Bearcats win 45-44. Big East Champs!

This was the best game I have ever seen in person.  UC overcame a shaky first half and mounted a stunning comeback to shock Pittsburgh for the Big East Championship and automatic BCS bowl bid.  There were a ton of UC fans in the stands, and nobody wanted to leave when the game was over.  A great scene!

Games of interest to UC

If UC wins at Pitt, they will go to a BCS bowl, that much is certain, but with a little help they could go to the national championship game.  The Bearcats are currently #5 in the BCS standings, behind Florida, Alabama, Texas, and TCU.   UC should move ahead of the loser of the Florida-Alabama game.  They also need the following:

• Nebraska over Texas
• Oregon State over Oregon
• Georgia Tech over Clemson
  

A Texas loss is required to get UC into the title game.  The other two games help UC's computer numbers.  UC beat Oregon State on their field, while TCU's biggest win is against Clemson.  The proper outcome of those two games might not be required, but they would help.  The dominos may start to fall tonight when Oregon & Oregon State square off with the winner going to the Rose Bowl.

Brian Kelly says he's staying, but does he mean it?

One thing that has amazed me during all the Brian Kelly to Notre Dame hoopla is the fact that Kelly has never said that Notre Dame is his dream job.  Yet most "experts" say that if the job is offered, Kelly would take it in a heartbeat.

Fueling the speculation is the fact that while other high profile coaches have come out and said they aren't interested in the Notre Dame job, Kelly has kept mum.  Until now.

On WEBN's Dawn Patrol Kelly responded to Wildman Walker's question about his status saying "I'm staying man, I'm staying, why would I go?".  Later he reiterates "I'm very happy in Cincinnati and our kids love it here, our family loves it here.  We're just going to focus in, obviously, on building this program, getting it bigger and better..."

So there you have it.  Either Kelly is really staying at UC, or he is flat out lying.

Historic rankings

For the first time ever, the Cincinnati Bearcats basketball and football teams are ranked at the same time.  The football team remains at #5, while the basketball team debuted at #22 in the AP after their strong showing in the Maui Invitational.  They were last ranked in January 2006.

The Bearcats first game as a ranked team was a resounding 94-57 win over Texas Southern at Fifth Third arena.  Unfortunately, only 6,825 attended the game.  Hopefully support for the program will pick up soon.

Thoughts on Illinois win

I had hoped to post this sooner, but with the holiday weekend, life has been crazy.  Hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend.

Go to any college sports website and one of the first three stories will be about Notre Dame and/or Brian Kelly.  It's crazy right now.  I'll have more thoughts on that in a future post.

Notes on the Bearcats 49-36 win over the Fighting Illini:

• On a cold, clear day, Nippert was full and at times very loud.  It was a good crowd.
• When they make upgrades to Nippert, I hope they consider better hot pretzel technology.  It seems like they either run out or serve them cold and mushy.
• Tony Pike looked great.  He has a great arm and nice touch.  His 59-yd touchdown pass to TE Ben Guidugli was made while running to his left and throwing across his body.  It was at least 40 yards in the air.  On another long pass to Mardy Gilyard, the WR had only about a half-step on the cornerback, but Pike hit him perfectly in stride. 
• Apparently all the TEs in the Big Ten do is run-block or at least it seemed that way.  Illinois had no clue how to cover Ben Guidugli in the first half when he had 6 catches for 144 yards and two scores.  Pike often found him wide-open.
• Mardy Gilyard passed Dominick Goodman for the all-time TD leader in UC history.  He showed great vision and the ability to break some tackles on his 90-yd kickoff return TD.
• How's this for spreading the ball around:  Tony Pike completed passes to 8 different targets, with Gilyard, Guidulgi, Armon Binns, & DJ Woods each catching 7 passes.
• I was surprised UC didn't run the ball more.  Before the bye week Brian Kelly said they planned to work on the running game, but Illinois has a weak pass defense and Kelly is the master of taking what the defense gives him.  It was nice to see senior John Goebel, who been hurt most of the year, get in the game and get a few carries.
• The defense is becoming a concern.  They gave up 36 points on 476 yards of offense and will need to tighten up versus Pitt.  This is despite forcing 7 Illini punts.  The problem is that the offense scores so often and so quickly that the defense is on the field a lot, giving the opposing offense many scoring opportunities.

Happy Thanksgiving!

