A Tale of Two Road Games

                I wasn’t planning to go to Tampa.  I really wasn’t.  The game was scheduled on a Thursday night, I couldn’t convince my normal travel group to make the trip and I really was broke.  In 2008/2009 I was spending every free dollar on Bearcat football.  Despite making it to 4 of the first 5 games of 2009 and 12 of the 14 in 2008 I was prepared to take this one off.  I can’t even remember how it happened, but I remember a guy I played a lot of pickup basketball with at the UC rec saying he wanted to drive down.  He said it would be a quick trip (he wasn’t exaggerating).  I said, what the hell, I’m in and just like that I was driving down to Tampa to watch the Bearcats play the #21 South Florida Bulls on a Thursday night. 

                When I tell you it was a quick trip, I’m not screwing with you.  We left Wednesday night.  We drove overnight, straight through.  We arrived at one of the people’s friend’s house around noon on Thursday.  We hung out at the pool for a few hours, then made our way into the city.  We tailgated briefly, then walked to Raymond James Stadium for the game.  We watched the game.  Took a few pictures after the game at the Pirate Ship, then got back in the car and drove back to Cincinnati.  We were home somewhere around 36 hours after we left.  But while we were there, we watched another memorable Bearcat performance.

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                It’s crazy how different life is in 2019.  I never even considered making the trip to Houston.  However, even if I had, that would have been vetoed immediately.  My wife’s friend had chosen this day to get married and my wife required my attendance.  With a 3:30 kickoff and a 5:30 wedding, I was generously looking at the prospect of watching the first half then figuring it out for the rest of the game.  Fall weddings remain the bane of my existence.  It was a great time, but it would have been a great time in the spring when I didn’t have to miss some snaps in a UC football game.  For a big midseason conference game on the road, I would be forced to watch what I could of the second half from my cell phone.  A far cry from 2009 when I drove nearly 2000 miles in 36 or so hours to watch in person.

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                In 2009, the Bearcats’ football schedule was backloaded with home games.  They opened the season with a win at Rutgers.  Their second conference game was this road trip to South Florida.  If they could somehow manage to beat the Bulls 4 of their next 5 games would be at Nippert.  The Bulls had opened the season 5-0 including a win at #19 Florida State.  They were ranked 21^st in the country and seen by many as a contender in the conference.  The game was in prime time, on ESPN on a Thursday night.  It was a big game and a huge opportunity.  A win and the Bearcats would be 2-0 having already beaten two potential contenders for the conference championship on the road with a run of home games to come.  If they managed to win, it was hard to see the Bearcats losing before WVU came to Nippert for their second to last conference game.  At that point an undefeated season would be well within their sights.

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                Though this Houston team didn’t come in with the pedigree of South Florida in 2009, it was a similar opportunity for putting UC in the driver’s seat in the conference.  Having already beaten UCF, this figured to be UC’s toughest test before a home tilt with Temple late in the season.  After this week the schedule really opened with a home game against Tulsa, then drawing the three bottom east teams after the bye week.  With that slate of games, winning at Houston could really set UC up so that they could lock up the division at home against Temple.  Because of all the oddities surrounding Houston this had the makings of a trap type game, but the opportunity to set their season on a great course would be there. 

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                There was a really good crowd at Raymond James Stadium.  The place wasn’t full, but I’d bet there were 50,000+ there that night.  I was surprised how many UC fans flooded the upper deck.  A really fun contingent had made the trip.  UC fell behind 7-3 in the first quarter, but as they had done often that year they started to separate in the second quarter.  UC scored a touchdown after an interception put them on a short field to go up 10-7, then scored another TD on a long touchdown drive when Pike found Armon Binns to go up 17-7.  The Bulls added a field goal and UC took a 17-10 lead into the locker room.  However, early in the second half Tony Pike would be forced to leave the game with an injury and the game was very much in doubt.  The Bearcats would have to turn to sophomore Zach Collaros to hold on to the 17-10 lead. 

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                It looked like we might get another repeat of Marshall early against Houston.  The Bearcats met almost zero resistance in marching down the field for an opening drive TD.  The big play on the drive was a 44 yard connection between Ridder and Pierce.  After an interception on their second drive set up a field goal for Houston, the Bearcats struck immediately with a 75 yard TD pass to an utterly wide open Rashad Medaris.  However, the offense seemed to go into a shell for the rest of the half.  The Bearcats punted on 3 straight possessions, where they moved the ball a total of 17 yards.  Houston found the endzone on one of their drives, but the defense set up the offense again for a short field and UC capitalized allowing them to go into half with a 21-10 lead.  Despite the offense puttering for much of the half, the game seemed fairly well in hand. 

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                The Brian Kelly era is certainly the pinnacle of Bearcat football in my lifetime.  UC was in a BCS conference, ended up winning the conference twice in three years, going to two BCS bowls and ran up a 34-6 record in games Kelly coached.  The Brian Kelly era was known for winning, constant winning.  However, if there is another thing that seemed to constantly pop up during Kelly’s time at UC it was dealing with injuries to their quarterbacks. 

                The first season, much of that was brought on by the decision to bring in Ben Mauk.  Mauk was an injury plagued, graduate transfer from Wake Forest.  Mauk was incredibly fun to watch and played with a swagger that instantly endeared him to UC fans.  Who could forget him chopping wood at Rutgers?  However, I remember constantly reading stories about Mauk missing time in practice, or Mauk throwing a smaller ball to protect his arm during the week.  Despite ongoing injury concerns Mauk managed to start nearly every game that year, but when he was unable to go Dustin Grutza filled in admirably.  Grutza started and helped dominate when UC destroyed Miami and started and split time with Mauk in a dominant win against Marshall the next week.  Mauk battled through those injuries playing most the way the rest of the season. 

                2008 will forever be defined by winning the Big East Championship and making the Orange Bowl, but it was incredible for the QB issues UC faced game after game.  Grutza started the year as the man and in his second game at Oklahoma had a very good first half as UC tried to keep up with an incredible Oklahoma offense, getting it to the locker room at 21 to 13.  Grutza was knocked out of the game in the second half with what looked like a season ending injury and the Bearcats turned to Tony Pike.  Pike came in and kept the Bearcats rolling against Miami only to suffer an injury of his own the next week at Akron.  Pike would have to have surgery and miss 3-4 weeks.  The Bearcats replaced him with Zach Collaros, who helped finish a drive that got them in position for a field goal which turned out to be the game winner.  However, Zach wouldn’t keep the job.  The next two weeks the Bearcats turned to Chaz Anderson pulling out wins over Marshall and Rutgers (the later will forever be the Kevin Huber game to me…a real punt fest).  Pike attempted to come back to disastrous results against UConn, but was able to get it together for the end of the season, starting every game in the Bearcats’ five straight wins to lock up the conference.  Ultimately, he would struggle in their final game against Hawaii and Dustin Grutza would come back from the injury to lead a great fourth quarter comeback.  Four QBs, each contributing to wins in an 11 win season, culminating in an Orange Bowl.

