After Loss in Sugar Bowl, Seniors Depart and Underclassmen Get Ready for 2010

On Friday January 1st, 2010, the Cincinnati Bearcats football program lost the biggest game in their program’s history to the Florida Gators in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Before kickoff, the game has been and was dominated mostly by the headlines of former UC head coach Brian Kelly’s departure, UF head coach Urban Meyer’s resignation and withdrawal of that resignation and UF quarterback Tim Tebow’s final college football game. Looking for a statement to show the nation that their loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game was a fluke, Florida found it in their 51-24 blowout rout of the Cincinnati Bearcats.

If you were to look at the stat sheet, and not have watched the game, you would have asked what happened. UC quarterback Tony Pike was 27 for 45 for a completion percentage of 60% and threw for three different touchdowns. The problem was that he threw for 170 yards and could not complete the long, big pass plays this offense loves and thrives on. The problem was that Florida’s defense didn’t allow Tony Pike time to make those types of throws and wait for a receiver down field to get open.

The defense could not stop Tim Tebow and the Gators, and that was expected. Next year on the other hand, the defense should be much better, as they will be much more mature and ready for the roles they will play. The offense next year should be star studded once again as sophomores Zach Collaros and D.J. Woods are coming back along with junior wide receiver Armon Binns. The offense, under new head coach Butch Jones will be trying to continue the high scoring spread offense UC fans have gotten used to seeing on Saturdays.

As for the impact of the game, the Bearcats not only let down their fans, but also themselves. I am not the only one that believes UC could have kept up with Florida. The one thing that would have definitely helped the Cats in this game would have been Butch Jones coaching the team, not Jeff Quinn. I have nothing against Quinn, as I like him and I think that without Quinn, Kelly’s system would not have worked as well as he needed it to. But after the game, Quinn leaves and heads to Buffalo and Jones comes here to Cincinnati. Quinn has nothing to coach for in this game as he will have his job regardless of the Bearcats result.

At the same time, the players have no reason to play under Quinn either. I’m not saying that Quinn wasn’t really trying to coach, or that the Cats players didn’t really play hard under Quinn. What I’m saying is that there was no reason for them to play other than respect, glory, an undefeated season and their first ever BCS Bowl win, which in my mind is a whole hell of a lot. If Quinn wins the game, he receives no compensation other than a hand shake and a swift kick out the door to Buffalo. If Jones coaches, he has the chance to start his program off the right way. Underclassmen would have had the chance to see what it would be like over the next few years playing under Jones as well.

All in all, I believe Jones should have been coaching the Sugar Bowl and I know that was definitely not the Cincinnati Bearcats that I saw playing on that field. It seemed like this team forgot who they were, what they did to get here and how they got here. This past year may have been the best season, the UC versus Pitt match up may have been the best game, and the Sugar Bowl may have been the biggest game but the next season is the biggest season in the program’s history. Brian Kelly left, and the Cats lost the Sugar Bowl.

Now with a new coach and a disappointing loss, the Bearcats must show the nation that they are a program and not a coach. Anything less than a 10 win season may place the Bearcats back into the scrap heap of the Big East. Whether or not Quinn should have been kept, there is a reason he has been playing second fiddle to Brian Kelly all these years. There is also a reason he was beat out at Central Michigan, after Brian Kelly departed for Cincinnati, by Butch Jones and here in Cincinnati, following Brian Kelly’s departure by the same man in Butch Jones.

According to FBSchedule.com, the Bearcats will play at least four games in the first six weeks, with the first two being at N.C. State on the fourth of September and at Fresno State on the 18th of September. The other intriguing match up is that of the Oklahoma Sooners traveling to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats for the second time in three years. The game will not be taking place at Nippert Stadium though, as it will be played down at Paul Brown Stadium in late September.

I believe this was just a brief road bump that the Cats will hurdle on their way to being a top 25 finishing team for years to come. I believe that we will be seeing the Bearcats in many more BCS Bowl games, winning their fair share, and will in my mind, be playing for the BCS National Championship in Pasadena in 2012.