News and Notes:

• I started my Thanksgiving day by running in the 100th annual Thanksgiving Day 10k Race.  It's a Cincinnati tradition and remarkable to have a 100th annual anything.
• The Bearcats basketball team lost to Gonzaga 61-59 in an OT heartbreaker.  While the loss is disappointing, the team had a good showing with two wins over ranked opponents.
• Tony Pike returns as the starter tomorrow when the Bearcats take on Illinois at sold out Nippert Stadium at noon.  The team needs a decisive win for the nationally televised audience watching on ABC.  I'll be there and can hardly wait!
• I don't know much about Illinois except that they have been inconsistent and have a poor pass defense.  UC's high powered attack should be able to take advantage, and hopefully the defense can return to early season form.
• UC once again needs Texas, Alabama, or Florida to lose this weekend to have a shot at the national championship game.  That doesn't look likely as all are favored by double-digits, although Texas A&M is giving Texas a game right now.  UC should be able to pass TCU in the BCS standings based on their strength of schedule if they win out.
• Next weeks game at Pitt is at noon.  That makes it tough to road-trip up there the day of the game, but there are cheap hotels in the suburbs with vacancies Friday night and tickets are still available for $30.  This could be the biggest game in UC history.
• Speaking of Pitt tickets, I got mine in the mail yesterday.  I thought they might be decent since it was the block allocated to UC but actually they suck.  I will be in row GG of section 505 in the corner of the stadium.  Oh well, at least I'll be there.

Bearcats Basketball wins again

For the second consecutive night the Cincinnati basketball team beat a top 25 ranked team in the Maui Invitation.  When's the last time that happened?  This time it was a 69-57 win over #22 Maryland in which the Bearcats once again outhustled the competition.

Yancy Gates led UC with 17 points and recorded a double-double for the second night in a row.  Deonta Vaughn had 16.

UC plays in the championship game tomorrow against the winner of the Gonzaga-Wisconsin game.  It's a great start for UC!!  I expect the Bearcats to start getting votes in the polls, and maybe even appear in the top 25 if they win tomorrow.

Some non-football news, Bearcats basketball beats #24 Vanderbilt

With the excitement around the success of the football team, I haven't talked at all about the men's basketball team.  This year's team appears to be the most talented of the Mick Cronin era.  The past couple of seasons have led to some grumbling about whether Cronin is the man for the job, so with this level of talent anything less than a post-season appearance would be a disappointment that would fuel that fire.

After a lackluster opening win against Prarie View A&M and an easy win against an overmatched Toledo team, the Bearcats notched an impressive 67-58 victory over #24 Vanderbilt in the Maui Invitational.  The Bearcats didn't shoot well, but played a physical, high-intensity game and dominated Vanderbilt defensively and on the glass.  Video highlights are here.

This is a great win for UC, and could set the tone for a nice season.  Last year the team started with a good record, but was criticized for the cupcake schedule and didn't look ready for Big East play.  This season, they have a few more marquee matchups which should get them ready for conference play and help their resume come tournament selection time.  Another high-caliber matchup is tonight when the Bearcats take on #21 Maryland in the Maui Invitational semi-finals.  The game is on ESPN at 7pm eastern.

WVU@UC thoughts

Another game that was closer than it should have been, but a win is a win, and the Bearcats are 10-0 for the first time ever.  This is also the 3rd 10-win season in a row, after having only 1 prior to Brian Kelly's arrival.

• The fans arrived early, and Nippert was loud to start.  There were still times when the fans seem to sit on their hands when they should have been on their feet.  I frequently found that when WVU had a 3rd down, there were only a handful of people in my section on their feet screaming DE-FENSE. 
• I got a chance to sit in the student section for the start of the 2nd half and the energy there was incredible.  Hopefully the entire stadium will eventually be like that.
• I thought UC played their worst football of the year in the 1st half.  Turnovers, penalties, and missed opportunities abounded.
• Zach Collaros seemed off.  I don't know if its just that teams have some film and know how to defend him now, if its the pressure of having Tony Pike healthy and looking over his shoulder, or what, but he didn't see open receivers and made some bad throws, including a very uncharacteristic interception into double-coverage.
• I think the Isiah Peah stretch was a touchdown, but I'm surprised the call on the field was overturned.  The video replays that I've seen don't seem indisputable.  It was a stupid play.  It was 1st & goal early in the game.  No reason to risk a turnover as Pead did.
• Other than that, Pead had a FANTASTIC game.  He has speed and is shifty.  If the weather turns foul, UC will need to rely more on their running game.
• The defense didn't always look solid, but came up with the plays when they had to.
• I was impressed with the WVU fans at the game.  They had an excellent turnout and were very loud.  That being said, GO TO THE PITT GAME!!  Call 1-877-CATS-TIX to see if UC still has any of their allotment left, or buy tickets online thru Pitt.  Tickets are only $30 and its only a 4.5 hour drive.  A big turnout would help inspire the team and show the bowls that UC fans will travel.
• Extended highlights here:
  
  
  

The invasion has begun

I left work in downtown Cincinnati a little early today, and saw a lot of West Virginia fans checking into hotels and walking the streets wearing their WVU gear.

