Cincinnati seeks more than AAC title

CINCINNATI – There are larger implications for No. 4 Cincinnati – namely staying in the College Football Playoff picture – when the Bearcats meets No. 16 Houston for the American Athletic Conference championship.

But the Bearcats certainly need a win Saturday to accomplish their big objective.

“We’ve had one goal and one objective when we walked in the door here five years ago, and it hasn’t changed. And it’s always been to play for championships,” Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said.

Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder has been in the program long enough to remember when winning a conference title wasn’t a realistic goal, let alone reaching the College Football Playoff. The Bearcats went 4-8 in Ridder’s freshman season, which also was Fickell’s first season at the helm.

“It’s something we’ve been striving for since I’ve got here,” Ridder said. “It’s something Coach Fick has preached since he got here. A national championship is on the minds of the big dogs. I’m not sure how much they care about a conference championship, but it’s one of the biggest things in our program.”

Cincinnati is ranked No. 4 in the most recent CFP rankings, putting the Bearcats in position to become the first team from a non-Power Five conference to reach the playoff. But they need to take care of business against the Cougars, who are ranked No. 21 in the CFP.

“In my opinion they’re just another team, and they’re in our way,” Houston defensive lineman Derek Parish said. “(Rankings) are numbers made by people who watch football on a couch. We aren’t worried about that. Numbers don’t mean nothing. It matters when the ball is put down on the field.”

Houston and Cincinnati are among four FBS teams ranked in the top 10 nationally in both scoring offense and total defense. And the Bearcats average 39.6 points per game, the Cougars 38.8.