                In 2009, Tony Pike had taken every meaningful snap going into the USF game.  UC was rolling and he was a huge reason why.  Up until that point, the only time UC fans had watched Collaros was that brief stretch at Akron.  And so it was, that Zach Collaros stepped in against USF, hoping to hold onto a 17-10 lead, on the road against the number 21 team in the country.

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                The talented USF defense seemed ready to make a play, when Collaros entered the game at QB.  The Bearcats ran the ball twice to start his day.  Pead lost a yard then Collaros ran for no game.  UC faced a third and eleven on their own 25.  Then came what I still consider the biggest (non Pitt game) play of the 2009 Bearcat football season.  I remember watching the play from the upper deck at Raymond James Stadium and the elation flowing through me as I saw the field open up.  Collaros took the snap and UC ran a designed sneak.  He caught a couple of blocks upfield, then sprung free.  He had a first down and was in a footrace for the endzone.  Collaros prevailed in the footrace giving the Bearcats a 24-10 lead they would never look back from. 

                Zach would later throw an interception and set USF up for a short TD drive to make it 24-17.  He immediately responded with a six play, 70 yard touchdown drive of his own.  On the drive he ran twice for 14 yards including his second TD rush of the day.  He completed a 43 yard pass to Ben Guidugli and a 15 yard pass to Isaiah Peed.  After the defense forced a three and out Collaros would lead the Bearcats on another long drive, this time settling for a FG to put UC up 34-17.  That would be the final score.  Pike had gone down and Collaros had answered the bell.  He would do so time and time again that season until Pike’s return.  The Bearcats were 2-0 in the Big East, having already beaten two contenders on the road.  They had a lot of games at Nippert on the horizon.  The feeling that this team could run the table and even be in the national title hunt was building. 

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                Houston came out in the second half against Cincinnati determined to make it interesting.  On their 4^th play of the drive they connected for a 69 yard TD to cut UC’s lead to 21-17.  The teams traded punts, before UC missed a field goal on its second drive of the half.  UC’s offense had failed to score on 6 of its last 7 drives.  Its only TD came courtesy of the defense forcing and interception and giving UC a very short field.  UC’s biggest issue and the one glaring thing that holds this team back right now is the offense goes through stretches where it is very ineffective.  However, this season when that has happened (outside of the OSU game) the defense has bailed them out.

                And that is again what happened Saturday.  After UC missed its field goal, the defense forced a fumble.  The Bearcat offense capitalized going 34 yards in 7 plays for a touchdown.  However, Houston struck back with a TD of their own to make it a five point game.  They missed the two point conversion that would have cut it to three.  Nine minutes left in the game and everything was very much in doubt.  It was good to see the Bearcats respond with at least a field goal on their next drive.  Tre Tucker had a nice return and despite two penalties before the ball was even snapped, the Bearcat offense overcame the 1^st and 20 picking up a few first downs before kicking a field goal to go up eight.

                By that time the cocktail hour at the wedding had ended and I was sitting at the table as salad was being delivered, with my phone in my lap and youtubetv streaming.  I was trying not to make it noticeable, but my wife made a few annoyed comments about it.  No surprise the Bearcat defense came up with another huge play to ice it.  The pass was deflected behind the line of scrimmage and Perry Young ran under it as if that was how the play had been designed the entire time.  He caught the pass and waltzed into the endzone.  UC fans could breathe easy. The Bearcats were escaping Houston with a hard fought win.  I threw my fist in the air and did a couple fist shakes, before putting my phone away for the rest of the wedding. 

                As the Bearcats enter the back half of their schedule, it is hard not to start looking ahead.  The next four are against probably the four worst teams in the conference.  Tulsa has shown flashes, but UC gets them at home.  A trip to ECU after a buy week should be scare free and UConn might as well not even get off the bus on November 9.  USF has shown some signs of life, so that game on November 16 may be a bit scary when it gets there, but as we stand it’s hard to imagine UC not going into the Temple game 9-1 with a chance to clinch the Eastern Division of the AAC.  UC’s win at Houston successfully got them through a potential land mind, and now the next four games are about taking care of business against lesser teams.  If they do, they’ll set up an exciting last 2 (hopefully 3 games including the AAC Championship) and an opportunity to be playing in a major bowl for the first time since 2009. 

Are We Ready to Believe?

                We thought this could be a special season for the Cincinnati Bearcats.  Last year’s 11-2 ascension seemingly came out of nowhere.  That wasn’t happening this year.  UC had a target and the look of one of the favorites in a deeper than ever American Athletic Conference.  The Bearcats were very up and down to start the year, but beat the teams they should have beat to keep their season on track.  The trip to Marshall gave a taste of what could be and then Friday night, in front of a sell out crowd at Nippert stadium the Bearcats made us believe.  The Bearcats became the first AAC team the last 3 seasons to beat UCF and in doing so put themselves firmly in the AAC conference race.  Friday night at Nippert was a celebration of Bearcat football and hopefully a return to something truly special.

                It really started a week prior.  We were waiting for this Bearcat football team to give a top performance from beginning to end.  That Saturday night in Huntington, West Virginia they delivered.  Most Bearcat fans thought Marshall would be a real test.  They went to Boise State and held Boise State to 14 points, losing by a touchdown.  They were the favorite in Conference USA.  The Bearcats dispatched with the Thundering Herd before you could even blink.  It was the kind of performance UC hasn’t really delivered despite their success the last two seasons.  Too often UC has started slow and sluggish.  This time they scored nearly every time they touched the ball running out to a 42-0 lead and never looking back.

                What I really appreciated about the Marshall performance was UC going against tendency early in the game.  Too often UC has started slow, running into stacked fronts, not pushing downfield when teams sell out to stop the run.  Against Marshall they came out and put pressure on the back of the Marshall defense.  Ridder delivered with maybe his best overall performance as a Bearcat.  UC ran out to a huge lead and the running game was as affective as always as the game went on.  That win set up Friday at Nippert, an opportunity for the Bearcats to get their first win over a ranked team in a decade (since 2009 in fact, where the Bearcats beat 3 ranked teams on their way to an undefeated season).

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                Our tailgate group has gotten smaller in recent years.  I do think the Tuberville era is a part of it as it got less fun for many to come to Nippert.  The other issue has been people moving out of town making it harder to get to the game.  This week instead of setting up our own tailgate behind Martinos where we have been tailgating for a decade, we joined up with another tailgate on The Grid.  I’ve been on The Grid a few times, but never for a full tailgate.  UC has just done a great job with it.  The place is packed and active.  The catwalk is amazing.  It was great getting to party on The Grid. 

