Published Nov 22, 2022
Bearcats Up One In CFP Poll
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Jason Stamm  •  The Front Office News
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With one game left in the regular season, Cincinnati is not the highest-ranked non-power five conference team. But that could change soon.

The Bearcats moved up one spot to No. 24 in the College Football Playoff rankings, released Tuesday night. The highest ranked team not in a power five conference is guaranteed a spot in one of the CFP's New Year's Six bowls (Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl).

Cincinnati now controls its own destiny. The Bearcats will host Tulane at noon ET on Friday. The winner of the game not only claims the AAC regular season championship, but will also secure a spot in the AAC championship game Dec. 3 and will host the game.

The Green Wave are currently the highest-ranked non-power five team, at No. 19. UCF, which lost last week against Navy, fell two spots to No. 22. The Knights would claim a spot in the AAC title game with a win over South Florida on Saturday and hold the tie-breaker, a win over Cincinnati, should the Bearcats lose to Tulane.

Cincinnati is ranked No. 21 in both the AP Top 25 and AFCA coaches poll.

"You don't put any more pressure upon yourself, but I do want to embrace the opportunities that they have created and enjoy it," Coach Luke Fickell said of his players Tuesday afternoon. "I always try to remind them as well as I try to remind myself to enjoy these things that we have created. It doesn't always happen like this. You don't always get to the end of November, and all of a sudden, you are playing for the championship in the last game. So, if you have the good fortune to put yourself in those positions then yes there is some pressure that goes along with it."