Cincinnati Bearcats Football

With the final game of the season upon them, the Cincinnati Bearcats look to end on a winning note and spoil the outside chances Pittsburgh has of winning the Big East.

For a team that has no seniors on defense and very few on offense, Cincinnati will have to say goodbye to its best receiver and offensive leader in senior Armon Binns.

Binns has exploded onto the scene in the past few seasons after recording only two catches for 19 yards during his freshman and sophomore campaigns. 

After spending his first two seasons in the shadow of Dominic Goodman and Mardy Gilyard, Binns finally got his chance to play last season and he delivered in a big way. 

While the All-American Gilyard garnered most of the attention, Binns tied Gilyard for the team lead with 11 touchdowns and also had 888 yards to go along with 61 receptions. 

This season the 6'3" 200-pound senior has lived up to the expectations and preseason hype even though the team has not. 

His deep play ability has been a great complement to possession receiver D.J. Woods and running back Isaiah Pead.

No receiver in Bearcats history could "go get it" quite like Armon Binns. When the ball is in the air Binns always delivers with a big catch. 

Binns' 1,072 receiving yards rank him in the top 20 in the country and a good final showing could put him in the top seven or eight. His ten touchdowns are also near the top in all of college football.

He has been the lone consistent bright spot for a team that has struggled mightily to get on track all season long.

Binns ranks near the top in Bearcats history in receiving touchdowns and receiving yards and has had perhaps the best two year stretch of any receiver in Bearcats history. 

Saying goodbye to him will not be easy and quarterback Zach Collaros will have to find a new No. 1 target next season. 

For a kid who came all the way from Pasadena, California and was not highly touted, Armon Binns has developed into the best player on the Bearcats and this will be the last time fans get to see in the red and black. 

Over a dozen seniors will be playing their final game tomorrow at Nippert Stadium, but none will be missed more than Armon Binns.

I think most people would agree with me if I said the Big East was the worst conference out of all of the automatic qualifying conferences.  The Big East is made up of eight teams, none of whom are ranked! Even the Mountain West and WAC have two ranked teams each, with one from each conference in the top five.  And those conferences are non-automatic qualifying while a conference with NO ranked teams is? I'm just saying.  In fact, Northern Illinois (who are not in the Top 25) received over double the votes the top ranked Big East team, West Virginia, did.  Not another Big East team received a single vote.

Last year, in the Sugar Bowl, #3 Cincinnati (who were undefeated) faced off against one-loss #5 Florida who had just lost the SEC championship game to Alabama.  Florida won 51 to 24 in Tim Tebow's final game.  To heal the wounds a little, Brian Kelly had just left Cincinnati for Notre Dame.  

In the 2009 edition of the Sugar Bowl, #19 Virginia Tech (9-4) took on a two-loss #12 Cincinnati team. Cincinnati couldn't get squat done on offense and lost 20-7.

True, the three games prior they won against some pretty good teams.  But this year the Big East seems like there are no great teams.  If you put a Boise State in there, do they go undefeated? I would say there's a pretty good chance.  If you put an Oregon or an LSU in there, do they go undefeated? I would be surprised if they had anything more than one conference loss.  

This brings up the question, could the Mountain West or WAC be better than the Big East? The answer is no.  But the voters agree with me that the Mountain West and WAC do have better teams at the top than the Big East.  Going back to an earlier point, this also beckons the question: Would Northern Illinois be the best team in the Big East? No, I think it is ridiculous to rank a MAC team higher than the best Big East team.  Northern Illinois is only 2-2 out of conference (8-0 in MAC play) with losses to Iowa State and Illinois.  The only win they have against an AQ team is against 2-9 Minnesota.

I am not saying the Big East does not deserve a BSC berth, but I found it shocking of how the Big East is thought of by the voters.  This could be the first AQ conference in a decade to have an unranked team win the conference.  Of course, some people want to get rid of the BCS altogether which would make this irrelevant.  

If the Syracuse game was any indication of what life would be like without quarterback Zach Collaros, then the Bearcats certainly want no part of that. 

Cincinnati struggled mightily, suffering a 31-7 defeat to the Syracuse Orange two weeks ago. The Bearcats were without their star quarterback in that game and yesterday Collaros was medically cleared to play and will be in the starting lineup tomorrow against West Virginia.

The Mountaineers like the Bearcats have been struggling of late and enter having lost two consecutive conference games. 

The Big East Conference is still wide open as seven of the eight teams have two conference losses. Pittsburgh at 3-1 is the only team with less than two losses. 

