No. 4 Cincinnati is well-positioned to make history as the first Group of Five program to make a College Football Playoff appearance after beating No. 21 Houston 35-20 in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game. The win completes a second-straight unbeaten title-winning campaign in the AAC and showcased all the reasons why the CFP selection committee should include Luke Fickell’s group in the top four of final rankings on Sunday.
Quarterback Desmond Ridder and running back Jerome Ford combined for five touchdowns to lead Cincinnati’s offense, which didn’t spend much time with the ball but remained ruthlessly efficient with their possessions. The Bearcats ran just 45 plays to Houston’s 73 but out-gained the Cougars 400-336 for an average of 8.9 yards per play. Five of the first eight offensive possessions all ended in touchdowns. Houston more than doubled Cincinnati in time of possession, but again, it was the Bearcats who were more productive with their opportunities.
Dana Holgorsen and Houston’s offensive staff had a great game plan to start, keeping Cincinnati’s highly-ranked defense off-balance and scoring on each of the Cougars’ first three offensive possessions. However, things turned after halftime and Cincinnati’s defense was overwhelming during a third quarter that saw Houston fail to move the ball into Cincinnati territory. That third quarter proved pivotal as the Bearcats’ one-point halftime lead ballooned to a 22-point advantage heading into the final 15 minutes of play. And even though Houston was able to chip into the lead in the final minutes, the outcome was not in doubt.
The home crowd at Nippert Stadium started to buzz even before kickoff after Baylor beat Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Game, bouncing the No. 5 team from the playoff picture and further securing Cincinnati’s spot at No. 4. Now with a convincing win against a tough ranked opponent and a head-to-head win against Notre Dame, the pieces are in place for a school from outside the Power Five to make the College Football Playoff for the first time.
CBS Sports will update this story shortly with takeaways.
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