David vs. Goliath is What We Wanted, Right?

For the last two seasons, Cincinnati Bearcat Football fans have heard rants and raves from other colleges, fans, sports networks and sports blogs from around the nation regarding our team’s true “greatness.” Bearcat and Buckeye fans would go back and forth, exchanging words, gestures and eventually punches to prove which team owns the right to call themselves the “real football school of Ohio.” Certainly over the past two years, including this year’s undefeated season, the Bearcats are looking to bump the Buckeyes off their pedestal and claim the title of Ohio’s best, but for the Bearcat’s to have that chance a Sugar Bowl win is needed to help heal the wounds from the three disappointing losses of 2008 and prove all the naysayers wrong.

If Sam Bradford were still playing, I would love to see a rematch as I think the ‘Cats would give the Oklahoma Sooners a true run for their money. Fact is, Bradford’s done and NFL bound and the Bearcats have no chance to get redemption for last year’s 26-52 pounding the Sooners put on them in the second game of the year. That was the first true test for the Bearcats in former Head Coach Brian Kelly’s pursuit to the top, as facing the number 4 team in the nation and upsetting Bob Stoops’ crew could have done wonders. But that loss, along with another blowout loss to the mediocre UCONN Huskies showed the nation this team wasn’t ready for the big time.

As Big East Conference Champions, the Bearcats were given a BCS Bowl bid and boy did they disappoint the Bearcat Nation and receive the “I told you so’s” from all across the nation. In their first ever BCS Bowl, the Bearcats received an eye-opening and tear jerking loss to the Virginia Tech Hokies in the 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl.

Not only did three losses, one of those in the biggest game of the program’s history and the other two coming against the team that went on to lose in the BCS National Championship game to the Florida Gators and the other against an 8-5 Connecticut team. With the losses, the Bearcats were forced to start the year outside of the Top 25 and must now remain content with being undefeated and not playing for a national championship.

But now, with the 12-0, third ranked Bearcats facing off against the 12-1, fifth ranked Florida Gators, who are still probably the best team in college football, the Bearcats can prove once and for all that they belong in the top ten and in the same conversation of Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, LSU, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas etc. The ‘Cats can show the rest of the world exactly what the fans in Cincinnati have been cheering about all year.

This is the perfect stage for the Bearcats to come out of their shell and became a yearly contender, a national power, and a recruit’s dream school. It’s a David vs. Goliath story which could only make the win sweeter. You have the Florida Gators who have been the National Champions in the 06-07 and 08-09 seasons with the Heisman trophy winning quarterback and the Cincinnati Bearcats who are 23-3 in the last two years, undefeated this past year, and entering their second ever BCS Bowl looking for redemption after last year’s debacle. The Bearcats are 12 point underdogs in the contest and have been since the day following the BCS Bowl Selection Show.

The stage is set, the players are ready and the time has come for the Cincinnati Bearcats to live up to the hype and finish what was started in the beginning of the season. A bowl win to cap off the undefeated season, complete with the Allstate Sugar Bowl Trophy that would look beautiful in the trophy case next to the two Big East Championship Trophies is the only thing that’s missing in not only the player’s mind, but the fans’ also.

A Week to Reflect, and All Eyes Are Now on Sugar Bowl

On Thursday, December 10th, 2009, the University of Cincinnati Football Program received it’s biggest lost in the history of the program, losing Head Coach Brian Kelly to Notre Dame. We all know what Kelly did here and the great things he did for our program. But that was eight days ago. Since then, the Bearcats have returned to the practice field under Interim Head Coach Jeff Quinn and have started preparing for the match-up against the Florida Gators in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

The biggest thing for fans to do is forget about Brian Kelly. It’s not fair to these players to see and hear fans bickering and complaining that Kelly left. It’s not fair to the players that played their hearts out for 12 games, winning them all, earning a BCS Bowl Bid and ending the year as the third best team in the country. This is the game, the moment, the time in which fans, and the nation for that matter, will find out whether or not UC Football is a program or a coach. As I’ve said earlier, at the end of the day, the game is won by the player’s, not the coaches. Come January 1st, 2010, the true test arrives for the football players of UC.

