Cincinnati-Temple football game canceled due to COVID-19 issues

Less than 24 hours after the Cincinnati Bearcats learned they're No. 7 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, the American Athletic Conference confirmed Cincinnati and the Temple Owls will be idle through all of Thanksgiving weekend. 

The AAC announced on Wednesday that Saturday's contest between Cincinnati and Temple has been canceled due to positive COVID-19 test results and subsequent quarantines impacting both programs. 

Per conference guidelines, the game won't be moved to next weekend even though the teams share an open date because "protocols would not allow for a sufficient number of student-athletes to be available for competition on that date." Instead, the matchup is ruled a no contest. 

The Bearcats sit at 8-0 overall and will look to complete a perfect regular season when they travel to play the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Dec. 12. Tulsa is also undefeated in league play and could face Cincinnati in back-to-back weeks with the conference championship scheduled for Dec. 19. 

On Tuesday, Tulsa's showdown with the Houston Cougars was scrapped due to positive COVID-19 cases and resulting quarantines affecting the Cougars. The Golden Hurricane are at the Navy Midshipmen on Dec. 5 and will only play Houston on Dec. 19 if they're not competing in the conference title game that same day.