Cincinnati Football: What must Bearcats do to remain in CFP rankings’ top 4?

For the first time in the College Football Playoff era, a Group of Five school has entered the top four of the CFP rankings. Cincinnati football joins Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama to round out the teams that are in the playoff field this week.

In order for them to stay in the top four next week, however, the Bearcats must win their next game convincingly. Cincinnati’s next game is against East Carolina which just beat Navy 38-35.

The Bearcats are entering the game 11-0 while the Pirates are 7-4.

Here’s what Cincinnati must do to remain in the top four after Week 13.

1. Control the tempo against East Carolina

The Pirates are not shy on offense, averaging 31.2 points and 343 total yards per game. Their quarterback, Holton Ahlers, ranks in the top 25 at No. 18 for passing yards albeit it has been against defenses such as Charleston Southern and Temple. However, putting up 2,898 passing yards with an average of 7.7 yards per completion is nothing to shake a stick at.

So with that said, Cincy needs to keep the ball in its own hands and not allow East Carolina to control the tempo of the game.

2. Penalty-free football

Cincinnati averages 55 yards of penalties a game so they must play disciplined. In addition to penalties, they need to avoid turnovers at all costs. Desmond Ridder has taken care of the ball well this year only turning it over a total of six times through the air. As long as he doesn’t force passes in this game, they should be able to handle the Pirates’ defense well.

3. Gameplan must be perfect

Lastly, Cincinnati needs to have a solid game plan in place as East Carolina is on a four-game winning streak. Even though the Pirates are unranked entering the final game of the regular season, they are coming into this game with momentum and looking to ruin Cincinnati’s hopes of making history. Therefore, coming into this game prepared and not taking the opponent lightly is a must.

Cincinnati football’s next game and the pressure to win

The upcoming game against East Carolina has Cincinnati on the edge of its seat. Now that the Bearcats have cracked the top four, their destiny is essentially in their own hands.

Now if Cincinnati wins but it’s not a convincing one, the Bearcats could potentially drop to No. 5 or further down in the rankings. A loss to an unranked opponent would certainly knock Cincinnati out of the top four. A victory, however, would at least give them a shot to stay.

The pressure is on for Cincinnati. The next game is critical to their ranking and potential for a final spot in the College Football Playoff.