Tulsa has chance to play spoiler at No. 2 Cincinnati
Conspiracy theorists might think Cincinnati was intentionally ducking Tulsa last season when games were scheduled to be played in Tulsa.
Maybe Cincy wasn't chickening out, but it was awfully convenient that whenever the Bearcats were scheduled to come to Tulsa, numerous times, Cincy came down with Covid cases.
Cincinnati just happened to be fine when the AAC Championship Game was moved to Ohio. Fortunately for the Bearcats, the regular season game in Tulsa was canceled.
A potential back-to-back regular season and championship game could have both been played in Tulsa to end the AAC season if TU had won the regular season game in the last week of the season. But it was not to be.
And when Cincinnati squeaked out a 27-24 last second win at home in nasty weather, it was a tough pill to swallow for Tulsa players like Justin Wright, Tulsa's Mike Linebacker and inspirational leader.
"Maybe at the time we were upset about it," said a diplomatic, slyly grinning Wright before the season about the Bearcats not having to play in Tulsa last year.
Although there will be no conference championship for Tulsa this season, the Golden Hurricane will get a chance for revenge this Saturday when they travel to play at Nippert Stadium against No. 2 Cincinnati at 2:30 p.m.
ESPN's GameDay will be there to spotlight the Bearcats, but there would be no better way to promote Tulsa football than to shock the college football world with a Tulsa win in Cincinnati.
At stake is not only revenge and a chance for a win over the highest ranked opponent in Tulsa history, but also a chance to salvage the season.
Tulsa (3-5, 2-2 AAC) needs a win to avoid not being able to finish over .500 in the regular season. And winning would erase nightmarish thoughts of losing home games this season to UC Davis in the home opener and to Navy last week. Games that TU in no way should have lost, considering the caliber of opponents.
Perhaps Drew Pearson's visit to Tulsa last week will inspire a big road victory. Honored at halftime last Saturday for his NFL Hall of Fame induction, Mr. Clutch said his college highlight was having a huge game while defeating No. 7 Arkansas on the road in 1971. That is TU's biggest road win in history.
Series history would suggest the game against Cincy will be close. Although don't tell that to the bookies, as Cincinnati is a 22.5 point favorite to win.
Not suggesting how to bet, but TU seems to play to the level of its competition. On Tulsa's last trip to the state of Ohio this year, TU had the ball down only a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter at No. 6 Ohio State before losing 41-20. Tulsa nearly won at No. 11 Oklahoma State.
But Tulsa's home losses to UC Davis and Navy last week were, although close, embarrassing nevertheless. Tulsa beat Memphis, USF, and Arkansas - all teams it should have beaten. Only in the home drubbing by No. 20 Houston has Tulsa not been competitive this season.
As for the series history, ever since the two teams were in the AAC together, all four games have been highly competitive. Three of those games have been in Cincinnati, with Cincy winning 49-38 in 2015 - Montgomery's first year at TU, and 24-13 in 2019. Tulsa won the only home meeting, 40-37 in overtime, in 2016.
"We've had great competitive bouts with them in the past, and we don't expect it to be any different this time," said Tulsa coach Philip Montgomery.
Counting this year, it will be four of the last five times in AAC play that TU has played at Cincy in the series. It clearly doesn't seem equitable, and certainly at the least is annoying for Tulsa fans.
"I don't know if annoying is the right word, but obviously, we've gone to their place a considerable amount of times," Montgomery said. "It is what it is. It's the schedule. We really have no control over that.
"For us, it's another game on the road versus a great opponent. We've got to be prepared to go play."
Cincinnati (8-0, 4-0) features a stalwart defense and the reigning AAC Offensive Player of the Year in quarterback Desmond Ridder. Averaging 230.1 yards per game passing, Ridder is also an elusive runner, keeping plays alive with his legs and keeping drives alive. He has 18 TD passes and only 4 interceptions this season, and 75 touchdown passes with 24 interceptions for his career.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Ridder has 171 yards rushing for a 3.1 average per carry and 21.3 yards per game in his senior season. Against TU last year, Ridder rushed 18 times for 83 yards and a TD, and completed 19 of 29 for 269 yards and a touchdown. Most of his stats don't wow you, but he is a very effective leader.
Perhaps Cincy's best offensive player is junior running back Jerome Ford. The 5-11, 220-pound Ford has rushed for 864 yards and 14 TD's with a 6.4-yard average - a clip of 108 yards per game running behind a stout offensive line.
For Tulsa quarterback Davis Brin, the challenge will be not turning the ball over, especially when it comes to being intercepted. If Brin can avoid getting picked, Tulsa could have a chance to win the game.
In his first year as a starter, Brin has 11 touchdown passes but has 11 interceptions as well, averaging 261.9 yards passing per game.
Leading the way among the Bearcat defenders are a trio of bandits. Cornerbacks Coby Bryant and Arquon Bush, as well as linebacker Deshawn Pace, each have three interceptions.
Is Cincy really the second best team in the nation? Maybe. Winning 24-13 at No. 8 Notre Dame earlier in the year, plus remaining undefeated, has been impressive.
It will definitely be interesting to see how Tulsa matches up with the No. 2 team in the nation. The prospect of an upset win there may be too much to ask for.
But then again, you never know until you get a chance. The opportunity for Tulsa to play the No. 2 team in the nation late in the season just doesn't happen to TU. The Golden Hurricane needs to take advantage of the opportunity.