Looking at the Cincinnati Bearcats’ schedule in 2015, I see a lot of blanks. Those blanks are where a Top 25 ranking normally goes. In fact, I see 12 of those blanks on the schedule, and I expect it will be that way when the official AP preseason rankings come out later this summer.
That’s not to say it won’t change over the course of the season based upon how those teams do as they march ever so closer to that week when they get to see Gunner Kiel and coach Tommy Tuberville’s high-flying offense.
Which brings me to my point: what team is going to be the toughest test for the Cincinnati Bearcats in 2015?
Immediately my eyes fall on a few different teams. One is the last game of the season when the ‘Cats have to travel Greenville, North Carolina to face the East Carolina Pirates, but I have to rule that one out given all the talent on offense that the Pirates lost to the NFL (Justin Hardy and Shane Carden).
Then I look at a normally bowl bound team in BYU. However, the Cougars haven’t been better than 8-5 the last three seasons, and seem to have lost some their magic since becoming an Independent. Despite the fact that the ‘Cats will have to go out to unfamiliar territory in Utah, I don’t believe BYU to be the answer.
Therefore, it really comes down to two games. And wouldn’t you know it, those games are back-to-back weeks and will be nationally televised: Memphis on September 24 and Miami (FL) on October 1. Normally picking between these teams is a simple answer, but given the experience the ‘Cats had last season, it’s not as easy of a choice as it used to be.
Some of that is the fact that the Hurricanes aren’t the powerhouse that they were in early 2000’s. Thanks to the Shapiro scandal, Miami (FL) is no longer in the good graces of many households when it comes to football. The top recruits don’t make the once stellar ACC program their go-to spot, but instead would rather look at the SEC programs. The Hurricanes haven’t had a 10-win season, something we had become accustomed to, since 2003. Yes, 2003 you did read that correctly. However, a 55-34 shellacking in Miami last year might be enough to sway me.
Some of that is the fact that Memphis is starting to look like a team that can compete with some of the bigger programs. I will admit that I didn’t really expect this day to come as it has, but Memphis doesn’t look like the three-win team it was in 2013 or the four-win team it was in 2012. No, Memphis seems to have found a more than adequate home in AAC and possibly have hit its groove in football.
We all know Memphis has a great basketball program, but the football team is ready to make some noise of its own. Memphis first needs to prove that its more than a one-year wonder, which it can do in what should be an extremely difficult match-up against Ole Miss on October 17. A win last year in Cincinnati 41-14 is something I simply can’t ignore, though.
Some of it is solely about where that game is going to be played. Miami (FL) is coming into Cincinnati and the Memphis game is down in the state of Tennessee. Home-field advantage is something I take very seriously, and Memphis having it is additionally in its favor, not to mention Memphis is a conference rival, and winning the conference is the first priority of every team. I don’t consider Memphis to have one of the more difficult stadiums to play in, so I can’t automatically rule in their favor.
In the end, the answer has to be the Hurricanes. I’m not convinced Memphis is ready to bring the level of consistency needed to be the team to beat in the AAC year in and year out. The Hurricanes recruit better players, has a great staff, and brings a level of consistency to winning and knowing what it takes to win by playing against tougher teams and in a stronger conference.
That isn’t to say the ‘Cats will have an easy time with all these other teams on their schedule, but in my mind, the speed of the ‘Canes will bring nothing but problems and they’ll need to play spectacularly in order to make sure they win.
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