College Football Rankings 2020: Projected preseason Top 25 sans Pac-12, Big Ten
By Zach Bigalke
13. Cincinnati Bearcats
- Where they were ranked in the 2019 preseason: 34th (16 points)
- Where they were ranked at the end of 2019: 21st (343 points)
- Where they were in our way-too-early Top 25: 17th
- Where they ranked in the preseason Coaches Poll: 22nd (229 points)
Despite taking down UCF last season and winning the AAC East crown, Cincinnati still feels underappreciated heading into the 2020 season. They will probably slot in behind the Knights rather than ahead of them in the preseason AP Top 25, but with a slew of teams that would normally feature above them canceling their fall seasons the Bearcats project as one of the top 15 teams left standing around the country.
In the backfield, Cincinnati loses Michael Warren and his 16 total touchdowns from the running back position. Backup Gerrid Doaks will certainly see more time, as will Alabama transfer Jerome Ford. Desmond Ridder is back at quarterback for the Bearcats, and the offensive line received a bit of an upgrade with the addition of Michigan transfer James Hudson at tackle.
Cincinnati’s defense is even more stacked than its offense, with more than three-quarters of last season’s production on that side of the ball returning to Nippert Stadium for 2020. Ja’von Hicks and Ahmad Gardner offer two great building blocks in the secondary, a group that ranked 15th in passing efficiency defense last year and finished in the top 10 nationally with 16 interceptions.
After cancellations by the MAC and Big Ten, the only remaining non-conference game on Cincinnati’s schedule is the season opener against FCS Austin Peay. That probably won’t hurt them in the eyes of pollsters in this wacky 2020 season.