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.

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.

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