Before BK gets the fans wrapped around his finger again, let’s move on to the Sugar Bowl. I haven’t seen the line lately, but last I knew was that the Bearcats were underdogs. Boy, that didn’t take long. I would like to think that the Bearcats will play better as underdogs, and who knows, they may. The biggest test of the game will be mentally. Getting Brian Kelly out of their mind and focusing on the game is the key. Many players have come forward and been very disapproving of what BK did. But they need to forget about it and move on. If they mull over it, and let it eat at them, they won’t be ready to play, mentally or physically.

It’s going to take a lot to beat the Florida Gators. The Gators, who are led by 2007 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Tim Tebow, have won two BCS National Championships in the last three years, winning in 2007 and in January of this year. The defense is just as good too, as they allowed more than 20 points once, and that was to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. Quarterback in waiting Zach Collaros could learn from watching Tebow from the sidelines, as next year UC will march out the “run first, pass second” quarterback. With the way Tebow executes the play fake, and then runs through the middle or to the side, it would benefit Collaros greatly to experience Tebow and watch him from the sideline.

Cincinnati’s quarterback Tony Pike will have to find his inner Heisman like he did in the comeback victory against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Big East Championship Game. Hopefully Pike finds that inner Heisman at the start of the game this time though, because I’m not sure how many times, if any, the UC defense will be able to stop the Gator offense. Pike will have to pick his spots and throw only when the window is there, as this defense gets after the ball.

The receiving corps of Mardy Gilyard, Armon Binns, D.J. Woods and tight end Ben Guidugli will need to create separation, run the right routes and catch the ball to keep in the game. I’m not writing this team off just yet, but a mistake or two and the Bearcats could find themselves in a hole they might not be able to climb out of.

I hope Gilyard brought his running shoes, because his ability and necessity on special teams is important to the Bearcats victory. In the Pitt game, it was Gilyard’s kick return that brought the momentum back to UC’s side and kept them in the game.

At the End of the Day, Games are Won by Players, Not Coaches

Today is the most upsetting and depressing day that University of Cincinnati Football fans have ever encountered. Never before has UC’s football program excelled and competed the way they have in the last three years of Brian Kelly’s tenure only to lose our most prized athletics coach since Bob Huggins. After leading the Bearcats to a 9-3 record in 2007, a 10-2 record in 2008 and a 12-0 record in 2009, Kelly will leave the program and become Charlie Weis’ successor at the University of Notre Dame. In his three years here, he led the Bearcats to three bowl games. In ’07, Kelly led the ‘Cats to a win in the Papajohns.com Bowl, a loss to Virginia Tech in the program’s first ever BCS Bowl Game(Orange Bowl) last year and this year Kelly will not coach in the Sugar Bowl as the Bearcats will face the Florida Gators in their second BCS bowl game in as many years.

Fans are angry and upset that Brian Kelly lied to his players, the media, University Officials, and most of all, us. But as fans, we can not blame Kelly for what he did. He did everything in his power to keep the attention off himself and onto the players and their match up against the Pittsburgh Panthers. The players would not have responded with a great attitude if Kelly said before the game, “Hey guys, I know that if we win we might go to the BCS National Championship, but I might be going to coach at Notre Dame.” If Colt McCoy would’ve thrown the ball a second later, or if Hunter Lawrence missed the last field goal, UC would be playing for the championship in Pasadena on January 7th. Chances of Kelly leaving with the ‘Cats in the title game are slim to none. Although, I’d love to know how many coaches resign before the biggest game in the program’s history after going undefeated in the regular season.

Fans want to yell and scream that Notre Dame broke the rules and contacted him before the bowl game, but UC did the same thing with Kelly back in 2006-07 when they needed a coach for the International Bowl. Then, Kelly was the coach of Central Michigan, leading them to the Motor City Bowl in which he did not coach. So, if fans are going to be mad at Notre Dame for contacting him before the bowl game and Brian Kelly lying to everyone, then we must also be mad at the University of Cincinnati for contacting Brian Kelly before his former team’s bowl game. It’s worth noting that at the moment, UC has received permission from the University of Houston to speak with their Head Coach Kevin Sumlin about UC’s recently vacated Head Coaching position.