West Virginia fans travel well and this game sold out a long time ago, leading me to believe that many of those tickets were purchased by WVU fans. That was the case two years ago when the Mountaineers played at Nippert. I was at that game and would guess that at least 5,000 of the fans were cheering for WVU. Bearcat fans need to rise up and drown them out!

COME EARLY, BE LOUD, WEAR RED!!!

Some fan group are planning a "Brian Kelly" chant at the end of the first quarter. If you are there, join in!

Defensive Deficiency? I Disagree.

Alot has been made of the high score posted by Connecticut in Cincinnati's 47-45 win last Saturday. Varied sites are saying things like UConn "picked apart" the UC defense, and that the game "exposed the warts, moles and scar tissue on the Big East's beauty queen". It has led to one writer from Foxsports picking West Virginia as his "Upset pick of the week" at the end of this article.

I disagree.

The belief is that the large, physical UConn offensive line wore down the smaller, quicker UC defense with their grind-it-out style of play. That would probably mean a huge time of possession advantage for UConn (similar to the Fresno State game), right? Um no. Actually UC led time of possession 32:45 to 27:15. A few long, sustained UConn drives that wore down the defense? No again. Connecticut had only one scoring drive greater than 2 minutes in the 2nd half (6:42) and only 2 in the 1st half (4:36 & 4:25).

So what's the problem then? Very simply, UConn made some very big plays in the 2nd half. Jordan Todman had a 46-yd TD run, Robert McClain had an 87-yd TD punt return, and Zach Frazer completed a 52-yd pass to Khalif Moore that setup a 1-yd run by Todman. Those 3 drives took 0:41, 0:00, and 1:30, respectively. They accounted for 22 of UConn's 35 second half points. Without those big plays, UConn still might have scored, but it would have taken more time and prevented them from having the number of possessions needed to get back into the game.

The Cincinnati defense made mistakes, but it is not a hidden flaw that has been exposed. It's a few missed assignments that gave way to the big play and a couple of big plays often result in an upset. "Everything that happened can be fixed. It was just one guy out of position here, two guys out of position there." Bearcats linebacker Marcus Waugh said. The UC defense has generally not been burned by big plays prior to the UConn game. I am sure that the defense and special teams had a good week of practice and are eager to prove that last week's game was a fluke.

While a big, physical offensive attack isn't an ideal matchup for the Bearcats defense, they proved against Fresno State that they can win against it. This week's matchup against West Virginia features an offense that relies more on speed than power, which should be a more favorable matchup for UC.

Cincy Committed to Kelly

If you are on Facebook check out this group called "Cincy Committed to Kelly". They are selling red towels that read the same at locations around Cincinnati, and around campus prior to games.

The description from the group page says:
We've all seen how great of a coach Brian Kelly is. Let's show our support for him! Purchase a Cincy Committed to Kelly towel! All proceeds of your $3 donation benefits the Jefferson Sports Complex and the Down Syndrome Association of Cincinnati.

Thanks to our sponsors. Towels can be purchased at the following locations:
- Montgomery Inn Montgomery
- Montgomery Inn Boathouse
- Holy Grail in Clifton,
- Nothing but Net on Mt Caramel Tobasco Road
- Willie's Sports Cafe in Montgomery
- Willie's Sports Cafe Covington
- Kuhl's Hot Sports Spot - 7860 Beechmont Avenue
- Planet Collectibles inside the Beechmont Mall

A post on the group page also indicates that there will be a "Brian Kelly" chant at the end of the 1st quarter of tonight's game vs. West Virginia. If you are there, join in!

Collaros featured on ESPN

ESPN did a feature on backup QBs who have stepped in for injured starters, and featured Zach Collaros.

Game opening video

If you haven't seen a game at Nippert stadium in awhile, check out the videos below. They play them on the big screen right before the team takes the field. They usually play one of the two below, but modify them slightly each game to include recent highlights. The first is from the game vs SE Missouri, the 2nd from last weeks game against Connecticut.

Pike not ready, Collaros to start vs West Virginia

After stating on Monday that Tony Pike would start at QB for the Bearcats on Friday night against West Virigina if he was healthy, coach Brian Kelly announced today that Pike was not ready, so Zach Collaros will start instead. Since Collaros has played so well in relief, "it's allowed us now to set the bar a little bit higher for Tony in a sense that now we don't have to put him back there until he's 100 percent. He's not quite there yet." Kelly said.

Kelly said that Pike would get into the game is some capacity, but wouldn't disclose his role, saying he wanted to keep it a secret as "a tactical advantage." Regardless of who plays QB the Bearcats offense has operated at a consistently high level. For a team striving for a Big East title, undefeated season, and possible national championship game it's a nice problem to have.

