Florida proves to be too much for Cincinnati to handle
In a year full of last minute victories and record-breaking performances, the Cincinnati Bearcats had the most successful season in the history of their football program. A second consecutive Big East victory and a last second field goal away from being in the National Championship, the Bearcats shocked the nation by finishing the season ranked third in the country. An appearance in last season's Orange Bowl, followed by a trip to the Sugar Bowl this season have put Bearcat football on the map. But, is getting to these BCS Bowl games good enough?
The performances the Bearcats put on in each of their last two bowl games would indicate the players might have been just happy to be there. But, watching the game, it was clear to see that Cincinnati was overmatched by a far superior Florida team loaded with talent up and down the roster.
The circumstances surrounding the game did not favor the Bearcats. The departure of Brian Kelly definitely had an adverse affect on this team. Interim head coach Jeff Quinn was plucked for the Buffalo coaching job and new head coach Butch Jones was at the game watching. Clearly a weird situation for a team already a double-digit underdog.
Simply put, Cincinnati was put in a position to fail, and they did just that. Overmatched at nearly every position on the field, the Bearcats were never in the game and were routed by a far superior Gator squad. With or without Brian Kelly, Cincinnati stood no chance.
Now that the season is over and new head coach Butch Jones steps in, things will calm down for the Bearcats. Next year fans will really see if this team is more than a coach. While a lot of talent was lost, the Bearcats bring back starters at every position on both sides of the ball and a trip to another BCS Bowl game next year is not unlikely. The question is can they get over the hump and win one of these games?
Zach Collaros will take over at quarterback and fans have seen what he can do when given the opportunity. Running back Isaiah Pead will be back for his junior season and with perhaps a more run oriented offense, Pead will be an All Big-East performer and rush for well over 1,000 yards. At receiver, senior Armon Binns returns for his senior season and junior DJ Woods is also back. USC transfer Vidal Hazelton will step right in and fill the shoes of Mardy Gilyard. Tight end Ben Guidugli returns, as do three starters on the offensive line.
On the defensive side of the ball, over half of the starting lineup is intact for next season, including three players in the secondary and two linebackers. A more balanced ball control offense will certainly help a defense that spent way too much time on the field.
Despite what happened in the bowl game, the 2009 season will go down as a successful campaign and something to build on for the future. Maybe next year Cincinnati will be a little hungrier and not just satisfied with being there. After consecutive embarrassing losses, they should be hungry for a victory. After all, with the talent and experience coming back, a BCS Bowl game is a likely scenario once again.