Fourth-ranked Bearcats aim to hold CFP position
No. 4 Cincinnati is riding a successful formula to the College Football Playoffs: Beat everyone on its schedule and wait out the other contenders in front of the Bearcats in the rankings.
The Bearcats (11-0, 7-0 American Athletic Conference; CFP No. 4) are looking for a repeat performance of last weekend’s events when they play at East Carolina on Friday.
Cincinnati, ranked outside the CFP’s final four, topped SMU 48-14 and watched Oregon fall at Utah. The Ducks were ranked third in the CFP and their loss cleared the way for Cincinnati move into the playoff field at No. 4 in the committee’s latest Top 25.
“We keep trying to stress to our guys we’ve got a long way to go,” Bearcats coach Luke Fickell said after the latest rankings. “We’ve got two really big games ahead of us. But I think all and all, the excitement about it and the recognition is well deserved to a group of guys that have really fought and battled all year.”
Cincinnati looks to finish off its second-ever 12-0 regular season against the Pirates (7-4, 5-2). Beside staying undefeated, the Bearcats would move a step closer to becoming the first-ever team outside the Power Five to play for a national title.
And things look like they’re trending Cincinnati’s way. Teams ahead of them in the CFP rankings — No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Alabama — have tough games ahead.
Fickell wants his Bearcats to focus only on what they can control: finish strong at East Carolina. the Pirates are riding a fourgame win streak and are pumped to host a team ranked in the top 5 for the first time since 2006.
Pirates coach Mike Houston understands his club will have to slow down the AAC’s highest-scoring offense and a Heisman Trophy contender in quarterback Desmond Ridder.
“It’s going to be a challenge, but our kids are excited about it,” Houston said.
Ridder has passed for 829 yards and 10 touchdowns against no interceptions the past four games. He’s thrown for nearly that much in three wins the Pirates with 823 yards and eight TDs.
Ridder is the fourth FBS quarterback with 40 career wins, gaining his 42nd with the 48-14 victory over SMU. The fourth-year passer can move up to third all-time — and break a tie with TCU’s Andy Dalton and Georgia’s David Greene — by defeating East Carolina. Ridder could chase down Texas’ Colt McCoy’s second place mark of 45 wins. Boise State’s Kellen Moore leads with 50 wins.