Bearcats: ACC or bust?

In the tumultuous landscape that is conference realignment, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats are now in the hunt for a new home.

UC, in an effort to beat fellow Big East members Louisville and UConn, lobbied yesterday for a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference.  The ACC, however, announced that Louisville will replace Maryland in 2014, not Cincinnati.

According to Cincinnati.com, UC athletic director Whit Babcock tried to sell the Bearcats' appeal to the ACC over the Cardinals, pitching the larger television market and the nearly $400 million in research the university attracts every year. Louisville won out, however, with newer facilities like Papa John's Cardinal Stadium for football, the KFC Yum Center for basketball, and the national stage set by Rick Patino and the Cardinals' basketball team.

In the immediate future, the Bearcats are the losers and the Cards then winners. Joining the ACC would  more than triple UC's television revenue in the Big East of about $6.7 million per year, according to Cincinnati.com.

The Cardinals fit the traditional ACC mold--good at basketball, bad at football--but members of their new conference are already finding new homes, such as Maryland. Some critics believe Louisville is leaving a dead conference for a dying one, with the future uncertain for many schools.

The ACC will add a total of four schools in 2013, including Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Notre Dame in all sports except football, fencing, and ice hockey.

For UC, the need to get out of the Big East is obvious. The announcement that Tulane will become a Big East member in 2014 seemed to spell the funeral for the conference's relevancy, along with newly admitted Houston, SMU, Memphis, UCF, and Temple. The Big East also adds the football teams of Boise State, San Diego State, East Carolina, and Navy. Teams that have already begun the exodus from the Big East include Notre Dame, Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse to the ACC, and Rutgers to the Big Ten. UConn, too, is trying to escape the sinking ship of a progressively mid-major conference.

For the UC football team to remain successful, the basketball team to remain relevant, and the university's athletic infrastructure to remain afloat, a move must be made and made quickly before more spots are filled, with the Cardinals' win a prime example. Where UC athletics will find its next home, however, remains a mystery. The ACC would seem the best fit for the school, but an invitation may not come soon or easily. The Big Ten would be a stretch, as Cincinnati does not necessarily fit the mold of many Big Ten powerhouses, such as Indiana, Michigan, or Ohio State--but, then again, neither does Maryland or Rutgers. Wherever the Bearcats move, it is in the best interest of the school not to settle for a mid-major conference like the Atlantic 10, as the revenue levels there are not sufficient enough to allow such a large school to remain competitive nationally.

Building supply brawls

With the Bengals on bye this week, the Queen City will turn to the collegiate landscape to get its football fix. A pair of rivalry games should make things interesting.

Cincinnati Bearcats @ #16 Louisville Cardinals

In the 52nd Battle of the Keg of Nails (although I'm not sure why anyone would want a keg of nails), the Big East standings could finally get some clarification. The Cardinals (2-0 in Big East play) are currently in second place behind #15 Rutgers (4-0 Big East record), while Cincinnati (1-0 Big East record) rounds out the third spot. UC leads the all-time series between the schools 29-21-1, with the Bearcats winning the last four meetings. Cincinnati also holds a 13-9-1 advantage in games played at Louisville and has a two-game winning streak at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

At times, the Cincinnati offense has been of quality caliber, with running back George Winn averaging 101 yards per game, and quarterback Munchie Leguax averaging 283 total offensive yards. The defense has allowed only 16.8 points per game, along with racking up the tackles for loss. The front of their schedule is loaded with cupcake teams (Delaware State, Fordham), and their only big win has been on opening night against Pittsburgh. To be fair, though, the 'Cats showed up when their Big East record was on the line.

The Cardinals have stumbled over an easy non-conference schedule, looking much more unimpressive than their ranking and 7-0 overall record would suggest. Quarterback Terry Bridgewater has lived up to expectations with a 73 percent completion rate and 11 touchdowns, but the rest of the team has been average to above average at everything. That's what happens when you beat UNC, South Florida, Florida International, and Southern Mississippi by a combined 18 points.

As you can see, both teams are largely untested in big games, and the winner of this matchup will likely contest Rutgers for the conference title.

#24 Ohio Bobcats @ Miami RedHawks

The Battle of the Bricks (seriously, what's up with fighting over construction supplies?) finds itself in Oxford on Saturday as the Bobcats travel to Yager Stadium.

Ohio hit the national spotlight in Week 1 with a win over Penn State, but haven't faced any real competition since that game. Their 3-0 conference record puts them at second in the MAC-East division, but those three wins came against UMass, Akron and Buffalo--arguably the three worst MAC teams. The RedHawks, too, have posted wins against UMass and Akron, but fell to Bowling Green and third place in the MAC-East standings. Miami (2-1 MAC record) could lock a spot in the conference championship game by winning their five remaining MAC games.

The biggest statistical story to watch during this game is that of RedHawk quarterback Zac Dysert, a member of the NCAA's exclusive 10.00 yard club. Dysert currently is in 61st place with 10,444 career passing yards. A 17th career passing effort could move Dysert past Boston College's Dough Flutie (1,579), USC's Matt Leinart (10,693) and Marshall's Chad Pennington (10,698).