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The Cincinnati Bearcats nearly capped a perfect season against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Peach Bowl, but ultimately fell short by a score of 24-21. Nevertheless, the fact that Cincinnati put up such a fight sparked debate on social media about how lowly rated the College Football Playoff committee had the American Athletic Conference champions.
It had to be heartbreaking for the Bearcats and their fans to blow a 21-10 lead entering the fourth quarter, yet they proved their program belongs with the Power 5 conferences and wasn’t deserving of being ranked No. 8 in the country by the CFP committee.
Cincinnati Bearcats show elite form in Peach Bowl performance
It certainly helps that Bearcats coach Luke Fickell has strong ties to the state of Ohio, having played at Ohio State and served on the Buckeyes’ coaching staffs led by Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer. Fickell even coached the Bucks on an interim basis in 2011.
With a strong in-state recruiting network with which to work, Fickell has brought enough talent to Cincinnati both from Ohio and elsewhere, and coached exceptionally well to get the Bearcats through their first nine games of 2020 undefeated. His expertise is on defense, and Cincinnati proved itself to be just as good as Georgia’s elite unit on Friday. The two really are close in the raw data from Pro Football Focus:
Highest-graded defenses this season:
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 31, 2020
1. Cincinnati – 93.0
2. Georgia – 91.7 pic.twitter.com/MwF6hlUfOa
The Bearcats showed they were more than just a strong defense. Their offensive playmakers showed out in very critical situations to keep this game close.
Running the ball was tough all afternoon, yet Jerome Ford broke through for a 79-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder also orchestrated a touchdown drive with just six seconds left in the first half, capped by an 11-yard scoring pass to Josh Whyle, giving the Bearcats a 14-10 advantage at the break.
Unfortunately for the Bearcats, those clutch plays weren’t quite enough for Cincy in the end, as Georgia got the ball back with a little too much time remaining for its last possession. Bulldogs kicker Jack Podlesny blasted a 53-yard field goal through the uprights to secure his team the victory with three seconds left. An inconsequential safety as time expired thereafter stretched the margin to three points.
Despite falling short, Fickell has proven more than capable of standing on his own as a head coach, following up back-to-back 11-win campaigns with a strong 2020 effort. Not only does the Bearcats program have a bright future under his leadership provided he stays in place, but the College Football Playoff could well become more inclusive based on this single outcome.
Football world reacts to Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Georgia 2021 Peach Bowl
Who Georgia How Bearcats
— Danny Armstrong (@DArmstrong44) January 1, 2021
saw Cincinnati vs have played the
as in #PeachBowl Bulldogs since
Pregame. kickoff pic.twitter.com/ij60wyuNj4
Thoughts on @CFBPlayoff
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) January 1, 2021
-expansion is NEEDED/MANDATORY right now. Minimum of 8 teams
-any playoffs have always been about “earning” your way in. Not guessing at who is “best”
-miss me on the conf title mattering. 2-4 this year.
-earn ur way in/more bowls need to matter big pic
Cincinnati not being in the discussion for the playoff is proof the committee doesn't:
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) January 1, 2021
1) actually watch any football games or
2) know anything about the sport.
The Cincinnati Bearcats pic.twitter.com/CnDIXaMhIq
— Virtual Bubble Justo (Day 297) (@JuMosq) January 1, 2021
If Cincinnati wanted to make the playoff then they should've had the foresight 200 years ago to form a school with a wealthier base of alumni.
— Aaron (@BobbyBigWheel) January 1, 2021
Should Cincinnati have been in the #CFBPlayoff ? pic.twitter.com/jJuOFd5oO0
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 1, 2021
Cincinnati is a very good football team. I would have really enjoyed seeing them get access to the system that determined the sport’s national champion via actual games instead of just being told that a group people *thinks* Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Florida are better than them.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) January 1, 2021
Just spoke to a head coach who brought up a great point about Cincinnati. “You know what sucks about this system? Cincinnati has to win today in order to be considered for the College Football Playoff *next* year.”
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 1, 2021
This might be the first meaningful Cincinnati sports moment in 30 years that doesn’t involve a generational talent blowing out their knee.
— Joel Beall (@JoelMBeall) January 1, 2021
The SEC is just the Big 12 with a better Oklahoma
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) January 1, 2021
If Cincinnati wins, the college playoff champion should have to play an And-One game.
— Woody Paige (@woodypaige) January 1, 2021
No matter the outcome, Cincinnati has made a statement to the SEC and college football. They are for real.
— JAY RICHARDSON (@JayRichardson99) January 1, 2021
Georgia pulled it out, and it's a nice springboard for 2021. Cincinnati earned some respect, though.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) January 1, 2021
FYI, Cincinnati plays at Notre Dame and at Indiana next season.
More must-reads:
- Watch: Georgia's Jack Podlesny kicks game-winning 53-yard field goal vs. Cincinnati
- Cincinnati DB Coby Bryant does fitting dunk celebration after INT
- The 'College Football National Champions' quiz
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