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                The story of the first half was the Cincinnati defense in the redzone.  For a half, UCF moved the ball up and down the field.  The first drive was largely aided by penalties, but time and time again in the first half UCF moved into scoring position.  And nearly every time the Bearcat defense held.  UCF settled for a field goal on their first drive.  Then on the second drive they marched down the field again before a Cam Jefferies INT at the goal line and big return flipped the field.  In the second quarter UCF had drives of 10 plays and 8 plays end in field goals.  Their only touchdown came on a short field (12 yards) after a Ridder interception.  Though UC trailed 16 to 10 at the half, the defenses ability prevent touchdowns had kept them in the game.

                I thought the offensive gameplan was conservative and put UC at risk in the first half.  Like UCF, UC’s only first half touchdown came on a short field after forcing a turnover.  Other than that, the Bearcat offense did very little all half and seemed reluctant to challenge UCF down the field.  UC’s first two drives ended with 2 yard dump offs to Michael Warren on Third and 10 and third and 14, respectively.  On their final drive of the half UC could have at least taken a shot at the endzone with a Hail Mary, but chose to go in the locker room down 6.  It was a generally frustrating game plan from the offense, but the defense had kept UC in it by preventing touchdowns and creating the only UC touchdown drive by giving them a 16 yard field.  And it turned out, the Bearcat defense would be even better in the second half.

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                And Nippert was rocking.  The energy of the crowd was felt from kickoff until the final snap.  The students were there and loud early.  Every third down, hell almost every down, the crowd was in it, making noise and trying to help disrupt the UCF offense.  I sit in the corner of the endzone near the field and the noise on the field is always evident from that spot.  As someone who has been lucky enough to travel the country and visit some great stadiums, it’s always impressive how truly exceptional Nippert Stadium can be. 

Photo From @chadbrendel https://twitter.com/ChadBrendel/status/1180503929462951936

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                That energy was in full force in the second half, when the Bearcat defense suffocated the great UCF offense.  However, it was the offense that got things started.  The Bearcats came out aggressive in the second half completing their first two passes and quickly moving into UCF territory.  Those completions lead to some success running the football.  Ultimately the drive stalled largely because of a holding penalty, but the Bearcats kicked a field goal to get within three.  

                The Bearcat defense really took over from there.  They forced two straight three and outs where UCF lost 21 yards.  Then on their third drive of the second, Gabriel tried to throw a quick pass to the sideline and Ahmad Gardner made the play of the season to this point, stepping in front of the pass and taking it to the house.  Suddenly UC had a lead.  UCF had the ball 5 times in the third quarter.  They lost 21 yards in the first 3 possessions and threw a pick six.  They had 1 first down in the quarter, punted 4 times and were intercepted 1 time.  This might have been the single best quarter of football I’ve ever seen a Bearcat defense play.

                Then on the last play of the third quarter the truck busted free.  A couple quick cuts and Warren was into the open field.  The end of the play was particularly great as his last cuts forced to pursuing defenders to take each other out, colliding into each other.  The Bearcats then scored on the first play of the fourth quarter when Ridder found Alec Pierce in the corner of the endzone.  Just like that UC was in control. 

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                It only took the dominant week one win over Rutgers for most UC fans to realize 2009 could be an incredibly special season.  This was the week when that idea became real in 2019.  UCF made the game interesting at the end.  They had a quick touchdown drive and two point conversion to get within three.  UC got the ball back trying to run the clock out.  Twice it looked like they picked up the first down but twice the refs spotted the ball just before the sticks.  That left Fickell with a fourth down decision that I don’t really believe was a decision at all.  UC needed a few inches to ice the game.  They lined up and got those few inches.  Despite my concerns regarding the staff too often being passive and playing to tendency on offense, this is the kind of situation where they always make the right call.  They trust their guys to finish instead of putting the game in the hands of the opposing offense.  The staff has a ton of great qualities, but this is one that has consistently stood out. 

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                Weeks 4 and 5 in 2009 were less interesting than this year.  UC took care of Fresno State at home then went to Miami and beat the Redhawks for a 5^th straight season.  Five games in and the Bearcats were finished with their nonconference slate.  Similarly, the Bearcats have finished their nonconference slate this season.  From here on out, the Bearcats will be playing conference games.  They likely need to run the table to have a shot at a major, New Year’s Bowl.  In 2009 the Bearcats were facing a trip to Tampa against the 21^st ranked South Florida Bulls.   This year’s Bearcats head to Houston, a team many thought would contend in the league, one capable of scoring in a hurry.  Next week is an enormous game, particularly when it comes to winning the east.  A win and suddenly UC has a slate where they can run off some wins before the two huge games to close the season.  A win next Saturday and a Division Championship will be firmly in their sights. 

Taking Care of Business

                Saturday marked 14 years in a row the Bearcats have beaten the Miami Redhawks.  Most of those games haven’t even been close.  Miami had a stretch of games during Tuberville and the one year following Tuberville where they had their opportunities, but as the Fickell era of UC football gets rolling it has become increasingly clear Miami missed their window.  The Bearcats are likely to continue beating down the Redhawks for years to come.   Despite the slow start, ultimately, this year was no different.  The Bearcats took care of business and now get a week off before maybe the key 3 game stretch of the season. 

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                The biggest nonconference test of the season for the 2009 Bearcats also came at OSU.  Week three in 2009 the Bearcats made their way out to Corvallis, Oregon to take on the Oregon State Beavers.  The Beavers were coming off a 9-4 season (7-2 in the PAC 12).  This Beaver team would go all the way up to number 13 in the rankings by December.  It was a real test for the Bearcats, one the Bearcat passed again with flying colors.  This was the one game I was not able to attend in 2009, but I can remember exactly where I was.  I was house/dog sitting a house and partying with friends. 

                I spent the day drinking beers and ziplining into the pond with a few others who came to enjoy the weekend with me.  Honestly, if I wasn’t going to be at the game it was a perfect way to spend the lead up to the game.  The Bearcats started slow, not scoring in the first quarter.  However, the defense held Oregon State to two field goals and the Bearcats were only down 6-0 after 1.  Much as it did against Rutgers, the offense took off in the second quarter.  The Bearcats had touchdown drives on 9 plays, 80 yards, 9 plays 77 yards and 3 plays 60 yards, to take a 21-8 lead into the half. 

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                Likewise, it was a slow start for the Bearcats against the Redhawks.  If it felt like the Bearcats were going backwards for a while, it’s because they were.  The Bearcats’ first drive went for negative 13 yards and after a Miami touchdown their second drive went for -6 yards.  It’s no surprise Bearcat fans were a little anxious when Miami kicked a field goal to take a 10-0 lead.  However, after that Miami drive the defense and offense both seemed to get it together and the UC talent took over.  They held Miami scoreless the rest of the half.  UC responded to the 10-0 deficit with a long touchdown drive of their own.  The teams traded punts for a while after, but the Bearcats put the ball in the endzone to end the half.  The key play on that drive was Fickell opting to go for it on 4^th and 6 from the Miami forty.  Ridder completed an 11 yard pass to Medaris and capped off the drive with another Michael Warren TD run.  All in all 14-10 didn’t feel great, but it could have been a lot worse. 

