Everything Cincinnati's Luke Fickell Said about Alabama on Sunday of Cotton Bowl Week

Alabama and Cincinnati are both now officially in Texas to get Cotton Bowl week started.

Cincinnati ➡️ Dallas. Welcome to Texas, @GoBearcatsFB!#LikeNoOther | #Bearcats pic.twitter.com/43j28h97F8
— Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (@CottonBowlGame) December 27, 2021

The Crimson Tide landed in Dallas Sunday morning, and the Bearcats arrived Sunday evening.

Specifically, the Bearcats practiced for 90 minutes at their practice facility on the UC campus on Sunday morning before departing for Dallas in the afternoon.

Cincinnati touched down at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport at 4:10 p.m.before traveling to the hotel and conducting a brief news conference. Later Sunday evening, the Bearcats settled in for an official party dinner event while the team gathered for a team meeting after dinner.

Alabama coach Nick Saban spoke to the media in the morning, and Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell got his turn Sunday night. Here's what he had to say.

Full Transcript

OPENING STATEMENT
CINCINNATI HEAD COACH LUKE FICKELL: Yeah, it's been an incredibly exciting ride this whole season, coming into it with really high expectations. A little bit different than the platform we've been in before. Obviously, our opponents are used to, quite used to it, obviously.

It was a little bit different for us, with some of that talk, going into the year, based on what happened last year, and our guys did do a phenomenal job. They kind of rode a roller coaster of a little bit of ups and downs, not as much of the downs because, obviously, we found a way to win every football game. We had to go through a period of time there where we had to figure out who we were and what we really wanted to be and quit trying to be something else that somebody else wanted us to be. I think we kind of got into that groove and really had a chance to kind of enjoy the last few weeks of the season playing better, better football and winning a championship.

And now we're trying to find that balance, that balance between really enjoying what these guys have created. I say "these guys," these 30‑some seniors, and a lot of other guys and staff members, what they've created. It's really tough trying to figure out where that balance is. I want them all to enjoy it. I want to enjoy it. But we also know this is an opportunity that doesn't come around every year, and we want to take advantage of that opportunity by doing everything we can and making sure this is about a business, this is about a football game, first and foremost.

Q. Just describe how big a weapon Alec Pierce is and how you've seen the development, the rapport, the chemistry between he and Desmond [Ridder] as the year's gone on.

COACH FICKELL: Well, Gary, you say about his development, I think four years ago, three years ago, going into our bowl game, we moved him to defense and tried to make him a linebacker. So, he obviously has gone way beyond what we ever thought probably and has developed into an incredible wide receiver.

I think, you know, his connection with Des, I think, really has grown throughout the year. I think early in the year last year, you know, the absence a little bit of Alec Pierce, he had a knee injury right before the season started, I think really kind of hurt Desmond Ridder in a lot of ways because they were just starting to build that chemistry. And really what those guys have done throughout this entire year I think really has been something that's given us a little bit of a different punch than we've had any of our time in the last five years.

And I think it's been a different punch for Des. Just a guy ‑‑ he knows he has got an opportunity. Those 50/50 balls become a little bit more 60/40, even 70/30, and has done an unbelievable job of creating some true energy for us and giving us a big-play weapon on the outside.

Q. What has it been like, as a guy that's coached a lot of defense for a long time, having a guy like Ahmad [Gardner] where you know one side of the field is pretty much shut down and then knowing coming into this game, he's absolutely going to get challenged by (Alabama wide receiver) Jameson Williams as well.

COACH FICKELL: Well, I think just kind of going back to just Ahmad in general throughout the entire season, he's done a phenomenal job. And it's tough sometimes at those positions, people can in some ways go away from you and kind of ‑‑ not going to say not take their shots, but even take their offense in a different direction.

I think we saw that a bit this year, and it was frustrating for Ahmad. And I gave him a lot of credit that he didn't get out of characteristic, start doing things outside of what we expect him to do in order to try to make plays and try to create things because at times, he was left alone.

