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Bearcat News

Rivals.com College Football - Preseason Top 120 Countdown: Nos. 75-71
To be blunt, this ranking is bullshit. Rivals actually ranked the Bearcats 75th going into next season. Think about the teams that they ranked ahead of them. Rutgers (73) who can't figure out their offensive line and who the Bearcats put up 69 against last season. Miami University (71) who are replacing their head coach and who allowed 45 points to UC last season in the first half alone. There analysis is thorough and brings up the points about UC's still explosive offense, returning starters and depth on defense, as well as the continuity of the coaching staff. But, Rival's ranking doesn't reflect those strengths. The Bearcats are still the 75th best team in college football on their list.

Big East position rankings: O-Line - Big East Blog - ESPN
Andrea sandwiches Cincinnati's offensive line between South Florida at 5. and Louisville at 7. I'd say that's probably about where they belong. Sure Alex Hoffman and Randy Martinez are back (and that will be an area of strength for them), but there are youngsters like Hooey, Davis, and Bujnoch who will have to step up in full-time starting roles. Hooey had some experience there last year and looks to be ready to take over the full-time LT duties next year, but Davis didn't enstill any confidence in the coaching staff in his abilities at center last spring and Bujnoch has never started at the college level. Luckily for Bujnoch, Hoffman will be playing to his right, who is a veteran leader of that line and played guard most of his career, so he should be able to help coach the young Bujnoch along.

Recruiting - Akise Teague edition

In Depth: The Akise Teague story
This is part one of the three-part series Bearcat Lair did on Akise Teague and Ursuline high school in Youngstown. You should really take the time to read the entire series when you have a chance. The first part takes an in-depth look at Akise's recruitment and how Cincinnati was able to fend off Penn State and Nebraska, as well as the story behind Ohio State's unwillingness to pull the trigger on him. The second installment is all from the perspective of Ursuline football coach Dan Reardon and how impressed he was with Cincinnati's practice and Coach Jones's attention to detail. In part three, Coach Reardon discusses Ursuline's 2011 football team. As seen in part two, Reardon has come away very impressed with Cincinnati, which might urge him to push some players our way in the future.

Teague worth the risk.
Here's an Ohio Stater's point of view on the Akise Teague commitment from theozone. Many Buckeyes are upset that Coach Tressel never pulled the trigger on offering him, especially after he abused Pennsylvania in the Big 33 game two weeks ago. The biggest knock on him was his size. At 5'8", he appears small, but is built like a tank and has no problem running through defenders. The Buckeyes also were supposedly not recruiting running backs in the 2011 class. But Teague is so versatile and such an athlete that he can play RB, WR, KR, or PR. He's just that kind of a weapon. I think O$U completely missed on him and he will be a star at Cincinnati, especially in this spread offense. You can bet on it.

Around the BEast

USF lifesaver: Bulls player lifts Cadillac off pinned man | CollegeFootballTalk
In a college football world full of news on coaching scandals, players taking illegal benefits, and cheating, this kind of news is a breath of fresh air and from Big East bretheren USF. Offensive lineman Danous Estenor lifted a 3,300 lb Caddy off of a tow truck operator one night when he was off campus grabbing a bite to eat. Thank goodness for guy he saved that Estnor was hungry that night!

Darius Ashley "Indefinitely Suspended" Pending Treatment - Card Chronicle
As funny as hearing about a guy rear-ending a cop car is, Darius Ashley has serious issues. Coach Strong didn't deem it necessary to kick him off the team but has suspended him pending he get some help. Ashley clearly has all the skill in the world to succeed at the college level but needs to get his act together quickly.

Around the Nation

Charlotte 49ers preparing to fight for city space - ESPN
These are my favorite stories to read- Schools building a football program from the ground up. Central Florida did it and is entrenched as a FBS program, Texas St. and Georgia St. will be moving up to the FBS level and FCS level in a few years respectively, and in many ways this is the same situation Cincinnati was in only 10 years ago. Charlotte especially draws similarities to Cincinnati in that they are located in a large city, have a pretty large enrollment (25,000), have a very competitive basketball program, will compete with the Charlotte market with pro teams (Panthers and Bobcats), and are establishing themselves in a state dominated by other schools (North Carolina, Duke, NC State, Wake Forest). Good luck to Charlotte. I hope they can put it all together and grow that program right!

Where the Jobs Aren't: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance
For those of you looking for jobs (I'm looking at you, Matt), it's probably not the best idea to submit your resume to a company in anyone of these companies because, chances are, if you get the job, they're going to have to lay you off a few months later. No big surprises here like video rental stores like Blockbuster and wired telephone carriers (I mean, who doesn't have a cell phone nowadays?). But I got a kick out of the decline in formal wear and costume rental businesses. If you or someone you know works in a store like this, I apologize, but I would have never thought that would make the list. Not because I didn't think it was in decline, but because I had never thought of that as an actual industry.