Friday, Dec. 31 at 3:30 PM EST on ESPN
When the 2021 season kicked off, it felt like everything had to go right for the Cincinnati Bearcats to make the College Football Playoff. Well, it sure did. Ohio State and Clemson both struggled by their standards. The Big 12 swallowed itself, like it usually does. And, most importantly, Cincy took care of business. They ran the table which included a key 24-13 win in South Bend. After the cries of UCF in year’s past, we will finally answer a key question: can a Group of 5 school hang with the big boys?
It doesn’t get much bigger than Nick Saban and Alabama. The Tide fell to unranked Texas A&M and people dared question the team that has only missed the playoff one time. That year, a historically great LSU team took the SEC and the NCAA championship. It was a tight 24-22 win in 4 overtime’s over rival Auburn that lead to Georgia being favored heavily in the SEC title game. Saban and them boys laughed at this en route to a 41-24 win over the Bulldogs, solidifying them as the No. 1 team in the country and setting up this Cotton Bowl matchup.
Player(s) to Watch: Cincy
QB Desmond Ridder would be the obvious answer, with his 3,190 passing yards, 30 TD and 8 INT. Pair this with an impressive 43-5 record as a starter and you’ve got the whole package. However, the defense of Cincy will be more important than Ridder in this one. Star CB’s Ahmad Gardner and Coby Bryant both rated over 85 on Pro Football Focus this year and are legit shutdown NFL corners. With Alabama WR John Metchie III out, this secondary has a legit chance to make things tough for Heisman winner Bryce Young.
Player to Watch: Alabama
Will Anderson Jr can be an absolute game wrecker for this Bama defense that will need to stop the run. Alabama transfer (don’t tell him I called him that) and now Cincy RB Jerome Ford has averaged an eye-popping 6.2 yards per carry this season. His 1,242 yards is top 20 in the nation. Anderson and Bama have allowed just 2.5 yards per carry, and his 32.5 tackles for loss will be needed against the Bearcats. The only time the Tide have lost a semifinals game was when Ezekiel Elliott ran for 230 yards in 2014. If they can stop the run, they should be on cruise control by the fourth quarter.
The Verdict
I like Cincy and I’m glad they made the CFP. But this Alabama team is too good offensively. The only way for the Bearcats to hang around would be by running the ball and controlling the clock, and I just don’t think they’ll be able to. Ridder has been great all year, but does have 6 interceptions in his last 7 games. Bama has won their last 5 semis by an average of 20.2 points and I expect the blowout trend to continue. Cincy winning this game would perhaps be the biggest upset in college football history. Roll Tide in this one.