We may be angry that the man who has led our team to 34 wins in 3 years left in the middle of the night, but the time has come to let the anger go and move towards the Sugar Bowl. At the end of the day, Brian Kelly couldn’t throw the game-winning touchdown to Armon Binns to put UC in the Sugar Bowl. Nor could Brian Kelly make the four straight stops on defense to put the game in Pittsburgh away. It was not Brian Kelly’s play calling that won 12 games this year. The play calling does have some impact, but it’s the execution of the play by the players that rack up first downs, score touchdowns and win ball games.

Brian Kelly was and is a great motivator and is able to get players to follow him by believing in the system himself. He believes in his system and knows that it wins ball games. When a coach believes in their own system, it’s only a matter of time until the player’s start believing. That is the key behind Brian Kelly’s success. That is the kind of coach UC needs to be looking for to replace the once loved Brian Kelly. Sure, a Bob Stoops or Urban Meyer would work, but a coach that can come into a program that is experiencing its first major coaching departure and set up a system around soon to be starting quarterback Zach Collaros is what this program, the players and the fans need.

A new head coach needs to be found fast. If the Bearcats don’t find a new head coach soon, high school players that have already committed to UC could decide that a program without a head coach is not where they want to play. A program whose coach leaves before the biggest game in their history does not look good to a prep star. But a program that finds a coach quickly who possesses the skills needed to succeed in Cincinnati may save the program from losing top recruits.

University of Cincinnati President Mike Thomas will interview those already working in the program. Once Brian Kelly left, Offensive Coordinator Jeff Quinn was named Interim Head Coach and will coach the ‘Cats in the Sugar Bowl. If Quinn is not given the head coaching position, it’s expected, and almost guaranteed that he will follow BK to Notre Dame. That’s not the worst thing that can happen. Whoever is named head coach will most likely bring in their own offensive coordinator. The worst thing that could happen is the departure of Associate Head Coach Kerry Coombs. Coombs was the head coach at Colerain High School for 16 years and is one of the most popular Prep Coaches in Ohio. If Coombs leaves his ties to the area and relationship with the prep players and their families could destroy UC’s recruiting in their own city.

Whether we like it or not, this is sports. In sports, coaches leave or get fired, players get traded or leave, and fans get happy or mad. We love sports because of the storylines. This is what we signed up for when we decided to be sports fans. We knew these things could happen. It’s all fun and games until it’s your coach or player leaving. Brian Kelly came to UC as a coach who had yet to really prove himself. He left as a coach who can take even the worst teams from the bottom of the pile and into the BCS title game picture. Love him or hate him, you have to thank Brian Kelly. Look at how far he’s brought our football program in just three short years. For that, I thank him and wish him well at Notre Dame. Brian Kelly walked into the UC Football program and did what nobody, including us, thought was ever possible and that was transform our football team into championship contender. For that, we will forever keep him immortalize him in our hearts as the start of something beautiful.

The Greatest Game in College Football History...EVER!!!

As a Florida State Seminoles football fan, I have lived through some of the greatest, gut-wrenching, wire-to-wire football games in history.  At that same time, I've lived through some of the worst, dream killing, heart breaking college football games ever.  Trust me when I say this, I know great football games.  I was excited and pissed with "The Choke at Doak".   I cried every time Florida State lost by missing a field goal, five different times.  I was happy when Brian Monroe botched the snap and FSU won, and this year, I was disappointed when Christian Ponder's pass fell short in the end zone.  All in all I know great football games, and this year I witnessed the greatest football game ever.

On Saturday, November 5th, 2009, I sat watching my Cincinnati Bearcats play the Pittsburgh Panthers for the Big East Championship and a BCS Bowl bid.  UC had at least nine lives on this day, and unfortunately, that last life ended when the University of Texas' Hunter Lawrence kicked the game winning field goal with one second left in regulation to lift the Longhorns over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  But before we go any further, let's wind the clock back eight hours or so to the Bearcats game.

