Cincinnati has its opportunity. The Bearcats have been commonplace in the national rankings the past couple of seasons. But playing in the American Athletic Conference, routinely against opponents not widely considered strong, they haven't quite made the jump to the national level.

Conference-wise, Cincinnati will make the leap to the Big 12 in the next few years, which has already changed national perception. And Saturday, it will play at Notre Dame, a program with national prestige and currently ranked No. 9 in this week's AP top 25 poll. The game will also be televised nationally at 2:30 pm ET on NBC.

Coach Luke Fickell discussed the challenge Tuesday, and his thoughts on the Fighting Irish with members of the media in his weekly press conference.