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                After a blistering second quarter the 2009 Bearcats didn’t play a particularly clean second half against Oregon State.  The Beavers started the half with a quick touchdown drive and the Bearcat offense did very little in response.  They had a 3 and out followed by an interception then another 3 an out.  Their 3 third quarter drives totaled 48 yards.  Oregon State kicked a field goal early in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 3 (21-18).  As they had in the second quarter the Bearcat offense responded.  They immediately marched down the field for a touchdown drive stretching the lead back out to 10 with about 8 minutes left in the game.  The defense forced an interception and the offense moved the ball again before missing a field goal that would have put the Bearcats up 13.  By that time there was only 1:30 left in the game and everything was still well in hand.  The Bearcats escaped a good Oregon State team with a 10 point win in a game they mostly controlled despite playing two fairly poor quarters.  Oregon State was a PAC 10 contender and the Bearcats had proven to be clearly the better team. 

                The second half of the battle for the Victory Bell was the dominant performance Cincinnati fans have grown to expect in that game.  The Bearcats started with a touchdown drive and never really looked back.  The defense suffocated Miami for the entire second half.  The Bearcats forced a 3 and out on 3 of Miami’s 6 second half drives.  The other drives included a 4 play drive ending with a turnover on downs, a 5 play drive with one first down and then one drive where Miami moved the ball a little bit before kicking an irrelevant field goal.  The defensive dominance allowed the offense to find itself with a couple big plays.  Ridder connected with Geddis for a 51 yard TD, then Warren broke off a 73 yard touchdown run on the next UC drive.  It was 35 to 13 by the time the game entered the fourth quarter.  There was no doubt UC would be keeping the bell in Cincinnati.

                The second half performance can’t overshadow the clear issues that need to get corrected.  The offensive line has really struggled at times.  Those first few drives UC had no room to do anything.  Miami pushed the line around more than they should have been able to, forcing Warren to break tackles or make people miss in the backfield and putting Ridder under some pressure.  Additionally, Ridder continued to struggle finding receivers when his primary target is taken away.  Right before the half there was a key play where Deguara broke wide open, Ridder had time, but didn’t see him and dumped off to Warren.  Those kind of plays happen too often.  When his first read is there, Ridder can be very accurate.  He threw some great passes today, particularly the Geddis TD pass and the Deguara TD.  3 weeks in and it is still hard to know what to expect from this team going forward.  They soundly beat an inferior Miami team, but once again showed the issues that could hold them back. 

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                So the Bearcats head into a bye week with the record everyone expected.  They won both games at Nippert and won them both rather convincingly and lost to an elite Ohio State team.   They showed plenty of concerns but enough positives to remain optimistic about the season to come.  The three weeks following the bye will likely define their season.  Their final nonconference game is a road test at a solid Marshall team, picked by many to win CUSA.  Ridder and the offense struggled on the road last season and though it is unfair to hold OSU against them too much, it didn’t do anything to alleviate that concern.  The defense should be able to largely limit Marshall.  If the offense does its part they should get out of Huntington with a win, but it will be a real test. 

                That test is followed by the biggest game of the year.  The Bearcats almost certainly can’t win the conference without a home win over UCF.  Giving UCF the tiebreaker in the division likely will wrap up the division and even if it doesn’t (maybe a 3 way tie with Temple is conceivably still in play) it makes it essential for UC to win at Houston and at Memphis (in addition to holding serve home against Temple).  If UC is to be an AAC contender, they must win against UCF.  And UCF could be as good as ever.  Real tests, real opportunities.  The Bearcats took care of business against Miami and retained the Victory Bell for the fourteenth straight season.  The season will be defined by weeks to come. 

Total Mismatches

                That was disheartening.  It’s not surprising the Bearcats got run off the field by the Buckeyes.  Ohio State is one of the three most talented teams in the country and assuming Fields can be elite against top competition they are a true national title contender.  However, this game was pretty much a worst-case scenario any way you slice it.  After the blocked field goal there was never a moment you really felt the Bearcats had any chance.  The offensive and defensive lines were both dominated and there were few moments where the Bearcats really threatened.  When they actually did move the ball they made costly mistakes to keep points off the board. It was a brutal game.

                I thought the coaches set the tone for the game early and that tone was, “we’re scared to be here.”  OSU moved the ball on its first drive, but the Bearcat defense eventually got a stop.  A perfect punt pinned Cincinnati back at the one.  The coaches sent the offense on the field and literally wasted a play.  They lined up in an odd, compact formation that had the entire OSU team in middle field.  From that formation they had Ridder sneak for no gain.  What was the best case scenario for that play?  Two yards up the middle?  You’re still handing the ball off in your endzone or passing from your own end zone on 2^nd down.  First down is your friend.  It’s how you protect against the safety, by keeping them off balance.  Everyone knew a sneak was coming.  The play call basically ensured UC would give the ball back to OSU where OSU was positioned to get a TD.  That’s exactly what happened.  That scared call exemplified the play all game long.

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                The Bearcats’ 2009 week two matchup could not have been any more of a polar opposite.  The Bearcats returned home to Nippert to take on Southeast Missouri State.  After the beating UC laid on Rutgers, everyone was sure this was a “pick your score,” type game.  The Bearcats wound up picking 70-3.  Their first game had put the Bearcats in the top 25 (number 23).  UC did everything you’d expect in their second game in rolling Southeast Missouri State.  I don’t have much more to say about it.  Two games in and the sky was the limit for the 2009 Bearcats.

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                The bottom line of this game was Cincinnati’s two glaring weaknesses were exposed against superior talent…inexperience on the offensive and defensive lines.  The Bearcat offensive line was pushed around all game and the dominant OSU defensive line gave them no moments of reprieve.  UC couldn’t run the ball and Ridder was under constant duress, particularly when OSU brought any pressure at all.  The defensive line really felt the loss of Broughton and Copeland, two NFL type defensive tackles.  OSU pushed around a talented, young defensive line that simply was out of its depth.  Cincinnati could not overcome those two problem areas. 

                I know they gave up 42 points, but I wasn’t altogether discouraged by the defensive performance.  They had their moments. They got a key stop on the first drive and forced a huge turnover on downs to keep UC in the game early.  I thought you saw the talent at times making an elite Ohio State offense work.  Fields fit the balls into the windows that were there and the defensive line didn’t get enough pressure which opened things up, but overall I thought the defense wasn’t so bad…they were just up against a behemoth.  If the offense gave UC anything, it’s likely a 31-17 type game…not the 42-0 bloodbath we saw.

