CINCINNATI — Aside from Luke Fickell completely rejuvenating the Bearcats football program as quick as he has, one aspect to him that I appreciate is his transparency. It’s heard in his press conferences, interviews, and it has translated to 13 wins in the last 16 games on the field. He’s also not afraid to tell it like it is, or throw himself in the fire in the face of adversity. He was straightforward after the Bearcats 42-0 loss at the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes in the locker room when he told the players, “You guys weren’t prepared, and I’m the one that has to get you prepared.”
Adversity is an understatement to the state of the program and what they’re facing in the immediate aftermath of yesterday’s 42-0 loss at Ohio State. Now, the response that the Bearcats show hinges on Fickell’s transparency to show in the preparation leading up to the Battle for the Victory Bell next Saturday and the rest of the season, where there is a lot to play for.
Luke Fickell was viewing this game as a measuring stick for the Bearcats, to see where they stood against a top five team. Where, exactly, do they stand following it? Not anywhere near them, that’s for sure. Ohio State didn’t just beat Cincinnati 42-0 Saturday; the clinically outplayed them.
Ohio State had 508 total yards of offense; 270 of those were on the ground, and the other 238 were through the air. Balance at its finest, and let me tell you that seeing the balance within Ohio State’s offense in person was like watching a clinic on a balanced football offense in of itself. It’s as good as any multidimensional offense as I have seen, and it’s tempo clearly befuddled the Bearcats normally stout defense. Cincinnati had no answer for it. Only three of the 12 Buckeyes drives throughout the game ended with a punt, and the other three that didn’t result in touchdowns ended both halves and the other ended in a turnover on downs in the first quarter.
While Ohio State was gashing the Bearcats defense with its running game, it was the Buckeyes defense that significantly limited the Bearcats own running game. Michael Warren II had no chance at any point in the game to get the Bearcats into a rhythm offensively, and it makes it that much more difficult on the offense as a whole when your go-to energizer can’t get it cranked up. Fifteen yards on ten carries? That sure is getting it done on defense. Looking back, it was evident Warren’s day was going to be rough after his first three carries that went for one yard, one yard again and then no gain. That prompted Cincinnati to lean heavily on the pass, which did create a scoring opportunity for the Bearcats early in the second quarter. Except, that ended with a blocked field goal by Ohio State’s preseason all-American defensive end Chase Young. That was a sign that nothing was going to come easy for the Bearcats inside the Shoe. Cincinnati managed to get inside the Ohio State five yard-line twice in the second half, but those possessions ended with an interception and a fumble through the end zone. It was like the Buckeyes defense was charging admission just for Cincinnati to enter the end zone, and the Bearcats must have presented a counterfeit bill that Tuf Borland corralled on the interception and one that Dallas Gant punched out on the fumble.
As Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day mentioned in his weekly press conference leading up to the game, toughness is something that Fickell has built into the Bearcats football program. I’m not sure if he was referring to the film of the Bearcats victory over UCLA, but I’ll go with that given that the toughness and maturity were evident in that game. In contrast, it was not on hand Saturday. Following the blocked field goal, Ohio State rattled off three second quarter touchdowns with as much ease 1, 2, 3 both literally and metaphorically. The Bearcats three possessions during that span? Punt, punt and, you guessed it, punt. Where was the toughness within the defense to go out there after the blocked field goal and get the ball back, that responded to multiple adverse situations in the season-opening victory over UCLA? Not every game is going to be at home with perfect weather conditions and everything going your way against a bad football team. Great teams show toughness in all kinds of games regardless of where they’re played.
The excitement that has surrounded the Bearcats program really since the Military Bowl has been nothing short of awesome. And that excitement may have created a feeling that, hey, this team can give Ohio State a run for their money, in addition to all the other possibilities combined with the high hopes and expectations. But after today’s goose-egg, it’s clear that the Bearcats have a long way to go, but is that really the truth?
On one hand, keep in mind that the 11-2 season last year was completely unexpected. And while that did create the high hopes and expectations for this season, this is a young and slightly inexperienced team dealing with those hopes and expectations. This season is going to be a tough follow-up act to last year, because they are almost expected to win, or at least compete in every game. That’s the other hand in looking at the long way the Bearcats have to go. 42-0 is not competing, and all the hype last year created was shot down clinically and shockingly Saturday in Columbus.
Here’s the truth, I think: Fickell’s resurrection of the Bearcats football program is complete. Now, it’s up to him to get his team prepared to play in national-profile games like the one the Bearcats played in on Saturday. The pressure is now on his shoulders. The honeymoon from the unexpected 11-2 season last year and the hype throughout the offseason are both over with this beat-down. Fickell admitted he didn’t have the Bearcats prepared for this game. He has said before that he lives under a rock or a bunker, and I believe that when I see the Bearcats dominate games they should, but then I’ve heard him talk this week about the distractions last year surrounding the game at UCF and trying to downplay those surrounding his return to Ohio State. He also mentioned in the offseason that this team has to start playing well in big games. After admitting he didn’t have them prepared for yesterday, it’s on him to ensure this team has the best chance to shine on the big stages.
There is still a lot to play for this season, in light of the disappointment of Saturday. There’s still the Battle for the Victory Bowl, a marquee prime time inside Nippert Stadium against UCF, a division title, a conference championship and, as a result of a conference championship, a New Year’s Six bowl. Sure it may have been this game that we all had circled when the schedule came out, and it turned out in a way I don’t think a lot of us expected. But, despite it being as bad as it was, it is just one game, and there is still plenty to play for this season.
There is no shame in losing to Ohio State, but it’s the way the Bearcats lost to them Saturday. Ohio State is one of the most name-brand college football programs in the country. But in today’s game, it’s not at the premier level of Clemson or Alabama. I would even go far as to say it’s not even at the level of a Georgia or Oklahoma. Need proof? Purdue in 2018 and Iowa in 2017, anyone? I’m pretty sure that premier programs don’t get out-classed the way they the Buckeyes did to Purdue and Iowa respectively the last two years.
That’s why this loss is disappointing. It’s the margin of defeat. 42-0. Shocking, disappointing and, as my colleague Justin Williams of The Athletic headlined in his game story Saturday, “humbling.” It’s all those adjectives, and, honestly, the Bearcats don’t deserve one bit of respect from Ohio State, especially from the large number of fans throughout what is still considered the “Buckeye State.” Why? Because they were a pushover on the field Saturday. Sure there were some bright spots for the Bearcats including Perry Young’s fourth-down stop, Alec Pierce’s 46-yard reception and Josiah Deguara moving the chains several times, but Ohio State could basically do anything they wanted with the Bearcats on Saturday and get no push back from Cincinnati. No fight. No resilience.
I am 100 percent behind Fickell for what he has done for the Bearcats football program. He has brought them back from the ruins and to the brink of national prominence. But now in year three and after the beatdown Saturday in Columbus, the pressure is on him to even further sharpen his focus on getting this team prepared to compete in national-profile games, for a conference championship and, as a subsequent result, a New Year’s Six Bowl. The buzz surrounding the program has come to a screeching halt, and it’s once again up to Fickell to re-energize it.
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 