Kelly to Notre Dame speculation heating up

I had hoped not to need to post about this at least until the regular season is over, but with Notre Dame's stunning loss to Navy last weekend, the speculation is heating up that Brian Kelly will leave Cincinnati to become the head coach at Notre Dame.

First, there is no guarantee that Charlie Weis will be fired.  He has done a good job of improving ND's recruiting, the results just aren't visible on the field.  Hopefully the recruiting success and perhaps a shakeup of the assistant coaching staff would be enough to save Weis's job.

Second, there is no guarantee that Brian Kelly wants to leave Cincinnati for any job.  True, there are many other schools seen as football elites, while the Bearcats are still trying to earn respectand build their program.  But Kelly has said that he enjoys building a program, that he enjoys marketing the program, and that he is happy with the support he has gotten from the fans and the administration.  If Kelly were to leave UC for ND, he would be walking into a high-pressure spotlight where he would be following in the footsteps of legends.  If he stays at UC, he can be the legend.  I wouldn't be surprised to one day see a UC game at Brian Kelly stadium if he sticks around.  That won't happen in South Bend.

There are a bunch of articles, blog posts, and message board threads popping up about this.  Here are a few:

Kelly could be Irish’s answer

Irish need to speed it up if they want to replace Weis

Notre Dame, Say Goodbye To Charlie Weis and Meet Brian Kelly

Pike to start versus West Virginia

At his Tuesday afternoon press conference, Bearcats coach Brian Kelly indicated that Tony Pike will start at quarterback for UC against West Virginia this Friday, provided that he is healthy.

Kelly said that it was a difficult decision, but that he chose Pike because his entire body of work outweighs what Zach Collaros has done in relief the past 3 weeks.

I agree with this decision to a point. On one hand, a starter who is performing as well as Pike was before his injury should not lose his job because of injury. On the other hand, the team is on a roll and very comfortable with Collaros. I would hate to see another QB change disrupt team chemistry. I don't think it will.

What I would love to see is an offense like Florida used to run with Tim Tebow and Chris Leak where both Pike and Collaros would share time behind center. This would force defenses to game plan for both quarterbacks and switch tactics on the fly. You could even line both of them up side-by-side in the shotgun. The defense wouldn't know who was getting the ball. If it was Pike, Collaros is athletic enough to be an effective receiver out of the backfield. If Collaros took the snap, defenses wouldn't know if he was going to run or pass.

Brian Kelly has often been called an offensive genius. I can't see him completely benching Zach Collaros with the way he's played and the versatility he brings to the position. We will find out on Friday.

Cincinnati 47 Connecticut 45 Highlights

Some extended highlights from the #5 Bearcat's win Saturday night at Nippert.

Too close for comfort

UC escaped with a wild 47-45 win versus Connecticut on Saturday. In a weekend that saw #4 Iowa and #8 Oregon lose, Cincinnati was fortunate to get a win.

The atmosphere at Nippert stadium was excellent. As always, fans were asked to "come early, be loud, wear black" and they did all of those things. Playing in primetime on ABC made for an electric environment. However, as the game wore on and Connecticut kept coming up with big plays in the 2nd half, you could feel the energy ebb as fans grew nervous. After the game, it was reported, that Brian Kelly had to give his players a pep talk to remind them that they had won and should celebrate. Maybe the fans need a pep talk too. I've never seen a crowd depart a stadium in such a sullen mood after a win. Everyone has become so used to the Bearcats cruising to victory, that we weren't ready to enjoy a hard-fought win.

The UC offense was spectacular with 711 yards of total offense and no turnovers. Zach Collaros had a brilliant performance. Mardy Gilyard was unstoppable and Armon Binns continues to make teams pay for covering him one-on-one. Credit also has to go to Jake Rogers, who has been shaky at times. He was perfect and accounted for 17 points on 4 field goals and 5 extra points, some in pressure situations.

The defense looked good for a half, but Connecticut beat them up in the 2nd half. You have to give UConn credit--even down 20 in the 2nd half they never quit. This is a good team that has now lost 5 games by a combined 15 points. The Huskies have a huge offensive line--their smallest starter is 315 pounds--and a bruising fullback that wore down the smaller quicker Bearcats defense. Even from my seats in the upper deck I could tell that some of the Connecticut lineman were the size of a small mountain.

Even championship teams have some close games, and winning those games makes you better. "It was actually good for our guys," Kelly said. "Because we hadn't been in this kind of adversity all year." So now the players, and fans, have a short week to prepare for West Virginia on Friday, which struggled to get their offense going in a win over Louisville this weekend. I imagine it will be a spirited week of practice for the Bearcats. The close game against UConn should refocus the team and coaches, especially on defense, going into the final three games. It couldn't have come at a better time.