But I will say, the maturity of where he's come in the last couple years has really shown, I think this year in particular, because of that. And then when they do come back at him, it's usually only really big situations, and a lot of times in the red zone.

So, he's grown up a lot, not just as a football player, but in his whole mindset of how he has to go about the game. But I think the challenge here this week is going to be incredible for him because they're not going to go away from him. There's going to be opportunities that he's going to have one of the best receivers in college football matched up one on one, and he's going to be challenged, and for us as a defense as well, we got to be smart, too.

We've maybe gotten away with some things all year to be able to leave him alone off the backside that we also got to be aware that that's not always a win‑win in every situation now. So even though he wants and loves the challenge, we've also got to be smart as a whole to make sure we've got some ways to change some things up and not just always stick him on an island, even though we believe he's as good as he really is.

Q. Yeah, you guys are about two‑touchdown underdogs. I'm sure you don't actually care about that. But I'm just curious if you feel like you guys need to prove yourselves a little bit at all to maybe part of the country who hasn't watched you as much.

COACH FICKELL: Thanks, Chris. No, I wasn't quite aware exactly where those things were. Usually when you start to see them pop up at the bottom of the ticker, I turn the channel.

It doesn't matter. We know. We have a good idea. If you want to have a shot at the title, you got to beat the champs, and this is what we have. We have a shot to beat the champs. And regardless of what the line is of any sorts, you know, we've said it all year long, that the best team doesn't always win the game. It's just a reality. The teams that play the best win the football game.

And for us to worry about, you know, what the line is and us proving ourselves to anybody else, I think the greatest lesson that we learned throughout the stretch of probably the second two‑thirds of our season is that we had to stop trying to prove people or live up to an expectation that they wanted us to be. They wanted us to win this way, and, you're favored by this so you got to do this.

I think it took a toll on us. And I think us getting kind of in our groove down the last four games of the season, we kind of put that behind us and said, ‘We just got to be us, regardless if we're favored or if we're underdogs, and do what it is that we do.’ Be us and let's enjoy what it is that we're doing.

So I don't know all that. I know that our guys don't feel like they need to prove anything. They just want to compete. And I think that was the greatest thing I learned about those guys, even last year throughout the midst of all the stuff that we had to go through, is they're competitors. When the ball goes down, it's all they care about is competing. And if that means they're going to try to prove somebody wrong, they're going to try to prove somebody wrong. But reality is we just want to prove ourselves right.

Q. You mentioned in your opening thing about the fact that this is a new experience for your guys. Alabama is obviously experienced with it. It's been three weeks since it all came out. What have you seen of the mentality of your team since that, getting that big moment of, "Hey, we're there"? How has it changed leading into game week? And how do you feel they're prepared now that we're here at game week?

COACH FICKELL: This is a big week. Back home we tried not to get to, you know ‑‑ what I would say, peak too soon and get too much into Alabama three weeks out, just because I know how our guys are. And that's what they would rather do, and that's what they want to do, but that week of, sometimes there's a lull in there.

So, I really sensed the maturity. I did. I know we've got a lot of older guys, guys that have been through a lot, and I keep hammering away at that. I did sense a maturity.

We put the ball down and competed against each other, and actually had to shut them down from doing it because in some ways ‑‑ I'm not saying they got too competitive - but I didn't want it to get to a point where we were getting guys hurt and things like that.

So, their attitudes have been great. I think they really understand the opportunity they have in front of them, and these situations and these things don't come around every year. And for me, I want them to enjoy the moment. I want them to enjoy what it is that they've created. But I also don't need to worry about them losing focus because that's who they are.

And they're excited about the opportunity. They're excited about the challenge. But I also want them ‑‑ I want them to be able to enjoy a little bit of the surroundings and the things that they have created all in the midst of making sure that they'll be ready for the 31st.

