ATHENS – Georgia football is a brand like few others, especially since Kirby Smart took over as coach five years ago and led Bulldogs to the edge of four consecutive Top 10 finals and a series of three consecutive appearances in championship at the SEC.
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This year’s trip to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be different, as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl serves more as a consolation prize, although it is an elite prize as part of the prestigious New Year’s Six Bowl rotation.
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Bulldogs (7-2) ranked 9th have an interesting opponent in Cincinnati, a program that defended a spot on the College Football Playoff and now aims to prove that their affiliation with the American Athletic Conference should not have hindered them.
Chad Brendel, who covers Cincinnati for the Bearcat Journal, affiliated with 247Sports, took the time to answer five big questions about the Bearcats ahead of the midday game on Friday:
1. Where does this game rank in terms of “the biggest in the history of the Cincinnati football program?
CB: Even with a win, it would take a long time for this game to pass the UC / Pitt 2009 Big East Championship game, which was classified as one of the 100 best games in the history of college football. A loss and is grouped with the 2008 loss to Virginia Tech at the Orange Bowl and the end of the 2009 season against Florida at Sugar.
A win would likely put him second on the list, as it would end the first season unbeaten in school history and give complete validation to what Luke Fickell built in his 4 years at the helm. In addition, it would be a victory over a blue-blooded SEC program in the process. And if it happens to be an epic 60-minute time along the way, it will certainly get you in the conversation for # 1.
2. What does this Bearcats team do better than anything else, in attack or defense?
CB: The defense of the pass would be his main calling card. It is a big reason why Marcus Freeman’s unit is the country’s No. 1 team in yards won per move for a defense that is second in the country in passing defense efficiency. They saw him, were pressured by edge rushers Myjai Sanders and Elijah Ponder and could play on an island with All American CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner covering the opponent’s best option outside.
3. If Cincinnati had a showdown with Georgia, what would it be?
CB: I think the most difficult task for this Cincinnati team will be the ability to pass the ball between tackles. It is a fundamental feature of Mike Denbrock’s attack and you know that Fickell wants to control the point of attack on both sides of the ball. With a sophomore redshirt starting at LG and a real freshman in the middle, you know Georgia will try to limit anything that Gerrid Doaks and Jerome Ford’s RB duo come looking for between strokes.
This is important because Cincinnati uses these punches in the stomach to create opportunities for QB Desmond Ridder to find some outside space as the game progresses. Bottle the racing game without having to compromise 7 and 8 bodies in the box and you win the numbers game while Cincinnati tries to take down opponents for 4 quarters.
4. Luke Fickell had job opportunities, but he stayed. Where does he rank among the recent great Bearcats coaches who have had the most success: Mark Dantonio, Brian Kelly, Butch Jones?
CB: I think with going beyond the third year and completing an unbeaten regular season culminating in a conference title, you have to move Fickell to the top of the list. At worst, he is now equal to Kelly with the imminent outcome of the Peach Bowl, the tiebreaker, but the reality is that when Fickell turned down Michigan State in February, he did something none of the three mentioned could do.
He stayed. Or, more likely, he stayed and continued to win. He continued to build. He continued to recruit at unprecedented levels in school history. These building blocks are unfamiliar territory for the Cincinnati fan base, where winning a lot led to divorce and seeing your new ex move on to “bigger” and “better” things.
5. What is the key confrontation in this football game?
CB: I’m going with Desmond Ridder against Georgia’s elite defense. The Cincinnati star changed games with his arm when the defense pulled out of the race and made great plays on the field if opportunities arose at the limit, as the teams piled the box.
If Ridder takes care of the ball, remains accurate in the middle and makes some deep plays for Alec Pierce outside, this Cincinnati team can be a nuisance for an elite Georgian defense. If he tries to stay ahead of the sticks and we see James Smith playing ball a lot, it could be a long day for Cincinnati.
When Ridder plays at a high level, it puts the Cincinnati team in a position to beat anyone. When he fights, there is a ton of pressure put on the defense. Ridder extending drives with his diverse skill set will tell the story of Cincinnati. If it is effective at all stages of the game, it will be an exciting afternoon in Atlanta. If he has difficulties, Georgia is the favorite to control the action from start to finish.