Games of the week

Besides the high rankings and national attention that UC has received, one big difference for me as a fan this season has been the fact that I am much more interested in the outcome of other top 25 games. In previous seasons, I rooted for teams in Big East games that impacted Cincinnati, but that was about it. Now I look at all the top teams, which has been fun.

So besides UC, what teams do Bearcat fans need to root for this weekend? The Bearcats are #5 in the BCS rankings, which is composed of #5 in Harris poll, #7 in coaches poll, #5 in computer rankings (5,5,7,5). Here are games that could affect Cincinnati's standings in the polls and computer rankings

-Boise State (7,4,5,8) @ Louisiana Tech--Boise is becoming less of a threat to bump UC, as their weak schedule is causing their computer ranking to fall.

-Syracuse @ Pittsburgh (13,15,14,14)--Pitt, like UC, needs to keep winning to help raise the stature of the Big East in the eyes of voters.

-Texas (2,2,2,3) @ Central Florida--A loss by any of the other undefeated teams helps UC. This would be a huge one, but is unlikely.

-Iowa (4,7,6,2) @ Northwestern--Iowa is a huge threat to UC. If only 3 teams go undefeated and Iowa and Cincy are two of them, Iowa likely gets the nod over UC for the chance to play for the national championship. This is a game that Iowa should win, but they haven't dominated anybody and anything can happen in conference play.

-Oregon (8,8,8,8) @ Stanford--Oregon is hot right now and attracting a lot of attention. Their loss to Boise State will keep them behind Boise and UC, for now.

-Alabama (3,3,3,2) @ LSU (9,9,9,9)--This game could have a huge impact on the national championship. If LSU wins out it would knock both Florida and Alabama out of contention for a spot in the title game, and open a spot for a non-SEC team, unless LSU leapfrogs everyone for the spot.

-TCU (6,6,4,6) @ San Diego State--TCU has been coming on like a freight train, and thanks to alot of love from the coaches (which UC doesn't get), trails the Bearcats by only 0.002 points in the BCS standings.

- Florida (1,1,1,1) @ Vanderbilt--Like Texas, Florida isn't likely to lose this one, but it would really open things up if they did.

Vote early, vote often, vote Bearcats!

ABC Coverage Map for Connecticut @ Cincinnati

It seems that ABC is making UConn @ UC their top game Saturday night.  They are sending their #1 broadcast team of Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, & Lisa Salters to Nippert to cover the game. 

Here is the coverage map for the game. 

While it seems the UC game is being shown to a small percentage of the country geographically, on a population basis, 46% of the country will get UConn @ Cincy, 35% will see Oklahoma @ Nebraska, and 19% will get USC @ Arizona State.  Not bad, but I would like for more voters and fans in SEC and Big 10 country to see the UC game.  UC needs a strong performance on a national stage to overcome the bias in the polls.

Cincinnati Football Tickets available

The UConn @ Cincinnati game this Saturday at 8pm was originally listed as a sellout, but UConn has returned their allotment, so tickets are now available.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.CATSTIX.com, by phone at 1-877-CATS-TIX, or in person at the Athletics Ticket Office in the Richard E. Lindner Athletics Center in Varsity Village. It's going to be a beautiful night for football. Let's sell this out for the national TV audience.

In addition, UC has received their allotment of tickets for the final game of the season at Pitt. This game may decide the Big East championship and possibly UC's undefeated season. These tickets may be ordered by calling 1-877-CATS-TIX, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. through 6 p.m. Tickets are only $30 and its only a 4.5 hour drive (287 miles) from the UC campus to Heinz field in Pittsburgh. If you don't want to drive, UC is offering two bus trips through Provident travel. One is an overnighter, the other is not. Details are here.

I already have my tickets and would love to see Bearcat fans buy the entire allotment we've been given and more. Additional tickets are still available for $30 through the Pitt website. Let's make this a home game!!

UC @ Syracuse highlights

Here are some extended highlights from UC's win over Syracuse.

Bearcats in primetime vs UConn

I have been absolutely buried at work and haven't posted in awhile. Things are easing up now, so hopefully I can be more active here.

This weeks game time between UC and UConn was dependent on the schedule makers at ABC/ESPN. On Sunday they announced that the game will be regionally televised on ABC at 8pm EST. Other games to be televised at the same time on ABC are #12 USC @ Arizona St, and #24 Oklahoma @ Nebraska.

Hopefully at least a third of the country will get to see the UC game. With a dominant performance the Bearcats have a chance to show alot of people still unfamiliar with them how good they are. The following week UC can further boost their profile with a nationally televised game on ESPN2 on Friday night when they host West Virginia.