While it may not seem likely, if the Bearcats win their remaining four games, a Big East Championship is not out of the question. 

To do so, Cincinnati will have to start by winning a road game in Morgantown against a Mountaineer team who hasn't won a game in four and a half weeks. 

The Bearcats will have to return to their old ways from a season ago if they have any chance to win these final four games. 

A more balanced attack will be necessary, as running back Isaiah Pead has disappeared in recent weeks. Cincinnati will need to get him back on track to have any chance against West Virginia. 

Controlling the West Virginia rushing attack led by Noel Devine will be key. The Bearcats cannot allow him to get on track in this one or it will be a long day for a defense who has trouble stopping anybody. 

Hopefully the bye week will help cure some of the Bearcats ills on both sides of the ball and they can return to their form from the previous two seasons. 

If they plan on getting back on track, it has to start now and it begins tomorrow against West Virginia. 

It's all so very easy this week. Three games and two major upsets. Let's get right to it, Big East fans:

UConn 16, West Virginia 13

Remember we said not to sell Randy Edsall short? This one had Edsall's signature all over it. Just when there were rumblings about UConn, the Huskies show up and show up big time and take down West Virginia!

Huge, very huge.

And they did it with the deposed Zach Frazer as the starting quarterback. Face it, UConn had very little going for it as this game approached. But right there in front of a national television audience, once again Edsall made us all believers.

You must give huge credit to the Huskies defense. Noel Devine was limited to 67 yards, and Geno Smith to 64.

Jordan Todman was a total workhorse with 33 carries for 113 and a TD.

This was Florida State-like déjà vu for the Mountaineers with the near-goal-line fumble in overtime that paved the way for this stunning upset.

Grades

UConn: A+     

West Virginia: F

Syracuse 31, Cincinnati 7

Things are no doubt quite upbeat on campus today for the Orange. Huge, big, convincing win. Now Cincinnati fans will moan about the absence of starting quarterback Zach Collaros but you'd think there were enough weapons remaining to have made a better game of it.

Delone Carter put up his 109 yards. Isaiah Pead was held to a piddly 23 yards on 11 carries. Great job by the Syracuse defense.

One note to this and it sure falls into the old "statistics are for losers" category—Cincinnati out-gained Syracuse in total yards 277-262.

How about that, Syracuse defense?

Grades

Syracuse: A+   

Cincinnati: F

Pittsburgh 20, Louisville 3

This was a "discovery" game for Louisville. The Cards are new and improved but not yet ready for a team like Pitt. Take Bilal Powell out of the mix and you get what you get.

The Pittsburgh ground game still isn't up to speed as Dion Lewis and Ray Graham only combined for 105 yards.

Both these teams still have questions to answer.

Grades

Pittsburgh: B     

Louisville: D

There you have it. Huge performances by Syracuse and UConn. Nothing like a little shakeup in the Big East, is there? See you on Wednesday this week with an early game and an early preview with entrees and appetizers to get you going for the weekend. 

Meet the Cincinnati Bearcat

The Cincinnati Bearcat became the mascot of the University of Cincinnati in 1914 during a football game against the University of Kentucky Wildcats.  One of the star players on the 1914 team was a fullback named Leonard K. Baehr (pronounced “Bear”), and the Cincinnati cheerleaders began to chant, “They may be Wildcats, but we have a Baehr-cat on our side.”

And thus, the Cincinnati Bearcat was born.

The Bearcat's Experience

Aside from being the reigning champion of the Capital One Mascot Challenge, the Bearcat has seen his share of champions. Ever heard of head coach Urban Meyer? The Bearcat taught him everything he knows.

The Bearcat's Leadership Abilities

The Bearcat is an extremely versatile leader. With the strength of a bear, he has been known to lift several cheerleaders at the same time! And with the agility of a cat, he can run from end zone to end zone rallying fans of all ages at Nippert Stadium.

What Distinguishes the Bearcat From the Rest?

The Bearcat needs no introduction. He needs no silly nickname like most of his competition. He is simply “the Bearcat,” and he takes his mascot duties very seriously.

The Bearcat's Campaign Promises

The Bearcat promises to be loyal and enthusiastic. He promises to stay after games for as long as it takes to make sure every autograph is signed.

And most importantly, the Bearcat promises Skyline Chili for all!

The Cincinnati Bearcat: Ruling the mascot kingdom since 1914.

With as much momentum as they have had at any time in the season, the Cincinnati Bearcats laid an egg Friday night and lost their first Big East game in two years. 

Cincinnati had won 14 straight games at Nippert Stadium and the offense seemed to be clicking. South Florida had not scored an offensive touchdown in two previous games. 

