The University of Cincinnati football team (13-0) defeated the University of Houston, 35-20, to win the American Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021 at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. The Bearcats are the only undefeated football team in the nation.
Ahead of their historic College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinal appearance on New Year's Eve, the University of Cincinnati Bearcat's attention is solely on beating the Crimson Tide, despite an often-overlooked history between the two programs.
Having faced each other five times, the two squads, separated by 520 miles, have a peculiarly intertwined history that will be on display in Dallas's AT&T Stadium in just days.
Although no one on Cincinnati's current roster has faced the juggernaut Alabama squad in their red and black jerseys, their heavily idolized and sought head coach Luke Fickell has in a differed red; The Ohio State University.
Fickell, who started four seasons at nose guard for the Buckeyes, faced the Crimson Tide in the 1995 Citrus Bowl. Fickell and the Buckeye's lost the outing 24-17, brewing a vengeful feeling for Fickell against the Crimson Tide.
Fickell found himself back at his alma mater leading the defensive charge, most notably as defensive coordinator under Urban Meyer during the 2015 National Championship. However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for Fickell's defense en route to that championship; again, Alabama gave him the work.
Fickell and the Buckeye's had to face Alabama in the 2015 Sugar Bowl, in which they won 42-35 to reach the championship game. Although he wasn't on the field as he might have preferred to be, Fickell seemingly got the revenge over Alabama that had lingered since nearly a decade prior.
"Anything that's worth anything doesn't come easy," Fickell said during his last year leading Ohio State's defense in 2016 before becoming a Bearcat.
In his fifth season as head coach of Cincinnati, Fickell will face Nick Saban, who has won six national championships as Alabama's head coach.
"I think the big thing for our players is to know that things aren't going to get easier, they're going to get much more difficult," Saban said on his team, coming off an SEC championship win against Georgia and heading to face the undefeated Bearcats.
Cincinnati's running back, junior Jerome Ford, wasn't always a Bearcat, despite seemingly having carried the rock with Clifton-style well before wearing the C-paw.
Ford lined up behind the offensive line of Alabama for both his 2018 and 2019 seasons, the latter of which saw him run for three touchdowns on 24 carriers. Ford became a near Bearcat fan favorite in his sophomore season. He ran for 483 yards and eight touchdowns, most notably breaking a 79-yard touchdown run against the University of Georgia in the 2021 Peach Bowl.
The upcoming Cotton Bowl will be the first time Ford lines up to break down and outrun his former team's defense.
With the recent conclusion of National Signing Day, Cincinnati added deepening ties to their upcoming historic bout against Alabama. Cincinnati signed cornerback Jonquis "JQ" Hardaway to the 2022 class, Cincinnati's first-ever commit from the state of Alabama.
While the University of Alabama passed on extending Hardaway an offer, nearby SEC counterparts didn't, with the University of Tennessee, University of Georgia, University of Florida, and Texas A&M extending offers.
Cincinnati has consistently reiterated their dedication and importance of recruiting within a 300-mile radius of the Queen City, adding to the significance in their value of Hardaway and southern talent.
On Dec. 31 at 3:30 p.m., Cincinnati will face Alabama for just the sixth time in program history as they look to reach the National Championship for the first time in program history as the lone non-power five conference team to do so.
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