This Saturday's game is a "blackout" game, so: Come early, be loud, wear black.

Observations from UC vs. Louisville

A few observations from the Bearcats big 41-10 victory over Louisville on Friday:

1. It was great to see Nippert stadium filled, but at times it didn't sound like it. The student section was crazy as always, but for having the #5 team in the country, the fans at times were quiet and seemed uninterested. Before the game I was watching the Ohio State game while downing pizza & beers at Papa' Dino's and was impressed that even after a loss to Purdue that took them out of BCS contention, the fans were still going berzerk. We need that fanaticism in Cincinnati.

2. I was very impressed with the UC offense without Tony Pike. Zach Collaros played an awesome game, going 15 of 17 passing. I was surprised UC didn't run the ball more. The RBs only got 19 carries, and most of those came after the Bearcats had the big lead.

3. I love the cozy confines of Nippert, except when I get out of my seat. The concession and bathroom lines are ridiculous. Any plans to expand the stadium need to include plans to exapnd these areas, because they can barely handle 35,000.

4. I was in the bathroom at halftime and someone started chaning "Who-Dey". Really? This goes back to #1 above. I know people are excited about the Bengals, but come on. You are at the #5 Bearcats game, and they are winning big against a hated rival. How about a "U-C" chant?

5. It was nice to see some of the reserves get some reps in. The Bearcat's depth and experience is a big reason for their great success from season-to-season under Brian Kelly.

Collaros likely to start for Cincinnati vs. Louisville

ESPN is reporting that "a source close to the situation" has informed them that Zach Collaros will start for UC against Louisville.

Collaros replaced Pike after he was injured against South Florida and lead the Bearcats to a victory. This will be Collaros first collegiate start.

Game time is 3:30. Lots going on around campus today. Check out the schedule. More info at the UC site.

Game Day Snapshot Schedule
Hospitality Zone	11:00 a.m.
Bearcat Blitz	11:00 a.m.
Parade	Noon
Family Zone	1:00 p.m.
CatWalk	Approx. 1:10 p.m.
Men's Basketball Open Practice	1:30 p.m.
UC vs. Louisville Game	3:30 p.m.
Men's Soccer vs. St. John's	7:00 p.m.

Pike has surgery, not ruled out

Bearcats quarterback Tony Pike had surgery on his left, non-throwing forearm Tuesday morning to fix a metal plate that shifted after getting hit in UC's game against South Florida.

Despite that, coach Brian Kelly has not ruled Pike out for this Saturday's game against Louisville. Kelly said that they will work to keep the swelling down over the next 48 hours and then have Pike return to practice to see if he can play.

With this news, I would be absolutely shocked if Pike plays this Saturday. There is no reason to risk further injury and an extended absence for this game. If this were Pitt and the Big East championship were on the line, maybe. But not for Louisville.

Pike practices

Cincinnati QB Tony Pike practiced today for the first time since suffering an injury to his left forearm just 4 days ago. He is day-to-day, and it has not been decided if he will play this Saturday against Louisville.

At the time of the injury it was believed he would miss at least this weeks game and possibly several more if surgery is required. Now he is practicing with a protective cast and the coaches are trying to determine if he can play and protect himself from further injury.

I like Pike's toughness and think the Bearcats need him to win the Big East, but I'd rather not see him play this week. Even though its a rivalry game, Louisville is one of the weaker teams in the conference this year. I would like to see Zach Collaros or Chazz Anderson start with Pike on standby if the game was on the line. The experience would do Collaros or Anderson good and would give Pike's arm another full week to heal so he can finish the season.

Highlights from Bearcats win over USF

Here's a cool fan video from UC's win over the Bulls.

Post-game thoughts on Cincinnati @ South Florida

It was a great win for the Bearcats, despite the injury to Tony Pike. As I said earlier, I think the ability to win without Pike showed the Bearcat's depth and versatility and the genius of coach Brian Kelly to succesfully adapt his offense to fit the situation and personnel.

I previously listed my keys to the game. So how did UC do?:

1. Take the crowd out of it--UC did not do a great job of this, as they even fell behind early. The crowd didn't quiet down until Zach Collaros stunned them with his 75 yard run, but then he charged them back up again with his interception. Despite the noise and frenzy, the Bearcats didn't get rattled.

2. Neutralize the pass rush--UC did a pretty good job of this. Bearcats left tackle Jeff Linkenbach held his own against George Selvie. Jason Pierre-Paul caused some problems, and of course Tony Pike took some hits.

3. Take what the defense give you--this is a Brian Kelly specialty. Mardy Gilyard was not a major factor in the game, instead Armon Binns had two TDs and is emerging as another nice weapon in the Cincinnati arsenal.

