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Sporting News "Way too early Top 25"

10. Cincinnati
The Bearcats showed they could compete in a New Year's Day bowl loss to Georgia. The return of quarterback Desmond Ridder ensures the Bearcats will be right back in the mix for another American Athletic Conference championship. Jerome Ford will be the lead back in that run-heavy attack, and Luke Fickell continues to build with Ohio-centric recruiting classes. Cornerback Ahmad Gardner is a star of a defense that will have to rebuild the front seven and replace defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman. The Bearcats have road games at Indiana and Notre Dame, too.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/...d=msedgdhp

(01-11-2021 07:20 AM)doss2 Wrote:  Sporting News "Way too early Top 25"

10. Cincinnati
The Bearcats showed they could compete in a New Year's Day bowl loss to Georgia. The return of quarterback Desmond Ridder ensures the Bearcats will be right back in the mix for another American Athletic Conference championship. Jerome Ford will be the lead back in that run-heavy attack, and Luke Fickell continues to build with Ohio-centric recruiting classes. Cornerback Ahmad Gardner is a star of a defense that will have to rebuild the front seven and replace defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman. The Bearcats have road games at Indiana and Notre Dame, too.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/...d=msedgdhp

That front seven rebuilt is a bit overstated with the returns of Sanders, Brooks, Dublanko, and Beavers. Not criticizing because there was no way to anticipate all the returns but quite simply the defense is loaded from front to back. Ponder is a big loss but Briggs sounds like he is talented enough to step in and not miss a beat.

ND #6 and Indiana #16. Going to be fun early.

Interesting couple of openers for the big boys...Bama vs. Canes and Georgia vs. Clemson

I'm guessing we can add a #10 Sporting News pre-season ranking to the rapidly expanding list of "best ever in Bearcat history"?

I agree with those who have suggested we should have Nippert filled to capacity for every game this coming season. That sounds like a no brainer but we know our city and Murray State game tickets will likely go begging without adequate promotion. Here's hoping our new leadership in the A.D.'s office understands that this isn't Nebraska where you simply open the gates and watch the stadium fill up. Let's see some special group incentives (young alumni, military appreciation, Dayton area alumni/friends), as well as individual inducements: pennants, bobbleheads, hats, etc., to take care of the non-conference games. The best conference games should fill up regardless.

UC has made great strides on attendance but that job isn't finished yet.

Darius Harper to the NFL, per his twitter.

Must have gotten some good feedback. I figured he was one who could have really benefitted from another year.

(01-11-2021 11:17 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Must have gotten some good feedback. I figured he was one who could have really benefitted from another year.

His resume looks eerily similar to Korey Cunningham's in a lot of ways:

Converted from another position/sport (KC was a TE in high school)
VERY good frame for a tackle
Extremely athletic which saves them from technical mistakes in pass block
~20 college starts

He strikes me as a 6th/7th round guy IMO.

With both Harper and Hudson gone, we are going to need to throw John Williams out there and hope the transfer (Tunstill) is as good as Dino Boyd was coming in from the FCS.

Marcus Brown coming back. The DL is deep.

(01-09-2021 12:56 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(01-09-2021 12:54 PM)dsquare Wrote:  

(01-09-2021 12:52 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-09-2021 12:30 PM)dsquare Wrote:  

(01-09-2021 12:13 PM)Bruce Monnin Wrote:  Defensively, I am less worried about quarterbacks and wide receivers next year than I am about strong offensive lines followed by tough, quick running backs.

If we can shut down teams' running games, our backfield will make the passing game pay.

I'm betting we look to pick up a big back out of the transfer portal if a suitable guy becomes available. Fickell likes a bruiser and right now we do not have one. He definitely likes to mix up the running back look.

Unless players leave our '21 class that is fully signed, I don't think we can take any more transfers.

I'd be shocked with all the guys coming back if there is not more movement.

Movement doesn’t affect the amount of guys you can bring in in a class. 25 newcomers is the Max.

Yep. As to the post a few up, even if a signed guy changes his mind he still counts towards the 25 barring a complicated unlikely appeal process. We're done until the next cycle of 25 starts which I think it sometime after this school year ends.

(01-11-2021 12:21 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  Marcus Brown coming back. The DL is deep.

Sheesh, almost too deep. We've got to find some playing time for the young 'uns because we seem destined to lose a lot of talent there next year.

(01-11-2021 12:21 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  Marcus Brown coming back. The DL is deep.

Defense is gonna be nasty again next year, Freeman or not. I almost wonder if Fick might want to call the plays himself before handing a new defense over to someone else next year.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Sure hope not. That’s known as the Gus Mahlzan Plan.

(01-11-2021 12:47 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  

(01-11-2021 12:21 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  Marcus Brown coming back. The DL is deep.

Defense is gonna be nasty again next year, Freeman or not. I almost wonder if Fick might want to call the plays himself before handing a new defense over to someone else next year.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Even under Freeman CLF was highly involved in the coaching up and the schematics of the defense. That being said at the end of the day MF was the DC. I am guessing it will be the same for his successor.

(01-11-2021 12:52 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Sure hope not. That’s known as the Gus Mahlzan Plan.

Yeah...I'd rather there be more individuals making play calls and the coach can worry about situational adjustments.

(01-11-2021 12:52 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Sure hope not. That’s known as the Gus Mahlzan Plan.

it's pretty common on the offensive side of the ball nowadays. Poor Eric Bienemy can't get a job because of it.

(01-11-2021 11:28 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-11-2021 11:17 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Must have gotten some good feedback. I figured he was one who could have really benefitted from another year.

His resume looks eerily similar to Korey Cunningham's in a lot of ways:

Converted from another position/sport (KC was a TE in high school)
VERY good frame for a tackle
Extremely athletic which saves them from technical mistakes in pass block
~20 college starts

He strikes me as a 6th/7th round guy IMO.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think linemen are frequently drafted as projects. They have the most to learn about schemes of any position & usually can't slot in as rookies.

A childhood friend of mine was drafted 7th round as an offensive tackle. Huge guy, big frame even for NFL tackles. Really smart & a perfect teammate. Didn't play much his 1st year. Was in the rotation & spot-started in years 2-5. Then he became a full-time starter for 6 years.

(01-11-2021 12:59 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  

(01-11-2021 12:52 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Sure hope not. That’s known as the Gus Mahlzan Plan.

it's pretty common on the offensive side of the ball nowadays. Poor Eric Bienemy can't get a job because of it.

Marvin Lewis did it for a little bit.

(01-11-2021 01:03 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think linemen are frequently drafted as projects. They have the most to learn about schemes of any position & usually can't slot in as rookies.

A childhood friend of mine was drafted 7th round as an offensive tackle. Huge guy, big frame even for NFL tackles. Really smart & a perfect teammate. Didn't play much his 1st year. Was in the rotation & spot-started in years 2-5. Then he became a full-time starter for 6 years.

I think there's something to that. I think there is more development to OL when they reach the league than other positions that are more plug and play.

(01-11-2021 01:55 PM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(01-11-2021 01:03 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think linemen are frequently drafted as projects. They have the most to learn about schemes of any position & usually can't slot in as rookies.

A childhood friend of mine was drafted 7th round as an offensive tackle. Huge guy, big frame even for NFL tackles. Really smart & a perfect teammate. Didn't play much his 1st year. Was in the rotation & spot-started in years 2-5. Then he became a full-time starter for 6 years.

I think there's something to that. I think there is more development to OL when they reach the league than other positions that are more plug and play.

There's a huge gap between the elite offensive linemen (which number in just the hand full each draft) and the rest of the field.