Per GoBearcats:
The University of Cincinnati football team sits atop the American Athletic Conference Preseason Poll as the Bearcats were selected Wednesday to repeat as league champions by the media who covers the league.
The American held a virtual media day Wednesday. Watch a replay on ESPN+!
UC Head Coach Luke Fickell, QB Desmond Ridder and CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner took part in media day activities. Watch UC’s media session on YouTube.
The Bearcats received 22 of 24 first-place votes and 262 votes overall. UCF sits second with two first-place nods and 241 votes overall. SMU (188) is third, followed by Houston (181), Memphis (168), Tulsa (153), Tulane (132), East Carolina and Navy (85), Temple (46) and South Florida (43).
Under the direction of Head Coach Luke Fickell, UC was 9-1 in 2020, winning the AAC title and playing in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, a New Year’s Six game. UC has won 31 games over the last three seasons, including back-to-back 11-win campaigns in 2018 and 2019 and three-consecutive bowl games. The Bearcats have a school-record 20-game winning streak at Nippert Stadium and have forced a turnover in 20-straight games, the longest active streak in the NCAA FBS.
The Bearcats return 16 starters from last season’s squad, including 2020 AAC Player of the Year Desmond Ridder and seven-time All-America selection Ahmad Gardner along with All-AAC selections Darrian Beavers, Marcus Brown, Coby Bryant, Myjai Sanders, Tre Tucker, Josh Whyle and Michael Young Jr. The 2021 roster projects to have nearly 40 local players who grew up and played high-school football in the tri-state area.
Projected as a preseason Top-10 team, Cincinnati opens the 2021 season on Saturday, Sept. 4, against Miami (OH) in the 125th Battle for the Victory Bell at 3:30 p.m. ET inside Nippert Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and fans are encouraged to sign up for the digital platform online.