4. Get off the field--the Bearcats defense was hugely improved in this area. USF converted only 4 of 16 third downs and held the ball for only 28:42 versus UCs 31:18.

#8 Cincinnati @ #21 South Florida--Great win for the Bearcats!

UC struggled early, but made the needed adjustments and came up with a big win. BJ Daniels was impressive, but Zach Collaros was awesome, and the Bearcars prevail 34-17.

I hope Tony Pike is able to come back from his injury soon, but I think that this game showed the depth of the Bearcats talent, and their ability to adapt to their oppenent and the circumstances.

UC @ USF - Keys to the game for UC & prediction

Cincinnati faces a big test against a good team in a hostile environment. To come away with the win against South Florida, the Bearcats need to:

1. Take the crowd out of it--If the offense can get some early scores and the defense some early stops, the Bulls homefield advantage would be minimized.

2. Neutralize the pass rush--USF features a very talented defensive line. Quick passes and a rolling pocket will help take the pressure off Tony Pike. UC could also run a bit more than usual to keep the D-line on their heels.

3. Take what the defense give you--Miami (OH) very effectively double-teamed Mardy Gilyard. If USF does the same the Bearcats need to be patient, not force the ball, and look for one of their other playmakers. Could be a big night for DJ Woods, Armon Binns, or Isiah Pead.

4. Get off the field--The defense has been great on 1st and 2nd downs, but not so much on 3rd, with opponents converting nearly 50 percent of the time. The defense needs to get stops and get off the field so the offense can get the ball and have a more balanced time of possession.

My prediction: Bearcats lead throughout, and its close at the half, but in the end UC just has more talent and pulls away.
Cincinnati 31 South Florida 20

#8 Cincinnati at #21 South Florida Preview

When the #8 Cincinnati Bearcats travel to Tampa Bay to take on the #21 South Florida Bulls Thursday night it will be the biggest game of the season for both teams. Alot is riding on this game, both for the teams and the Big East Conference. For the teams, its a chance to take sole possession of first place in the Big East. While both teams have some tough games ahead, both will likely be favored in every remaining game, so the stakes in this one are huge. This is the game that could decide the Big East (of course West Virginia, Pitt, & UConn might disagree). The Bearcats want to show that they belong in the top 10 and maybe even the national championship discussion, while the Bulls want to show that they can play well consistently after starting 5-0 the last two season followed by several in conference losses.

For the Big East Conference, this game is a chance to gain some respect by showing off two quality football teams before a national television audience (ESPN).

This should be a great game as each team matches strength against strength. The Bearcats offense ranks 6th nationally in pass offense (329.8 yds/gm) while the Bulls defense has the best pass defense in the Big East (158.2 yds/gm). UC ranks #3 in scoring at 42 points per game, while the USF defense is #5 in points allowed at 9.5 points per game. The Bulls defense, led by former UC defensive coordinator Joe Tresey, has 16 take-aways, while the UC offense has only turned the ball over 3 times this season. USF has two potential first round NFL draft picks in DEs George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul, while the Bearcats offensive line has only given up 3 sacks all season.

Despite the apparent statistical stalemate, I think the Bearcats have the edge here. This is by far the most talented team South Florida has faced. QB Tony Pike has a terrific grasp of the offense, a quick release, and great accuracy. The no-huddle, spread offense should wear down the USF defense as the game goes on. Plus, this isn't just the Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard show. UC has offensive touchdowns scored by 10 different players this season, and in the end that is just too many weapons for South Florida to stop.

Not as much has been made about the matchup between the South Florida offense and Cincinnati defense, but this is another area where I think Cincinnati has the edge. Again, this will be the most talented defense USF has faced. For Cincinnati, the Bulls probably are the best passing offense they have faced, so this could be a test for the secondary. The Bearcats run defense has faced two of the top running backs in the nation, but still rank 25th in the nation, yielding just over 100 yards per game, and should be able to handle USF on the ground.

For the Bulls, QB BJ Daniels has done a great job stepping in for injured Matt Groethe. He's a dual threat to run or pass, which could cause headaches for Cincy. The Bearcats however, lead the nation in tackles for loss (10 per game) and sacks (4.2 per game) and should be able to get to Daniels against an average Bulls offensive line.

UC @ USF links to coverage

Lots of coverage of tonight's big game. I can hardly wait!

Here's an article that links to a number of sites covering the game.

Not included in the above article is this great piece on UC in USAToday.

Bearcats on CNNSI

At the moment the Bearcats are the college football cover story on CNNSI.com, with the following articles:

-The Big East's big burden

-Kelly has put Cincinnati on map with wide-open offense, stout D

-Cincy QB's journey from perennial backup to Heisman contender

What's the deal in Tampa?

