Cincinnati Bearcats Ranked No. 10 in USA Today Sports Coaches Poll

USA Today Sports Coaches Poll Releases

Do you hear that Bearcat fans? It’s hope.

Yes, hope. The hope and yearn to bask in the college football season and all its glory and riches. Reminding you that the spoils of the victors, frustration and devastation are only 16 days away.

Oh yes, the fresh fall air is truly upon us now. The coaches poll, just being released a couple days ago, would certify that.

We finally have an excuse to talk CFB at the dinner table. An opportunity to deem the opinion of those who actually matter in this sport-the coaches-null and void.

They’re too high, they’re too low, why are or aren’t these guys ranked, blah blah blah. It’s the standard fashion of kicking and screaming when something doesn’t go our way.

Needed? Yes, Ridiculous? Maybe.

Cincinnati Achieves the No. 10 Ranking in the Coaches Poll

Wait, you mean the Cincinnati Bearcats actually started in the top ten this time and wasn’t totally thrown to the curb by the coaches?

Gee, that truly is a first. But we’ll take it. It’s nice to see the Bearcats getting some representation in the polls from the higher ups of the CFB world.

Countless years of work, a top quarterback and an amazing coaching staff will get you that. Now it’s just all about whether they can put the nail in the coffin by reaching playoff status.

Notre Dame Overrated?

Uhh. We don’t mean to be those typical blue blood haters, but we’re going to say it anyway.

Notre Dame is too high. Just too, too high.

Brian Kelly’s Fighting Irish checked in at the No. 7 spot in the coaches poll.

At first it seems pretty reasonable. The Irish qualify as a consistently good program. They’re the standard for what a historically great football program should be. Top 25 wins, college football playoff appearances, a rabid fanbase, etc.

And yet they just don’t own the returning talent to back up their ranking. Ian Book is gone. A lot of the other offense production is gone.

How does Jack Coan do? Does he succeed right away, or do problems start to engulf the former Wisconsin quarterback?

There’s simply too many questions to be asked, and we think No. 7 is a bit generous. Somewhere around No. 10? That’s fine. But if your life depended on it, would you choose the Irish to finish higher or lower in the poll when the dust settles?

We’ll forever be grateful of Coach Kelly’s tenure here, but the latter of the two serves as more reasonable.

Indiana Too Low?

Indiana’s one of those teams that could roll into this season riding their momentum and finish as a fringe top 10 program. They’re also one of those programs that could end up in the gutter and further certify there star-stricken season as a fluke.

That being said, it’s a bit blindsiding to see the Hoosiers at No. 17. We’re talking about a school that finished with a single elusive loss in the regular season last year to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Are the Hoosiers historically bad? Yes. But the past doesn’t evade talent.

AAC Falters

The final bit of ambiguous decisions comes with the amount of AAC representation (or lack thereof). Zero teams (aside from the Bearcats) in the highest reputed group of five conference cracked the top 25. UCF, Tulsa, Houston and SMU all finished among the outside looking in/others receiving votes category.

While it’s not a totally unreasonable projection, UC fans have to feel a bit frustrated. The prospect of achieving four or five top 25 wins to bolster their resume towards now seems out of reach. A two loss UCF might not qualify as a given ranked team anymore.

That’s fairly detrimental for a conference that has endured so much negative energy to work it’s way up to the level of the big boys.

What’s Next

So, what’s the good news in all this?

The coaches poll isn’t final. It doesn’t even matter in the scope of playoff rankings. That’s the CFP Committee’s job.

There’s still time to rack up a few ranked wins here and there, win a conference championship and remain undefeated. And while the Bearcats do possess a long way to go, Luke Fickell and Co. streak closer and closer to that coveted promised land by the week.