Tide tackles Bearcats for title game spot
Alabama looks to topple first obstacle in the way of another national championship.
By: Dave in Tuscaloosa
Saban looks for ring #8. (Photo: @AlabamaFTBL)
For Alabama, the upcoming semifinal at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas will be business as usual. For the Cincinnati Bearcats, it's the chance of a lifetime to earn a spot in their first national title game in program history. Coupled with semifinal #2 pitting 2nd seed Michigan and 3rd seed Georgia, it should be a glorious New Year’s Eve indeed.
Both Alabama and Cincinnati are coming off exceptional seasons and are, perhaps, playing their best football of the year. National Coach of the Year Luke Fickell’s 4th seeded and 13-0 Bearcats are the champions of the American Athletic Conference and are the first group of 5 school to make the playoffs. Bama fans, make no mistake about it…Cincinnati belongs in this game and has earned their way into the playoffs. Their signature win came in October when Cincinnati upended Notre Dame in South Bend, 24-13. They also have a convincing victory over Houston, which came three weeks ago in the AAC Championship game, 35-20 (FYI…Houston just beat Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl, 17-13). Against the Cougars, Bearcat tailback Jerome Ford went wild, gaining 187 yards on the ground, scoring 2 touchdowns. Overall, the Bearcats have won 22 of their last 23, with their only loss coming in last year’s Peach Bowl where they were upended 24-21 by Georgia. Meanwhile, the top-seeded Tide will be making its 7th appearance in the playoffs and will seek its 2nd straight national title and 4th overall in the playoff era. Alabama has not lost in the semifinals since a 2014 42-35 loss to Ohio State in the first playoff and enters the contest with momentum, having rallied past rival Auburn in the regular-season finale and topping previously unbeaten and top-ranked Georgia in the SEC championship game, 41-24.
Cincinnati enters the semifinals as a 13.5 point underdog, yet have plenty of weapons to make this a game. They are a veteran team, boasting 33 seniors and experience at every position on the field. Offensively, they rank 45th nationally, averaging 429 yards and 38.8 points per game. They are led by dynamic senior quarterback Desmond Ritter, who completes 66% of his passes and has thrown 30 touchdowns against 8 interceptions. In addition to his arm, Ritter’s legs have caused issues for opposing defenses, as he is second on the team in rushing averaging 3.7 yards per carry and he has scored 6 touchdowns on the ground. Leading the rushing attack is junior Jerome Ford, an Alabama transfer, who has gained 1,242 yards for an impressive average of 6.2 yards per carry and has 19 touchdowns on the season. Senior receiver Alec Pierce leads all pass catchers, averaging 17.3 yards per catch and has 8 touchdowns on the season. Placekicking has been a struggle for the Bearcats, as they have used three kickers who have only hit on a collective 7 out of 17 tries.
The Bearcats strength lies in an experienced defense that ranks 7th in the country, giving up only 305 yards and 16 points per game. Their front 7 is small but quick and in order for Cincinnati to have a fighting chance, they will need to get pressure on Bama’s Bryce Young. The secondary is the strength of this team and features standout corners Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and Coby Bryant, who was named after the Los Angeles Laker great and won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back. Both are long and lanky and will challenge Young, Williams, and company to make plays down the field.
Going against Cincinnati's potent defense will be a Bama offense that has been brilliant this year. They currently rank 6th nationally, gaining an average of 495 yards and 42.5 points per game. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young leads the Tide offense and has completed 68% of his passes for a touchdown to interception ratio of 43-4. Senior tailback Brian Robinson Jr. leads the way on the ground and has amassed 1,071 yards on the season for an average of 4.8 yards per carry. He has scored 14 touchdowns on the season. Sophomore Trey Sanders has emerged as Robinson’s primary backup after three backs went down with injuries throughout the season. Sanders has shown flashes, averaging 4.3 yards per rush, and has 2 touchdowns on the season. Junior receiver Jameson Williams has had a brilliant season, as the Ohio State transfer is a legitimate deep threat and will challenge Cincinnati's excellent secondary. Williams averages 21.3 yards per catch and has notched 15 touchdowns on the season. The Tide will miss junior threat John Metchie III, whose season ended in the SEC title game with an ACL tear, however, juniors Slade Bolden (2 touchdowns, averaging 10.4 yards per catch) and tight ends Cameron Latu (6-14.9) and Jahleel Billingsley (3-15.3) have had terrific seasons so far and will need a solid game on Friday to take pressure off of Williams. Junior placekicker Will Reichard has hit on 16 of 20 attempts with a long of 51 yards. The offensive line, which has been inconsistent this year, is coming off their best performance against Georgia and will look to control Cincinnati's small but quick front 7.
Defensively, the Tide has been inconsistent, yet is coming off back-to-back strong performances against Auburn and Georgia. Superstar sophomore Will Anderson (15.5 sacks on the season) leads a front 7 that are coming into their own. Junior backers Henry To’oTo’o and Christian Harris have had solid seasons and are supported by sophomore Drew Sanders and freshman Dallas Turner. The secondary has had its moments this season and will be without senior Josh Jobe, who had struggled with an injury throughout the year. The defense ranks 8th nationally, giving up 306 yards and 20.3 points per game.
Alabama has been there and done that, and the experience of playing in the playoffs should help the Tide. In addition, much like Atlanta is like a second home for the Crimson Tide, AT&T Stadium in Dallas could be considered home 2.5 for Bama, as Nick Saban’s squads are 5-0 in the home of the Dallas Cowboys, with the most recent victory being last year’s 31-14 triumph over Notre Dame in the semifinals. Look for the Tide and Bryce Young to open things up early, testing the Bearcat’s vaunted secondary using tight ends Latu and Billingsley and tailbacks Robinson and Sanders in the passing game, opening up the deep game for Williams and company. Cincinnati will play inspired ball and will prove that they belong by pushing the Tide into the second half. The tested Bama squad should create separation in the third and fourth quarters to propel Alabama to yet another national title game against the winner of Georgia and Michigan.
Alabama 34
Cincinnati 20