Cincinnati Stands On The Shoulders Of Past Mid-Major Giants
Cincinnati made history in just about every conceivable way this college football season. The Bearcats' 13-0 record was the best in school history, and it was the first time the team went undefeated since going 3-0 back in 1918. Quarterback Desmond Ridder finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting, the highest placement ever by a Cincinnati player, while cornerback Ahmad Gardner became the school's first-ever non-specialist consensus All-American.
But most importantly, Cincinnati finally shattered the ceiling that had kept non-power conference teams from rising up the College Football Playoff committee's rankings. After hanging around the periphery of the top four in the first three editions of this season's list, the Bearcats in Week 13 became the first team from the Group of Five ever to barge its way into midseason playoff position. Then, three weeks (and two wins) later, Cincinnati completed its mission: becoming the first non-power conference team to make the playoff.
Cincinnati's breakthrough is a big deal -- worth celebrating even if its postseason reward is a semifinal date with top-ranked juggernaut Alabama. (Our model does give the Bearcats a 29 percent chance to pull the upset.) But Cincinnati also stood on the shoulders of other small-conference giants from seasons past when it finally beat college football's top-heavy system -- and in that sense, its triumph had been in the works for many, many years.
With apologies to...