The Bearcats have hit a new low, and I don’t know where they go from here.
Bill Koch, a respected longtime Cincinnati Bearcats beat writer for multiple Cincinnati news outlets, wrote a book about the 2009 Bearcats titled “This is What the Top Feels Like.” If there were to be a book written about the 2023 Bearcats, it would be titled “This is What the Bottom Feels Like.”
Here’s the reality: the Bearcats are not a good team. Before Saturday’s blowout loss at Oklahoma State, there were rationalizations made for a majority of the Bearcats losses. They were playing a really good Oklahoma team, they did some good things against BYU, they were competitive against Baylor.
There aren’t any rationalizations for Saturday’s 45-13 loss. Yes, the Bearcats were able to run the ball. Yes, they won the battle for time of possession. Yes, they were close in first downs and even on third downs, but eventually the scoreboard has to matter.
The reality, is the Bearcats lost by 32 points on Saturday. The reality is, the Bearcats have now lost two of their last three games by 20 points or more. The reality is, the Bearcats have lost six straight games.
The fall to this point started off as gradual, but has since been fast and, quite frankly, sad.
The first College Football Playoff rankings for 2023 get revealed Tuesday night. Two years ago, the Bearcats had a lot riding on the first CFP rankings. I remember being at the original Montgomery Inn for the Luke Fickell Radio Show that night and everybody who was there that night had their eyes glued to the T.V. awaiting the Playoff rankings. Now? To quote Jim Mora: “Don’t talk about Playoffs! I just hope we can win a game.”
The reality is the Bearcats have gone from a program that two years ago enjoyed an undefeated regular season. That also included an admission into the Big 12, a win at Notre Dame, College Gameday in Clifton and a berth in the College Football Playoff. Even after the loss to Alabama and losing a dozen players to the NFL, Luke Fickell got a contract extension that had fans thinking that even if the Bearcats were to dip that it wouldn’t be by much.
But that dip, albeit gradually at first, has been more than just a little bit. Look at last year, when they lost at UCF and then lost a home game against Tulane. There went any invincibility fans thought of this team in the height of the Luke Fickell era. Not even playing for a conference championship and then a beatdown in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
And now, very likely no bowl game at all for the first time since 2017. And a very real question: where does this program go from here?
After the Bearcats undefeated regular season in 2009, at least they went to five straight bowl games from 2011-2015. Even after a lackluster 4-8 season in 2010, you knew the program would get better. Even when things bottomed out in 2016, you knew things had to get better.
But the reality now is, things can still get better. But they’re not getting any easier. Yes, the Bearcats are in the Big 12, but how is life treating them? Not great, and who knows when it’s going to get better.
I’ve been wanting some context for this terrible season. Yikes