                What I saw from the offense concerns me, even though Ohio State is the type of elite defense UC won’t see again this season.  Last season the Bearcat offense was mostly good against teams with lesser defensive talent.  They wore teams down with the run and Ridder made plays with his feet and passing down the field.  For the most part they were also exceptional on third down.  However, twice last year it really stood out to me that there wasn’t a plan B.  The UC offense really struggled against above average defenses.  Temple absolutely shut UC down in the second half, as did UCF. UC just couldn’t move the ball or pick up key third downs against the better competition. 

                I know Ohio State is a different level, but I thought the offenses lack of creativity and versatility really stood out against the Buckeyes.  Even lesser talented teams often find ways to create matchups and move the ball against top teams, but that wasn’t the case.  UC wasn’t able to pound the ball on the ground and showed little ingenuity in creating favorable matchups.  This doesn’t have to be the case all year and Ohio State is an outlier matchup for UC.  I doubt UC gets shutout again (and wouldn’t have been shutout here except for two turnovers near the goal line and a blocked FG), but a team like UCF doesn’t have to shut UC out to win.  UC is going to have to be flexible in how they attack the better teams on the schedule.  It was an issue last year, one that I don’t feel any better about after the game against Ohio State. 

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                The Bearcats and Buckeyes have played 6 times since 1999 with the Buckeyes winning all six.  That’s not surprising.  Five of the games were in Columbus.  The Buckeyes are an elite program.  The one game in Cincinnati was not surprisingly the closest despite it being a National Championship Buckeye team.  It’s hard to beat elite programs on their home field.  I’d love to get one into Nippert one day, but until then these are always going to be incredible uphill battles.

                It’s odd that the three UC teams that gave the Buckeyes their best games were probably the three worst Bearcat teams to face them.  Here’s how I’d rank the UC teams that played Ohio State:

1.       2006

2.       2019

3.       2004

4.       2002

5.       2014

6.       1999

You can quibble with the order if you want, but I think that is relatively fair.  The teams that faired the best against the Buckeyes were the 2002, 1999 and 2014.  I think there were a few reasons for that.  I think it’s telling that the three worst performances for UC were with coaches who formerly coached for the Buckeyes.  I don’t think Dantonio or Fickell ever seemed particularly invested in the idea that UC could compete in those games.  They were conservative, they didn’t try to create advantageous matchups or big plays the way they would need to win those games.  Compare that to the three other games UC played against OSU.

        The 2014 Bearcats had an inflated record due to playing a fairly weak schedule, but they had one really strong thing going for them…elite collegiate wide receivers.  The UC staff really took advantage of this and made the game against OSU very interesting for 3 quarters.  This was exemplified by UC repeatedly taking shots down field to Chris Moore, who delivered with 3 catches for 221 yards, all going for touchdowns.  The biggest play of the game was an absurd offensive pass interference call against UC when the OSU defender basically tackled the UC receiver who had him beat.  Everything changed after that and OSU ran away in the 4^th quarter, but UC made it interesting with an aggressive attitude.  (UC also had a TD called back on an illegal man downfield call which while technically correct is almost never called when the lineman is only a couple yards past the line of scrimmage). 

        1999 is probably the forgotten UC v. Ohio State game.  I remember how excited I was when I found out I was going to that game.  OSU still had the old, temporary bleachers at the Horseshoe and UC fans were stuffed down there.  1999 might be the weirdest season I can remember as a Bearcat fan.  It was a bad year.  The Bearcats finished 3-8.  They dominated Kent State in week one, but then week two lost to then Division 1AA Troy State (now in the FBS and going by Troy).  They followed that up with the craziest win of my lifetime (not the best or craziest game mind you) beating Ron Dayne’s eventual big ten champion and Rose Bowl champion Wisconsin team.  The next week, UC went to OSU. 

        The Bearcats came out fast.  They went out to a 10-3 lead, spreading the field and letting Kenner pick his targets.  UC was just into OSU territory when they came out in 5 wide.  I remember saying to the fans around me that the middle is wide open for a QB draw, something Minter liked to run out of the five wide.  Sure enough, UC ran it and Kenner took it the distance for a TD to put the Bearcats up 17-3.  At that point the temporary bleachers were shaking as UC fans were going nuts.  UC got the ball back late in the 2^nd quarter and put themselves in field goal range.  They missed the FG which would have made it 20-3 (and likely would have gone to the half at that score).  Instead OSU got a short field, scored a TD and cut the lead to 17-10 at the half.  The Bearcats continued to move the ball in the second half, putting up over 500 yards of offense on the game, but didn’t finish any drives.  They lost 34-20.  That Bearcat team would go winless in CUSA losing 4 one possession games and 2 two possession games.  Their only other win was over Miami (OH). 

        Then there was 2002.  The only time Ohio State dared to come to Cincinnati and not coincidentally the closest UC came to beating the Buckeyes.  Probably the biggest thing that UC team had going for it was NFL players on the defensive line.  Antwan Peek in particular was in the backfield all game and was a disruptive force against the OSU offense.  That defense also featured a young Trent Cole.  Though UC broke a couple of runs, they knew they couldn’t sustain drives that way and often spread UC out allowing Geno to find holes.  Though only a sophomore, Geno threw 52 times that day and drove UC into position to win the game.  He threw two catchable balls in the endzone on the final drive that Olinger and Murray failed to bring in.  That was that.  UC missed its chance in Cincinnati, and the Buckeyes went on the win the national championship. 

        It’s notable that UC didn’t get the chance to play the Buckeyes while at its peak.  From 2007-2012 the Bearcats won 4 conference championships in a BCS conference (the Big East).  That conference often finished ahead of the Big 10 in sagarin’s conference strength measure.  It was a fluke of timing, but still quite disappointing that the best teams UC had to offer weren’t the ones that had the chance to challenge the Buckeyes. 

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        Where does the season go from here?  We knew last year was a gift.  UC was ahead of schedule in developing its defense and the benefitted from a light, manageable schedule.  This year the schedule was more daunting and while UC has a ton of experience back, there were big experience holes on offensive and defensive lines.  Additionally, injuries really hurt two of UC’s biggest strengths: 1. the defensive backfield’s potential to be dominant with Wiggins’ flexibility and skill; and 2. depth and versatility at running back.  Ohio State was a singular force that punished UC for those issues.  No team on the schedule will be able to do so to that degree, but UC still needs to find answers to how it will stop the stronger offenses on the schedule and how it will move the ball against competent defenses.  If they develop answers to those questions this can still be a great season that builds on last year…with a real chance to win the conference.  If not we’re likely looking at a good team that just wasn’t quite there yet.   It is essential that UC responds this week against Miami before going to a bye week that sets up the key stretch of the season.  

