After a week or so of rumors, it’s now been made official. Punter Pat O’Donnell will graduate from UC and transfer to Miami (FL). He will be eligible to play for the Hurricanes for the 2013 season.
You might be wondering why I’ve been making such a big deal about O’Donnell leaving. Yes, under normal circumstances punters don’t garner a single post devoted to them let alone three. That’s just how it goes in football. Their job is so routine that most of the time they go unnoticed unless they make a serious mistake. It’s a role with a praise-criticism ratio that’s off the charts.
But at Cincinnati, fans knew that their punters were game changers. O’Donnell specifically was critical to the Bearcats winning football games. His ability to not only flip the field but pin offenses deep in their own territory cannot be emphasized enough. O’Donnell’s leg forced opposing teams to continuously drive 70 – 80 yards on Cincinnati’s defense. That is huge over the course of a game and markedly lowered UC’s opponents’ opportunities to score points. So in that sense, O’Donnell was as key a member of the Bearcats’ defense as he was the special teams unit. And that is why he will be missed so much.
Now we can only wish Pat the best of luck at his new home. At least we’ll have this to remember him by: