The unofficial online home for fans of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(12-05-2021 09:37 PM)geef Wrote:  Tell you what, while the actual bowls kinda suck, with the exception of Tulsa playing ODU, the American landed some damn impressive opponents for the bowls - Florida, Auburn, BC, Virginia, and Hawaii.

Impressive? Not one has a winning record. All breakeven except HA which has a losing record. Two SEC (AU, FL), two ACC (BC, VA), one MW (HA) and CUSA (ODU)



Myrtle Beach Bowl | Dec. 20
Brooks Stadium | Conway, S.C.
Tulsa (6-6) vs. Old Dominion (6-6), 2:30 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Series: First meeting

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl | Dec. 23
Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, Fla.
UCF (8-4) vs. Florida (6-6), 7 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Series: Florida leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: Sept. 9, 2006 (Florida, 42-0)

EasyPost Hawaii Bowl | Dec. 24
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex | Honolulu, Hawaii
Memphis (6-6) vs. Hawaii (6-7), 8 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Series: First meeting

Military Bowl presented by Peraton | Dec. 27
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium | Annapolis, Md.
East Carolina (7-5) vs. Boston College (6-6), 2:30 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Series: First meeting

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl | Dec. 28
Protective Stadium | Birmingham, Ala.
Houston (11-2) vs. Auburn (6-6), Noon ET
Television: ESPN
Series: Auburn leads, 5-1
Last Meeting: Oct. 27, 1973 (Auburn, 7-0)

Wasabi Fenway Bowl | Dec. 29
Fenway Park | Boston, Mass.
SMU (8-4) vs. Virginia (6-6), 11 a.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Series: First meeting

College Football Playoff Semifinal
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic | Dec. 31
AT&T Stadium | Arlington, Texas
Cincinnati (13-0) vs. Alabama (12-1), 3:30 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Series: Alabama leads, 5-0
Last Meeting: Nov. 17, 1990 (Alabama, 45-7)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/...hp&pc=U531


UC game is #2

AAC rankings 18, 20, 23, 31, 36 and 41

SMU has to play in Boston? They might have a dozen players opt out just to avoid the cold weather.

(12-06-2021 07:14 AM)doss2 Wrote:  

(12-05-2021 09:37 PM)geef Wrote:  Tell you what, while the actual bowls kinda suck, with the exception of Tulsa playing ODU, the American landed some damn impressive opponents for the bowls - Florida, Auburn, BC, Virginia, and Hawaii.

Impressive? Not one has a winning record. All breakeven except HA which has a losing record. Two SEC (AU, FL), two ACC (BC, VA), one MW (HA) and CUSA (ODU)

You don't think UCF isn't going to by psyched to lay wood on Florida, or Houston to take on Auburn? They will, and so will fans. Yeah, they're not great this year, but names on jerseys matter in bowl games.

The fact that our conference mates are playing these opponents says a lot. The Mountain West's top teams, by contrast, are playing UTSA, Oregon State, UTEP, Western Michigan and Central Michigan.

(12-06-2021 10:23 AM)geef Wrote:  

(12-06-2021 07:14 AM)doss2 Wrote:  

(12-05-2021 09:37 PM)geef Wrote:  Tell you what, while the actual bowls kinda suck, with the exception of Tulsa playing ODU, the American landed some damn impressive opponents for the bowls - Florida, Auburn, BC, Virginia, and Hawaii.

Impressive? Not one has a winning record. All breakeven except HA which has a losing record. Two SEC (AU, FL), two ACC (BC, VA), one MW (HA) and CUSA (ODU)

You don't think UCF isn't going to by psyched to lay wood on Florida, or Houston to take on Auburn? They will, and so will fans. Yeah, they're not great this year, but names on jerseys matter in bowl games.

The fact that our conference mates are playing these opponents says a lot. The Mountain West's top teams, by contrast, are playing UTSA, Oregon State, UTEP, Western Michigan and Central Michigan.

Yes UCF will be pumped to beat a mediocre FL. Same with UH.

How many potential draftees will opt out.

Yep, even as the Bearcats prepare to exit stage right for the Big XII, these opponents and victories over them by Houston and UCF, will make for better exposure in the American for UC's last tour of duty. As UC reloads next year, it's good to believe a big brand team such as Florida or Auburn could still await our Bearcats and make for a great matchup in one of the American's lower profile bowls.

(12-08-2021 10:02 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  Yep, even as the Bearcats prepare to exit stage right for the Big XII, these opponents and victories over them by Houston and UCF, will make for better exposure in the American for UC's last tour of duty. As UC reloads next year, it's good to believe a big brand team such as Florida or Auburn could still await our Bearcats and make for a great matchup in one of the American's lower profile bowls.

Auburn and Florida are down this year, but they aren't awful.

Auburn beat a current top-10 team (#8 Ole Miss) and beat current #21 Arkansas on the road. They also took #1 Alabama to the wire.

And they don't really have any bad losses - all their losses were bowl-eligible SEC or Big-Ten East teams, and Auburn was in every single game except against #4 Georgia.


As for Florida, they don't have any impressive wins, but they don't have any awful losses either. With how awful the lower half of the AAC is this year, it would be impressive for a 5-3 AAC team (UCF) to beat them.