From 2018-22, the Cincinnati Bearcats crafted a lasting habitat in the AP Poll. Cincinnati was regularly recognized by the rankings, peaking as high as No. 2 during its 2021 College Football Playoff run
and finishing in the Top 10 twice — No. 8 in 2020 and No. 4 in 2021.
Cincinnati fell out of the rankings after a 2022 Black Friday home loss to Tulane in the Bearcats’ final conference matchup as part of the American. The Bearcats subsequently joined the Big 12 and never attained that status again… until now. For the first time in Scott Satterfield’s three years at the helm, Cincinnati is back in the rankings, fresh off handling UCF in 20-11 fashion in Week 7.
The 5-1 Bearcats checked in at No. 24 in the AP Poll after rattling off their fifth-straight victory. Ironically, Cincinnati is one spot ahead of No. 25 Nebraska, the source of the Bearcats’ lone defeat. After dropping a 20-17 heartbreaker to the Cornhuskers in a Week 1 Kansas City neutral-site showdown, Cincinnati notched FBS victories over 3-3 Bowling Green, 4-3 Kansas, 5-2 Iowa State, and 3-3 UCF — four .500+ teams. Three of those victories transpired at Nippert Stadium, while the Kansas win transpired on the road in Lawrence. During this hot streak, Cincinnati also registered its first ranked win since 2021, knocking off then-No. 14 Iowa State in Week 6 in 38-30 fashion.
The Bearcats are one of four Big 12 teams in the current AP Poll, following No. 7 Texas Tech, No. 15 BYU, and No. 23 Utah. Two of those opponents — BYU and Utah — loom on the conference schedule as Cincinnati prepares for a challenging second half of the regular season. The Bearcats are one of three Big 12 teams, along with Texas Tech and BYU, to sport perfect 3-0 conference records as the race for the Big 12 Championship heats up.
With five wins overall and three conference wins, Cincinnati has already matched its program-highs since joining the Big 12. Satterfield’s squad looks to set new records next Saturday night in Stillwater as they enter Oklahoma State as heavy favorites.