The conditions had to suck for fans in attendance, players and coaches but as a fan, that's the way football is supposed to look like in December.  With the snow falling, temperatures dropping, and bodies flying all over the field, the UC Bearcats were in for a real treat with the Pitt Panthers waiting for them.  As for the game itself?  The first half was very reminiscent of last year's Orange Bowl between UC and Virginia Tech in which Virginia Tech ruffled up and beat on the Bearcats.  Tony Pike was the quarter back for both games, and unlike the Orange Bowl, Tony was able to muster up enough in the fourth quarter to lead the Bearcats to their second straight Big East Championship and BCS Bowl game. 

With so much on the line, the Brian Kelly and the Bearcats did not disappoint following halftime.  Pitt took a 31-17 lead to halftime before all hell broke lose on Heinz Field during the second half.  There was only one scoring play during the thrid quarter, and that was Mardy Gilyard scoring a 68-yard touchdown on a pass from Tony Pike.  In the fourth quarter, Pitt scored again, giving the Panthers another two touchdown lead.  In a matter of six minutes and 20 seconds, Cincinnati's defense stuffed the Panther offense, allowing Tony Pike and Isaiah Pead to tie the game up on two different scoring drives.  But please wait, because here is where all hell breaks lose. 

I can not remember a football game that has meant so much, that pumped me up, and got me excited as this one did.  Last year's Orange Bowl was the Bearcats first BCS Bowl game, and was very important for the program, it's players and coaches fans but I don't specifically remember jumping up and screaming during the Orange Bowl like I did when Armon Binns caught the game tying touchdown pass.  Nor do I remember high fiving strangers, yelling and singing the fight song with them.  Either way, I came away happy with back-to-back Big East Championships and a second BCS Bowl bid in as many years against former #1, and still power house team in the Florida Gators.  On January 1st of the new year, UC will have the chance to prove to the country just how good they are in the Allstate Sugar Bowl against the Gators. 

In a game that saw a total of six lead changes, with three of those coming in the fourth quarter alone, and a total of 89 points, the two teams put on a show that displayed heart, soul, dedication and want.  But what UC wanted that BCS bid more.  UC had a chance, that is, until Hunter Lawrence broke their hearts, and mine with his game winning kick.  With so much on the line, the Bearcats completed their greatest season to date and now wait for New Years Day, when a chance to start inside the Top 10 next year could be on the line.  The dust has settled, the stands have cleared, and the only thing that's still here is the memory of the greatest football game in college football history.  That's not including the Big East trophy, "River City Rivalry" trophy, or their game against Florida in the Sugar Bowl that they walked away with when the clock struck zero. 

The last four weeks, UC has played UConn, West Virginia, Illinois and Pitt.  West Virginia and Pitt were both ranked in the top 25 in their games against the Bearcats and while Illinois may not be a power house, they are still a Big Ten team.  Against UConn, UC won 47-45, 24-21 against West Virginia, 49-36 against Illinois and now 45-44 against Pitt.  I'd rather have teams test the Bearcats, give them a run for their money, and still have the Bearcats pull out.  A close game where UC and it's young defense must fight, scratch and claw their way to a win is better than a 70-3 blowout over Southeast Missouri State. 

Brian Kelly is one of the greatest coaches when it comes down to halftime adjustments.  It showed against Pitt, as he was able to help Tony Pike find his inner Heisman and lead this team to a win.  If he hadn't gotten hurt, Tony Pike would be the next Heisman Trophy winner.  But, he got hurt, and now, he'll play his final game in the Sugar Bowl, and go on to lead an NFL team in need of a dependable quarterback. 

There's only one piece of business to tend to before that bowl game, and that's Brian Kelly.  If he stays this year, then he'll be here for a long, long time.  If he turns down the Notre Dame job, you'll see Brian Kelly coaching the Bearcats for 30 more years, as he will try to challenge Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden as most dominating football coach ever. 

'Cats, here's to all of you...and BK, please stay!

The Easy