Mr. CFB No. 11: Cincinnati

Cincinnati was within shouting distance of the College Football Playoffs last season as the Bearcats went 9-0 during the regular season and earned the No. 8 spot in the final  CFP rankings.  That wasn't good enough to make the playoffs but it did earn Cincinnati a trip to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. to play No. 9 Georgia.

It looked like Cincinnati was headed to perfection as in Atlanta as the Bearcats led Georgia 21-10 in the fourth quarter. But the Bulldogs came back and got a 53-yard field goal with three seconds left to take a 22-21 lead and tacked on a safety on the game's final play to make it 24-21.

It was a brutal loss for Cincinnati and the American Athletic Conference, which missed a golden opportunity to prove that it deserves to be at the table with the Power Five.

Cincinnati Coach Luke Fickell signed a new deal with the school before the 2020 season that included a hefty buyout ($ 4 million) that would discourage most suitors. But the Bearcats' fans were happy that Ryan Day stayed at Ohio State because if that job comes open the Buckeyes will go after Fickell. But that's another story for another year.

As for this season Fickell's 2021 team is loaded.

With quarterback Desmond Ridder and most of his offense returning, Cincinnati will again be the best team in the AAC which will be the best of the Group of Five conferences.

Ridder, the AAC offensive player of the year last season, doesn’t blow you away with his stats (2,296 passing, 592 yards rushing), but he is incredibly efficient (19 touchdowns vs. 6 interceptions).

Cincinnati led the AAC in scoring defense allowing only 16.8 points per game. That was the eighth-best total in all of FBS.

The defensive line, led by defensive end Myjai Sanders, is very stout.

So here’s what you need to know: With 16 starters returning, if Cincinnati can go undefeated in the 2021 regular season, the Bearcats have a good chance to be the first Group of Five team to reach the College Football Playoff. That’s because the Bearcats have back-to-back road games with Indiana and Notre Dame, two Power Five programs that will be in the Top 20 in the preseason. Go 13-0 against that schedule and it will be hard for the CFP selection committee to leave the Bearcats out.

Stay tuned.

Note: The above photo is that of Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder in a game against Georgia on Jan. 1, 2021 in Atlanta. The photo is credited to Sam Greene.