in the same light and just prove that their record is outstanding by going undefeated.
If this game lives up to the potential hype, I will happily eat my words. However, it can’t be ignored that so many things can change and go wrong to make this game nothing more than a standard regular season game. I hope that’s not the case, but the early scheduling of series is a practice in football that I think simply needs to change.
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