People really wanted to let us know who they liked in this portion of the bracket. We received more votes in the third round of the Rick Minter region of the Favorite Cincinnati Bearcat Football Player Since 1997 Tournament than any round in any region to this point. Of course, no matter how many votes were cast, for a player to advance, they just needed at least one more vote than their opponent. That’s how Deyshawn Bond and Chad Plummer found their way to the regional final. Please take a look at the bracket before we move on.
Takeaways
This exercise is constantly forcing us to make brutally difficult decisions as some of the best and most well-liked players are eschewed for others. That’s what happens pretty much every round. Somehow, the groundswell of support that Plummer received in his win over Isaiah Pead made that discussion seem more open and shut, which was a surprise. Remember, Plummer, who played both wideout and quarterback for the Bearcats, only won his first round matchup with 54 percent of the vote. Pead, the third-most productive rusher in program history, made it pretty deep, but Plummer’s Posse (TM) was too much.
Meanwhile, at the top of the region, Trent Cole fell just short to Deyshawn Bond, who has gotten to a point I did not expect any offensive lineman to reach.
The Final
Deyshawn Bond vs. Chad Plummer
This is not the matchup that was expected (at least by this writer), but that doesn’t make it any less difficult to choose. The fact that Plummer went from solid quarterback to dominant wide receiver is still stunning and makes him one of the most versatile and talented Bearcats in the program’s history. Bond made a name for himself as an exceptionally talented center who was named the program’s top offensive lineman for the 2016 season.
A spot in the Final Four is on the line. Make your choice.