Cincinnati lands Peach Bowl date with Georgia

ATLANTA — Coach Luke Fickell believes Cincinnati has a lot on the line in its Peach Bowl game against Georgia, even though the Bearcats didn’t land in the College Football Playoff.

Fickell said the Jan. 1 bowl game is a chance for the Bearcats to show they deserve the same respect given to such Power 5 teams as Georgia in future playoff deliberations.

“It’s huge for our program,” Fickell said Sunday.

“If you want to claim you deserve an opportunity or a shot, this is an opportunity, this is a shot.”

Cincinnati (9-0) was only No. 8 in Sunday’s CFP ranking, so the Bearcats were not close to becoming the first non-power Five team to make the playoff after beating No. 20 Tulsa 27-24 on Saturday night for the American Athletic Conference championship.

Even so, Gary Barta, who chairs the CFP selection committee, says his group “felt strongly” the Bearcats deserved to be picked over another unbeaten team, No. 9 Coastal Carolina, as the top Group of Five team when making a choice for the New Year’s Six bowl game in Atlanta.

“The committee just believed that Cincinnati was a better team,” Barta said.

Fickell lobbied for his team following Saturday night’s game and said he then told his players they’d have to back up the talk, no matter the bowl game.

“You say those things and put yourselves out there like that, it means you’ve got to turn around and put it up,” Fickell said. “You say those things and you’ve got to go play the game. That’s part of. It’s exciting for all of us but it’s a huge measuring stick for me and for all of us in what we’re trying to build here.”