In many ways, Cincinnati has a championship before the actual championship.

When the Bearcats host Tulane at noon ET on Friday, there will be plenty on the line. The winner not only will earn a spot in the AAC Championship game on Dec. 3, but it will also host the game as the regular season champion.

It's easy to get too amped up or put too much emphasis on this game. But for coach Luke Fickell, it's what Cincinnati has prepared for. And despite its two losses, this game provides an avenue back into the New Year's Six bowl picture.

"Not always the outside can tell, but we have seen some of the games and what it's had to come down to and the ways we have had to win football games," he said. "You grow from a lot from those things. I think that's where we see ourselves right now. We have grown an incredible amount from a lot of these really tough games and tough situations and playing on the road. As you get to the end of the year, you always have things happen. You always have injuries, you always have things that you have to adapt and adjust to whether it's a quarterback situation, whether it's a defensive line situation, it doesn't matter. I think that in the long run, the way you go through the season and the adversity that you had, the ups and downs only make you stronger.”

Check out the video above for the full press conference from Fickell, Josh Whyle and Jabari Taylor.