No way the Bulls could come into Nippert and steal a victory. But, on any given weekend in college football, anything can happen. 

The Bearcats offense continued to shine and quarterback Zach Collaros threw for 463 yards before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. 

The Bulls defense shut down the Bearcats running game so Cincinnati took to the air, with three receivers gaining over 135 yards. Two dropped touchdown passes, however, were the difference in this one. 

The 30 points Cincinnati put on the board were not enough as the league's worst defense was on full display in perhaps their most disappointing loss of the season. 

If Cincinnati plans on defending their Big East Championship, the defense will have to make vast improvements in the coming weeks. 

With Syracuse coming to town, Cincinnati has to defend their home field.

The status of quarterback Zach Collaros is still up in the air, and junior Chazz Anderson could be starting Saturday. 

At 3-4, Cincinnati needs three more wins to become bowl-eligible.  

The Orange are 5-2 and coming off a huge upset at West Virginia on Saturday. They are much improved from a season ago. 

While things are looking bleak for Cincinnati, they still control their own destiny. A victory in each of their final five games will ensure another Big East Championship and a return trip to a BCS bowl game. 

Only time will tell if this talented squad can get everything together and play like they did the past two seasons. 

On Friday against the Louisville Cardinals, the Cincinnati Bearcats started eight sophomores to go along with three juniors. That lineup was the least experienced defense of any BCS school in the country. 

Entering the season, Cincinnati was young to begin with, having no seniors starting on defense. Injuries to their most experienced player, junior cornerback Dominique Battle, and to junior safety Wesley Richardson, have thrust two more sophomores into starting roles. 

The secondary is the youngest group of the bunch, with four sophomores starting due to injuries. A young secondary can be a big problem, but so far this group has handled themselves better than expected. 

The youth on the Bearcats is found not only on defense, but on the entire roster. Cincinnati has only 12 seniors including receiver Vidal Hazelton, who is out for the season. 

With only 11 healthy seniors, Cincinnati is one of the youngest teams in the country. That could bode well for next season, as the Bearcats will return everybody on defense and a good portion of the offense as well. 

As the defense continues to grow, the offense has started to excel, led by running back Isaiah Pead. 

With the struggling South Florida Bulls coming to town, Cincinnati will have another chance to get well against a team who has had trouble scoring points in recent weeks. They have averaged only 7.5 points in two Big East contests.

The Bearcats need to continue their week-to-week improvement to have any chance of another Big East Championship. 

With five of their last seven at home, the chips are finally beginning to fall in the Bearcats' favor. If this young defense can continue to improve, the Bearcats may find themselves clawing back into the national spotlight in the weeks to come. 

The Cincinnati Bearcats opened Big East play Friday nigh in impressive fashion with a 35-27 victory over the much improved Louisville Cardinals. 

Cincinnati overcame three turnovers, two of which came in the first quarter to knock off the Cardinals. 

For a team that was supposed to put points on the board, but struggled to do so early in the season, Cincinnati is finally hitting its stride. 

Running back Isaiah Pead has continued his steady improvement and rushed for 145 yards on 19 carries. Pead has shown that he is one of college football's best under the radar running backs. 

The offensive line was very impressive for the second consecutive week, allowing quarterback Zach Collaros time to throw the football. Collaros finished 18-28 for 275 yards and a career high five touchdowns to go along with two interceptions. 

Collaros has been able to step back and find his old favorite target from last season, Armon Binns. Binns had eight catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns. 

Halfway through the season, it is becoming more evident that the Bearcats have one of the best receiving duos in the country. Senior Armon Binns has 32 receptions for 525 yards and seven touchdowns while junior slot man D.J. Woods has 31 receptions for 550 yards and six touchdowns.

Both Binns and Woods have picked up the slack since the injury to Vidal Hazelton. They are on pace to each eclipse the 1,000 yard mark. 

Woods status for Friday's game against South Florida remains up in the air after taking a shot in the end zone while holding on to his second touchdown of the night. 

Throw in Isaiah Pead and Cincinnati's trio of skill position players is as good as it gets. Pead has rushed for 547 yards in only four games this season. He has done so on only 60 carries for a 9.1 yard average. 

At 3-3 halfway through the year, the season would seem to be a disappointment, but with how the Bearcats have played of late, they are riding high heading into the two easiest conference games on the schedule. 

Cincinnati returns home for a Friday showdown with South Florida and then Syracuse comes to town before a bye week. 

The Bearcats are improving every week and with the Big East wide open, Cincinnati looks ready to defend their title once again.