It looks like Cincinnati isn't the only Big East program trying to convince their city that they are worth coming out to see. Like Cincinnati, South Florida shares their city with a pro football team, but unlike Cincinnati, the Tampa Bay Bucs have yet to win a game. It would seem like a perfect time for fans to hop on the undefeated USF bandwagon, but apparently that isn't happening.

This Thursday's nationally televised game between two undefeated, ranked teams is not yet sold out, so the school is promoting the game with billboards, two-for-one ticket offers, and $10 upper deck seats in an effort to pack over 60,000 into Raymond James stadium. They are seeking to recreate the atmosphere in 2007 when 67,012 fans saw the Bulls defeat #5 West Virginia.

Playing USF on the road is going to be a tough test for the Bearcats. Fortunately UC has already been tested with big road wins at Rutgers and Oregon State, where they broke a string of 26 straight non-conference wins.

Scary Stat of the Week

Stewart Mandel writing his College Football Mailbag column a couple of weeks ago on CNNSI.com noted that Thursday night games have become a trap for highly ranked teams.

He cites the fact that since the start of last season, 8 favored teams have lost to the underdog, and 7 of those times the favored team was on the road.

He goes on to say "you'd be absolutely nuts to agree to play a Thursday night road game on ESPN" and asks "Why would any visiting coach in his right mind walk willingly into that death trap?"

Even though this suggests that history is against the Bearcats, it seems to me that over the past few seasons the team has performed incredibly well in nationally televised games. I was looking for a stat on this but can't find one, but did find that under Brian Kelly the Bearcats are 15-3 on the road and 14-3 in night games. Kelly will have the team ready to play, and won't allow them to fall victim to the Thursday night trap.

UC vs USF early lines

I can hardly wait for Thursday's game! It's a huge one for both teams, and should draw a good national television audience since its features two of only 9 remaining undefeated teams. The early Vegas lines are out, and the results are mixed, with several listing the Bearcats as 3 point favorites, while at least one sportsbook favors the Bulls by 1.5 points.

Brian Kelly on College Football Live

Here's another appearance by Brian Kelly while he was at ESPN studios. This one is on College Football Live.

Tony Pike interview

I hate bye weeks.  Not sure what to do with myself with no game today. 
Here's an interview with Tony Pike on ESPN from earlier this week:

Brian Kelly on ESPN First Take

You can also watch this here.

Brian Kelly on ESPN today

Sorry for the late update, just found this: Brian Kelly is taking advantage of the Bearcats bye week to go to ESPN studios in Bristol, CT to promote the UC football program. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer's blog, this will be Kelly's schedule:

11:20 a.m. - ESPN2 First Take
11:50 a.m. - ESPN Radio, Mike Tirico's Weekend Blitz
1 p.m. - ESPN Radio College Game Day (Tape)
1:20 p.m. - ESPN Radio/ESPN2, Scott Van Pelt Show
1:30 p.m. - ESPN Radio College Game Day Tailgate (tape)
1:40 p.m. - ESPN, Outside the Lines (tape)
2 p.m. - ESPN College Football Live

If you miss them live you may be able to find them on ESPN's website.

Tony Pike for Heisman T-shirts

Support the efforts of Tony Pike for the Heisman Trophy with this shirt.

At checkout use the code "BEARCATS" for 15% off your entire order!  Order here.

We got the Power

Rivals.com features several bearcats in their player power rankings.

Tony Pike is ranked #5 QB
Mardy Gliyard is #1 WR & #10 Special teams player
Alex Daniels debuts on the list as #25 DL
Brian Kelly is #7 Head Coach

UC vs Miami (OH) Highlights

A nice video of the Bearcats win in Oxford.  The youtube link is here.

A win is a win

Well, it wasn't pretty and certainly wasn't the blowout and total domination I expected, but the Bearcat get out of Oxford with the W, which is all that matters.

The Bearcats won 37-13, which looks respectable, but really didn't play a very good game. Certainly not a complete game. After being up 20-0, they let Miami get back in the game at 23-13, before pulling away for good. UC didn't play badly, and this was a rivalry game against a lowly regarded opponent, but they will get beat by better teams if they play like this again.

“Today was not our ‘A’ game,” Kelly said. “Not to take anything away from Miami because they played very well today. We’ve just got more work to do.”

The Bearcats have 10 days to find their A game before traveling to a tough game at South Florida.

I started this blog after searching  for other blogs that cover UC and could find very little, except for this post pointing out that there are no Bearcat blogs.  This site will be a work in progress when I can squeeze in the time.  I welcome suggestions and hope you enjoy it.