Cincinnati has been a fixture in each of the six weeks of the College Football Playoff rankings. This week, the Bearcats sit at No. 21, following their 29-24 loss Saturday to Memphis in the AAC championship game.

And on Sunday, Cincinnati learned its extended post-season fate. The Bearcats will play Jan. 2 in the Birmingham Bowl against Boston College. The game will kickoff at 3 pm ET and will be televised by ESPN.

It's a curious landing spot for Cincinnati, now 10-3, and perhaps more of a curious opponent. The Eagles have had an up and down season to finish at 6-6. They fired coach Steve Addazio last week after seven seasons. He was 44-44 overall and 1-3 in bowl games, including last year's no contest ruling in the First Responder Bowl, which was cancelled due to poor weather. Wide receivers coach Rich Gunnell will serve as Boston College's interim coach.

Boston College defeated Pittsburgh last weekend to earn bowl eligibility, but its most notable win came in the season-opener, a defeat of Virginia Tech. This season also included an ugly loss to Kansas two weeks later.

The Eagles are led by senior running back AJ Dillon, who piled up 1,685 yards this season on 318 carries, to go with 14 touchdowns. Defensively, though, Boston College has struggled, having allowed opponents 480 yards per game.