Q. So there are no secrets at this point in the process, but there's still insights to be gained. Because football is an extremely finite universe, you've played with and coached with and ‑‑ with people who have found their way into the orbit of (Alabama) Coach [Nick] Saban. One, have you reached out to some of the people that you've either played with or coached with in the past who have also played for and/or coached for Coach Saban? And if so, what insights have they given you?

COACH FICKELL: No, not a whole lot, to be honest with you. I mean, I've studied Coach for a long time and not playing against him, just in general of all the things that they've done and what he's done, whether it was at Michigan State and obviously at Alabama.

So, I don't know that there were any other insights. I don't get ‑‑ obviously Coach Mark Dantonio is a really close friend of mine, and he coached for Coach Saban for a few years at Michigan State. But it's not like I sat down to try to pick his brain to say, ‘How does he go about a bowl game? And this and that and the other thing?’

Like you said, we've seen a lot of football. You can study every game they've got the whole season. I've watched them play for years and years and years. And you know you're going to get some things that are a little bit different.

But I think sometimes we can do a little bit too much and then you start to get yourself into that frenzy where you can't really be yourself, you can't focus upon yourself and the things you've got to do because maybe you're ultimately overly worried about all the different things that you have no idea exactly what it is that they could do, but you're trying to speculate.

So you kind of close down a little bit more and try to assume the things that you would assume, and just know that there are going to be adjustments to be made. Obviously, great coaches are going to do some different things, especially with the three‑week break.

And I think one of the big things about this game in general, bowl games in particular, playoffs more than anyone, I think that the ability to make those adjustments from the first quarter, the first drive or so, into that second half is where, to me, the real part of the game and kind of the game within the game I think will be.

Q. With COVID having impacted sports as much as it has the last couple weeks, where does your team stand as far as any players or coaches that might have been impacted? And just what extra steps are you taking this week in Dallas?

COACH FICKELL: We've all been impacted. We know that it's out there. That's about all I worry about. We all have our things that we've got to overcome. We have got a lot of other colds, we've got a lot of other flus, and things we've missed throughout the season. So, we know we got to be smart about what it is that we're doing. But we're not going to dwell upon those things, because sometimes I think those things hold us up more than anything. They take our energy. They get us into a different frame of mind.

We've got a very mature group that understands what they're here to do and understands that means they're going to have to have some sacrifices that maybe they wouldn't do on a normal, so to speak, six‑day bowl trip or five‑day bowl trip where they could go out and do some things. We'll be smart about who we're around. We'll be smart about where we're going, but we're going to be us and we're going to continue to do what it is we've done all year. And we found a way for it to work for us.

Q. I was just curious, what is your message to your team this week when you guys get there and you start to go to work? I know you're routine‑driven and want to treat every game the same. But do you want them to embrace that this is the biggest moment in program history? Or do you not want them to think about it like that?

COACH FICKELL: I think those are some of those things that you understand, not that we've got to get rid of the elephant that's in the room. We all understand the opportunities we have in front of us. That's what I keep harping upon the mature group that we've got. And I think that group really takes a lot of that off of the coaching staff and me in particular, because the ones you worry about are the younger guys.

And that locker room is so well‑handled with leadership that those guys do a phenomenal job. We've got our messages and things we've got to do. In some ways, I've got to make sure that they, as well as myself, enjoy this opportunity and this moment.

If you're a competitor and you love the challenges, then you do. Not just because it's the playoffs, but also because you're playing the champs. So, I think there's a balance there. I know for the most part in our group, I think I'll continue to remind them to enjoy the process, enjoy what it is they've created. They know what we're here for. They're a very business‑like group of guys. I say that more often about the enjoyment of it and recognizing your surroundings because of what they have created, because I need to remind myself as much as anybody. So, I think that they found a way to have a good balance. We just got to continue throughout this entire week.

Q. Coach Fickell, I hope you guys and the Bearcats Nation are well. It's James Hill with BNC Sports. You've been a part of two national championships before. And now you're back with a quality Bearcats football team. Talk about this Cotton Bowl and how special it can be. And again, going in and getting the job done.