Bearcat Football on Display for the Nation

              Thirty-eight thousand Bearcat fans piled into Nippert stadium Thursday night to watch the Bearcats take on UCLA.  The Bearcats opened the season on ESPN, in a nationwide broadcast.  Though they made a bunch of mistakes, they mostly played dominant, physical football throughout.  From UCLA’s first turnover until the final snap of the game UC was more physical, better positioned and just plain better.  The defense picked up where it left off last season, making the Chip Kelly offense look like a Bob Diaco UConn offense.  The Bearcat’s passing efficiency defense was the best in the country last season and if week one was any indication that could continue this year.  Thompson barely completed 30 percent of his passes and other than one long run UCLA struggled to get anything going on the ground.  The Bearcat offense was plagued by mistakes but controlled the game moving the ball through the air and on the ground.  The potential of this team was on display, despite the mistakes. 

                There’s nothing like a night game at Nippert.  I’ve been to over 30 stadiums across the country and Nippert is a unique experience.  (A now incomplete ranking of the stadiums I’ve been to can be found here:  https://bearcatmark.blogspot.com/2014/09/football-stadium-rankings.html) Last night was incredible.  The crowd was there on time.  The student section was overflowing and they stayed.  The crowd was raucous and invested in every snap.  It’s the kind of crowd that makes it so difficult on teams that come to Nippert.  It gives the defense a big advantage and I’m sure the team feeds off the energy.  When Nippert is electric it truly is special. 

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                As was the case this year, the 2009 season started with UC getting to play in front of a National TV audience.  Their first game was on Labor Day in Piscataway, New Jersey to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.  Many, including Kirk Herbstreet, had picked Rutgers to win the conference.  The Bearcats were defending conference champions but had some real questions on defense.  I made the trek with two of my good friends.  We spent the weekend near campus, sitting by the hotel pool and frequenting college bars.  One of my friends had to be back at work that Tuesday, so win or lose, I would be driving overnight after the 3:30 game to get back to Cincinnati.  I was optimistic UC was going to have a big season.  I thought we would win.  I never expected the performance I witnessed that would set the tone for the greatest season in Bearcat football history. 

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                The tailgate lot was rocking when we arrived Thursday.  The Martinos lot has shrunk as apartments have built up behind it, but the spot we have tailgated for years has more space than ever due to the back of a building being ripped down and nothing having been built there yet.  Only a small portion of my group made it down, but several of the groups we’ve tailgated near for years were right there.  I was greeted with a jello shot from one of them and some New Riff Whiskey from another.  It was great being back on campus. 

                We made sure to get to our seats on time.  It was a slow start and one that grew worrisome as UCLA put themselves in scoring position.  However, UCLA fumbled, UC recovered it and really never looked back.  A few plays after the fumble Ridder connected with Alec Pierce for 52 yards, setting up a 15 yard touchdown pass to Josiah Deguara.  The rest of the half the Bearcat defense was basically a microcosm of last season.  They were stifling from play to play, but allowed a big play to give UCLA some hope.  Throwing out UCLA’s lone touchdown drive of the half the Bearcat defense was on the field 5 times, forcing a three and out 3 times, a 6 play drive one time, and a one play drive to end the half.  On those 5 drives they gave up NEGATIVE 9 yards.  However, UCLA took a 3^rd and ten play 75 yards for a TD on the other drive.  The big play plagued UC a ton last season.  It’s something I expect them to still give up, because of how aggressive they are defensively, but if they can limit those and just be decent at preventing explosive plays, the defense should be dominant.

                Despite UC being utterly dominant for most the first half, they were incredibly close to trailing going into the locker room.  The offense made too many mistakes all half only putting it in the endzone the one time.  They had a great opportunity late in the half, but Ridder through an ill-advised pass that was picked off around the goal line.  The first play Coach Fickell mentioned post game was Deguara’s chase down tackle to save a TD at the end of the half.  The play cannot be praised enough.  He ran from the right side of the field on a dead sprint for the tackle.  I was sure from my seats that was going to be a pick six.  Going into the half up 10-7 was disappointing, being down 14-10 would have been devastating.  The Bearcats should have been up more but their physical dominance was evident all half and it was nice to at least be rewarded with the lead going in.

https://twitter.com/JimNagy_SB/status/1168520297269661696

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                The Bearcats were dominant in the first half of their 2009 opener as well, but in this case, they didn’t waste their dominance.  The Bearcats started the season with a 9 play, 81-yard touchdown drive that didn’t even take 2 minutes.  They never looked back.  Rutgers responded with a 20 play, 78-yard TD drive, really their only response of the day.  That drive chewed up 10 minutes of clock and was the only way Rutgers prevented UC from scoring all half.  UC had a nice drive for a field goal (10 plays 62 yards in 3 minutes), then the two teams traded interceptions before UC poured it on.

                UC scored touchdowns on their last 3 second quarter drives.  They scored 24 second quarter points, taking a 31-7 lead to the locker room.  Those drives were 6 plays, 63 yards in 2:15; 7 plays, 71 yards in 2:04; and 3 plays, 58 yards in 52 seconds.  In mere minutes UC had dismantled Rutgers.  Going into the half UC fans were fired up, but more than that there was a feeling that this team was going to be something we had never seen before at UC. They were explosive and they hit Rutgers in so many different ways. This was truly one of the best halves of football I had ever witnessed. 

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                I think the ultimate story of the UC v. UCLA game was that whenever UC made a mistake and something went wrong, they responded.  They had avoided near disaster at the end of the first half but were still only up 3 despite dominating the action and UCLA was getting the ball to start the second half.  But the defense came out and did its thing, shutting down UCLA on first and second down then intercepting the ball on third down to give UC a short field.  This time the offense took advantage of the short field going 30 yards in 5 plays, all Michael Warren runs, including a 12 yard TD to finish the drive.

                Then a couple drives later when UCLA struck back with a TD of its own, the Bearcat offense got the ball back and went on its most important drive of the day.   They deftly mixed Ridder passing with runs of Warren and Doaks, taking the ball 75 yards on 10 plays.  Though the touchdown drive only got the game to 24-14, the game certainly felt over at that point.  The rest of the game was a bit of a sloppy mess, but UCLA never really threatened.  What stood out at the end of the game was how much UC controlled the action despite the mistakes.  They had 242 passing yards to UCLA’s 156 and 175 rushing yards to UCLA’s 62.  UC had the ball for 38:27. They were the better team from beginning to end. 

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                The Bearcats picked up where they left off in the second half against Rutgers.  They started the half with two long touchdown drives (11 plays, 92 yards and 9 plays 85 yards) and before you could blink they were up 45-7.  Those two touchdown drives made 5 straight touchdown drives, all at least 58 yards.  UC took their foot off the gas the rest of the way, though it forced a safety in the fourth quarter and finished with a 47-15 win.  We left the game completely jacked up.  We had an overnight drive ahead of us (me specifically as I was the driver), but were too excited to be bothered.  The drive ended up including a torrential downpour in eastern Ohio in the middle of the night, which I blew through.

