It might be tough to tell based on the results, but for the past four games, Cincinnati's opponents have been among the bottom half of the American Athletic Conference standings.

Now, the Bearcats' opponents get a bit tougher.

Cincinnati appears on a collision course with Houston for a meeting in the AAC championship game. On Black Friday, the Bearcats travel to East Carolina, winner of three straight. But before those two, they'll try to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive with a visit from SMU.

The Mustangs appeared to be the team that would earn an AAC title berth, until back to back road losses at Houston and Memphis. They rebounded last week with a 55-28 win over UCF. Now, SMU is the next obstacle for Cincinnati. And though they've weathered the storm of four less than stellar overall performances, they need a good win to make a better case for a playoff spot.

Coach Luke Fickell and senior quarterback Desmond Ridder talked about SMU Tuesday with members of the media.