COACH FICKELL: Thanks, James, I appreciate it. This is my actual first Cotton Bowl. I played here, obviously, in the National Championship in 2014, but I don't know that it was legitimately the Cotton Bowl. And obviously, a little bit different, I think you come in for two days or whatever it is. So, I want these guys to experience ‑‑ I know it's going to be a little bit different with some of the things that we are not able to do maybe because of, you know, the situation. But the reality is that they've worked their tails off for this. They've put themselves in the position. They have been challenged all year. They stepped up to the challenge all year. In everything they've been asked to do. Like all teams, it's not always the prettiest. But I think the key in all the things we're doing is we've got to not forget who we are. We got to continue to be us. And you know that's where we can't allow some of the other stuff to overwhelm us with all the different things that might be going on. So in some ways, the ability to, you know, to be not say a little smaller but a little bit more business‑like just because of the surroundings and the situation I think can also be a good thing for us to allow our guys to enjoy each other for the last, what I would say, guaranteed opportunity to do what it is that they love to do together. And you know, we always say it's the last guaranteed one. You take care of your business, and there can be more. But I think for the most part, our guys understand that. I think last year's bowl game gives us an opportunity to understand the magnitude of, you know, the teams that you're playing, a team that we're playing. So I think all those things added together, I think our guys are really excited and embracing the opportunity and the challenge that's ahead of us.

Q. You touched on it earlier, but the idea that if a team has ‑‑ can't play due to COVID, they have to forfeit. And it's essentially the same for the championship game. Does that just kind of ramp up how important it is that everybody is careful with what they do?

COACH FICKELL: Everything's important, Chris. Everything we do is important. Guys get hurt. We're going to go out and practice tomorrow, and we're not going to not hit each other, not touch each other, because we don't want a guy to hurt his ankle or knee.

So I think we all understand the issues that surround us, the magnitude of the opportunities that we have. And I can promise that we're not letting anything stand in our way.

Q. You do have this great mature group. What do you think they should be telling the younger guys that may get a little wide‑eyed and just be happy to be here?

COACH FICKELL: What do we say at times? Close your mouth, open your ears, and follow. I think we might say it in a little different way sometimes, but I think that's what they've really told them, and that's kind of been the message throughout the entire season. It's gotten to be even a bigger message, as we've had this opportunity thrown in front of us, and the good fortunes of not having a ton of young guys that might be starting on offense and defense but are key members of our team, those guys have done a phenomenal job at being an example, too.

And I think that's more than anything. I always say Desmond Ritter and Joel Dublanko and Myjai Sanders and Darrian Beavers and Alec [Pierce], all those guys, they do a great job of making sure that, even though they're gone and out of here, they don't just let those young guys kind of coast off on their own.

They know ‑‑ since the time they've walked in, we've always said your leadership is measured on how you leave the place. And if you leave it in a better place and the leaders behind you are better than you were, that means you did a phenomenal job. So they take pride in not just leading themselves, and just the guys that might be the starters around them, but leading that whole entire locker room.

And I think our younger guys ‑‑ I'm not saying they always understand to shut their mouth and open their ears and follow, but I think what we've been through this entire season, they've learned in a good way.

Q. What was it like when everybody got back and you saw what happened to the basketball team, you saw what's going on with the NFL? And how relieved were you ‑‑ or are you that you don't have to deal with that today but you will this week, that moment when everybody got back together and you weren't sure if everyone was going to be cleared or not?

COACH FICKELL: I'm not exactly sure what you mean. I'm not surely exactly what happened with the basketball team. But I know this - our guys know what's at stake, and we all know that we have to make sacrifices when things are really important to you. And there's a lot of sacrifices made throughout this entire season. There will be a lot more sacrifices that had to be made in the last couple weeks and even this week. And God forsake, to go forward, there will be more sacrifices to be made. But we understand that. We don't live our lives in fear, but we also aren't ignorant. We're smart about what we're doing. We know we have got a task in front of us, and we're not going to allow anything to stand in our way.