                It was past 5:00 a.m. when I walked into my door, having not slept in nearly 24 hours.  I remember lying in my bed completely unable to sleep.  I’m sure part of it was the red bull from the drive home, but mostly I remember thinking about this Bearcat season and what it could soon be.  Was there anyone on the schedule that would beat them? If UC played like this they could legitimately be National Championship contenders.  After lying bed for a while, I finally got up and went for a run.  I hoped the run might drain me the rest of the way and I would finally sleep.  I thought about the season to come and all the possibilities.  In one game, the Bearcats had blown through the ceiling on what was possible.  At this point anything could happen.  Anything was possible. 

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                The opener against UCLA didn’t quite give that same feeling of brilliance to come, but it didn’t temper any expectations either.  It is clear this Bearcat team can be elite defensively.  They certainly were against UCLA.  The Offense showed flashes against a talented defense, but also showed inconsistency and made a penchant for mistakes we need to hope is an aberration.  I take far more positive from the game than negative, but still view what is to come as an unknown.  Next week the Bearcats head to Columbus to play the Buckeyes.  It’s a game that feels like they are playing with house money.  A loss is expected and shouldn’t stop them from achieving their season goals. A win would blow the doors off of all expectations and bring incredible possibilities into play.  As talented as they are, there are unknowns with the Buckeyes as well. They have a new coach and new QB playing in their second game. Their defense while talented, could be exposed last season.  If the Bearcat defense can force mistakes and the offense can protect the ball, there is an opportunity to do something historic.  I know I can’t wait to see what happens next. 

Experiencing Bearcat Football: A Decade Apart

                I fell in love with Bearcat football at a very young age.  Though basketball was probably my first love, we only had Bearcat basketball season tickets for a couple of seasons.  With Bearcat football we had them every year from the Tim Murphy era going forward.  I loved them for the average program they were.  I got mad at UC basketball fans who rooted for Ohio State, Michigan or Notre Dame in football.  I would chastise them in school, “You’re in Cincinnati.”  “How can you say you are a UC basketball fan and then root for someone else in football?  IT’S THE SAME SCHOOL!”  I felt pride that I was loyal.  That I supported both their elite, nationally recognized basketball program, but also a football program that was up and down, never particularly high, rarely particularly low.  During my childhood as a fan the Bearcats were never better than 8-3 (1993, Tim Murphy’s final season before leaving for Harvard) and bottomed out with one 2-9 season (1998 a year after their first Bowl Appearance since 1950).    It was a program hanging in the middle, headed nowhere, but one I loved and knew I’d always support.

                Then came the Big East and a glimmer of hope.  Suddenly UC was in a “power” conference, trying to go after power conference type recruits.  The competition increased, but the opportunity with it.  It was a grind at first.  The Bearcats had an incredibly young team with little upper-class talent when they joined the Big East.  They struggled to a 4-7 record, but showed promise in 2006 battling a top flight schedule (4 road games against top 10 teams at the time and a home game over a top ten team) even upsetting undefeated, #6 Rutgers in their final home game.  Then in 2008, year two of the Brian Kelly era, the Bearcats had a dream season, culminating in a Big East Championship and Orange Bowl birth.  For those of us who grew up loving Bearcat football it was unbelievable, like something out of a dream.  I was lucky enough to attend 12 of the 14 games that season.  The memories will last a lifetime.  It was something I always dreamed was possible, but barely believed it. 

                In the decade after that the Big East collapsed.  The Bearcats lost their seat at the power table.  They lost two coaches to bigger programs and then watched as a third coach torpedoed the program back to relative obscurity.  The success kept the program at least a bit of a name, but the dream of an elite program that rose from nowhere faded.  Then last season, a Bearcat team coming off a second straight 4-8 season, emerged from the ashes once more.  The Bearcats started the season winning at the Rose Bowl and finished with a Military Bowl Victory over Virginia Tech.  They ran up 11 wins against only 2 losses playing a freshman quarterback, sophomore running back and one of the younger teams in college football.  In a flash the dreams of what could happen were back for this program I love. 

                You may have noticed by now we skipped 2009.  If 2008 was a dream season, something I never imagined…how the hell do I describe 2009?  Now a decade in the past, it’s still fresh in my mind and close to the heart of every Bearcat football fan lucky enough to be a part of it.  It was a season that started with the potential for greatness and exceeded nearly every possible outcome.  Much like 2009, 2019 is a season with some real questions, but that unmistakable feeling that we could potentially see something great.  And so I want to do something different this year.  I want you to ride along with me as we experience the 2019 season through the lens of the 2009 season we’ll never forget.  I want to make this about Bearcat football, but I also want to use it to talk about life.   I’m going to try to write every week.  I’m going to try to discuss this year and revisit the wonder of 2009.  I’m going to look at the program a decade apart and evaluate where we are… but most importantly I am going to celebrate being a Bearcat football fan and all the joy it had brought me. 

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                How do you top the unimaginable?  A Big East Championship and Orange Bowl birth had been unfathomable as a Bearcat football fan in the 90s.  The 2008 season, with the incredible run of 6 straight conference wins to end it, had given us just that.  They’d beaten South Florida at home.   UC had won at West Virginia and at Louisville and clinched the conference with a home win against Pittsburgh.  (Capping off an incredible 3 game stretch I relived for everyone here: http://bearcatmark.blogspot.com/2018/11/i-havent-blogged-in-long-time.html)  What could they do for an encore?

                There were plenty of questions, particularly on defense.  Gone were a trifecta of corners who anchored the back end (Mickens, Smith and Underwood).  Gone as well were Connor Barwin and Terrill Byrd, true forces on the defensive line.  But back were the makings of a truly elite offense.  Tony Pike was back, along with UC’s top 3 running backs (including Isaiah Pead), a deep group of talent receivers (Gilyard, Binns, Barnett, DJ Woods) and 3/5 of the offensive line (Linkenbach, Kelce and Jurek).  If the defense reloaded this had the makings of another Big East contender.  Before the season I wrote “I really believe this will be the best Bearcat offense of the modern era.”  http://bearcatmark.blogspot.com/2009/09/bearcat-football-preview-2009.html  That turned out to be true and absolutely necessary as the defense while good for much of the first half, really struggled as the season wore on.  It was up to the offense to get them to greatness and the offense did not disappoint. 

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                While not quiet the dream season of 2008, 2018 was a thrill ride for Bearcat fans coming off the two abysmal seasons that preceded it.  The Bearcats rode some key veterans and a lot of young talent to an 11-2 record including a bowl win over Virginia Tech.  There were major questions at the beginning of the season, and every one of them seemed to come up with a satisfactory answer (except kicker).  The offensive line held up and exceeded expectations.  Mike Warren stepped up to a huge role after the season ending injury to Gerrid Doaks.  After a couple failed drives by Hayden Moore and the offense against UCLA the team was turned over to Freshman Dez Ridder at QB and he showed the kind of promise that should have UC fans drooling.  In the end the Bearcat offense was about average.  They were really good against bad defenses and struggled against good defenses.  However, with much of the offense back and Ridder a year more developed the offense has the potential to make a big leap this season.

                If the offense had satisfactory answers to its questions last season, the defense had exemplary answers.  UC went from 68^th to 36^th in defensive S&P plus and better than that in most traditional measures.  They became an elite run defense and elite in aspects of their pass defense.  The Bearcats were sixth in marginal rushing efficiency and first in completion rate allowed.  Their only big weakness on defense was that they gave up a lot of explosive plays in the pass game.  Teams struggled to complete passes, but when they did, they often completed them for huge gains.  This year most of the back end of the defense is back.  If they can maintain the efficiency numbers while finding a way to limit big plays they can be a top 15 type defense.  Because of the style they are asked to play they likely will not eliminate big plays.  Big plays are likely going to be what teams rely on against UC and UC will likely give up a decent percent, but if they even become average in that area, this defense can truly be elite.

                The biggest questions for this year’s Bearcat team are on the offensive and defensive lines.  Though the Bearcats return much of their defensive 2 deep, they were hit hard on the defensive line, particularly at defensive tackle.  Cortez Broughton and Marquise Copeland both started every game last season combining for 101 tackles (25 of which were for a loss) and 10.5 sacks.  That is a lot of production from an important spot.  The 8 guys vying to take their place didn’t combine for 50 tackles.   As a result, the DT spot is the great unknown for this team.  Fill it adequately and the defense should be better than last year, but it’s a big ask.  The Bearcats have a bit more experience at defensive end with Michael Pitts and Ethan Tucky returning and a number of promising guys looking to make a big impact.  I’m less concerned about the defensive end position, but it still is at least somewhat of an unknown.  Malik Vann is one of the more exciting Bearcat prospects.  Kevin Mouhon is the kind of forgotten player that could leap forward for a huge senior year. 

                The offensive line has a few key guys back but they are shifting and increasing roles.  Chris Ferguson is being moved to left tackle, while Jakari Robinson becomes a full time starter at center.  Assuming the Bearcats 3 experienced returnees play at a high level, they have a number of options to fill in the rest of the gaps.  If a couple step up this offense has the potential to really make a leap.  The other question is what kind of leap will Dez Ridder make this season?  Ridder was incredibly encouraging as a freshman starter.  He put up some great numbers against the lesser defense on the schedule, but often struggled against the better defenses.  That is fine for a freshman and on balance he was a huge plus for UC.  However, if he can raise his level of play and become an all-conference type QB the Bearcat offense could make a significant leap. 

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                I found out my father had been diagnosed with cancer about a month before my thirteenth birthday.  He battled it for nearly five years before passing away on Valentine’s Day of 2002.  I was two months shy of 18.  My dad was from Wilmington, North Carolina but came to Cincinnati to pursue his Doctorate’s Degree in Sociology at the University of Cincinnati.  He worked for UC throughout my childhood as an administrator in the college of business, while also teaching some night classes in Sociology.  To this day UC football is one of the things that makes me think of him.  He loved the university and I was lucky enough to get follow the Bearcats with him.  He took me to nearly every UC game until he was diagnosed with cancer and we continued to get tickets even when he could not attend.  He never got to live the glory years of UC football, but because of him I was able to fully appreciate the journey from mediocrity to something beyond comprehension.

                I think I was a very mature high school kid, probably because I had to be.  I worked.  I saved money.  I did well in school, but didn’t stress over it.  I took hard classes.  I respected my parents.  While many people got in trouble in high school or broke the law by drinking or smoking pot, including many friends of mine, I never really did.  I didn’t judge them.   I always thought it was a personal decision which for me was largely driven by living up to the trust my parents put in me.  My parents allowed me to experience life in high school, whether it was driving all over greater Cincinnati with friends or staying out late.  Because of this I often ended up the designated driver at the end of many high school parties. 

                Maybe it was because of this that I went a little overboard in my mid-twenties.  When friends wanted to go out to the bar or to a party, I never said no.  Week night or weekend hardly mattered.  I was up for a good night out.  I didn’t want to waste my twenties worrying about money or responsibilities.  I worked.  I paid my bills on time.  But I experienced life as best I could.  Bearcat football became a big part of this and 2009 was its peak.  In 2006 I began really making an effort to travel to Bearcat road games.  In 2008 I ended up attending 12 of UC’s 14 games, only missing trips to Connecticut and Hawaii.  In 2009 I was hoping to do something similar.  I was making very little, but I had a great rent deal and no car payment.  I took full advantage.  Bearcat football trips became a huge part of my budget.  I was able to attend 12 of UC’s 13 football games in 2009, only missing the trip Oregon State. 

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                I remember my mom asking me some time in my mid-twenties if I was planning to ever get married or have a family.  I asked her how old my dad was when they got married, she said “32.”  I told her that sounded about right.  I guess as predictions go I nailed that one.  Unlike in 2009 when my budget was dedicated to UC football, my 2019 life includes a wonderful wife and a perfect 16 month old daughter.  Though my ability to commit to spur of the moment Bearcat football trips isn’t what it was, the Bearcats remain an enormous part of my life.  I look forward to the day I can take my daughter down to my tailgate and Nippert Stadium. 

                With marriage, a young daughter and real financial responsibilities my priorities have changed considerably.  I watch a ton less sports in general, don’t play as much basketball and my nights out with friends are few and far between.  However, in prioritizing I’ve made sure to make as many Bearcat football games as possible.  I still have season tickets.  I still get down to tailgate.  I still go to nearly every game at Nippert.  Though I haven’t traveled for a game since Michigan in 2017, I still will broach the idea of a UC trip and look forward to my next one (a New Years Day Bowl this year perhaps???).  It’s amazing how much life can change in a decade.  But through all that change, the Bearcats remain a large part of my life. 

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                Here we are.  We’re a decade from the pinnacle of UC football, a season that began with a trip to Rutgers, for a nationally televised game against a team expected to compete for the Big East Championship.  This year UC starts with a nationally televised game at Nippert against UCLA.  The opportunity is there to make the kind of statement the 2009 team made right off the bat.  A statement that says, this year could be something special.  I look forward to experiencing this season.  I hope you enjoy my ramblings about life and about experiencing Bearcat football, a decade apart.  The program is vastly different now.  My life is very different now, but Bearcat football remains an essential part of it.