DALLAS – It’s been nearly four weeks since the Cincinnati Bearcats topped Houston in the AAC Championship Game and 26 days since they learned they’d be playing top-ranked Alabama in the Cotton Bowl.
On the eve of kickoff (3:30 p.m., ESPN), the Bearcats know what they’re up against. They’re a two-touchdown underdog and they’ve spent weeks studying the defending national champions, devising ways to try to stop Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young, speedy receiver Jameson Williams and star linebacker Will Anderson Jr.
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“This isn't a team that wants to ride the, ‘hey, let's shock the world’ or anything like that,” Coach Luke Fickell said. “It's a team that really believes in what it is they've done, loves challenges.”
The Bearcats know what it took to reach this point, undefeated in their 13 games. They stepped up in their non-conference road games at Notre Dame and Indiana. They battled the outsized expectations where they were judged on “style points” beyond their wins and became the first Group of Five team to earn entry into the College Football Playoff.
Now they’re finally where they wanted to be. Reaching this stage is a big reason why several players returned for a fifth or sixth season in the program.
“Knocking off Alabama, oh, man, talk about a dream come true,” sixth-year senior defensive tackle Curtis Brooks said. “As a kid, watching football, Alabama, Nick Saban, that's who was on TV all the time. Now we get the opportunity to go play them. It's everything you ask for as a football player.
Quarterback Desmond Ridder bypassed the NFL Draft to return for another season after meetings with Fickell and conversations with family members. He’s one touchdown shy of the single-season school record (31), which was set by Ben Mauk (2007) and Gunner Kiel (2014). He needs 353 passing yards to match quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli’s school record (3,543 yards, 2002).
Ridder could become the top quarterback picked in next spring’s NFL Draft with a lot of scouts focused on how well he plays against Alabama’s defense.
“Who knows where he would have been had he maybe decided to come out, but it's so gratifying to see a guy that, in my opinion, did it the right way,” Fickell said of Ridder. “He's a great example of what can happen when you truly do believe not just in your own abilities and yourself, but in the people that are around you.”
There are specific matchups that will receive a lot of attention. The Tide’s top receiver, Williams, versus Cincinnati’s dominant secondary led by cornerbacks Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and Coby Bryant. Defensive end Myjai Sanders against Alabama’s dominant offensive tackle Evan Neal. The Bearcats’ offensive line versus Anderson, who led the country in sacks and tackles for loss.
“Most of the time, when players have something to prove or something's important to them, that brings out the best in them,” Alabama Coach Nick Saban said. “When you play competitive sports, you not only have to prepare for what you're supposed to do, you have to prepare for how you are going to react when the other guy does something different. Very similar to a boxer, he's prepared to fight. He trained well for the fight, but he also has to respond to taking a punch.”
The Bearcats are confident they deserve to be in the same weight class with Alabama, proud of their accomplishments this season. And now, the wait is almost over.
"It's been a long time coming, that's the unique thing about having three-and-a-half weeks or so,” Fickell said. “Not just to prepare but to kind of get everything ready for this incredible opportunity that our guys have given us is finally coming to that point. I know our guys are excited. I know our guys have been preparing and thinking about this for quite a while and are really, really excited.”
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