I’ve never visited Hawaii. My wife has and has nothing but good things to say. Myself? Nope. The US Virgin Islands and Florida are about as close as I’ve ever been, in terms of tropical paradises. I’m sure they’re all pretty much the same; miles of pristine beaches on which to get lost in the sound of the waves rolling onshore and the warm breezes, nights spent lounging with an alcoholic beverage in front of a fire, plus the regular hikes and scuba diving excursions.
You know, the perfect destination to wash all of your cares and worries away.
And after watching the last few hours of Cincinnati Bearcats “football”, that’s all it seems the coaches, players, and staff did in the last week in the Hawaiian Islands. I mean, San Diego State took the opening kickoff to the house with nary a Bearcat coming within arm’s length of returner Rashaad Penny. The Aztecs would go on to score an additional 35 points before UC could cross the goal line and completely blow them out of the stadium.
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I feel like I’ve said this a lot but no game more exemplifies Cincinnati’s 2015 season than this one. Let me know if any of these statements sound familiar.
The Bearcats turned the ball over three times, one of which was a pick six to turn this into a laugher. They also committed 10 penalties for 110 yards, including an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Chris Moore for handing the football to a kid in the stands because, you know, that’s how this season’s gone. Plus, UC averaged just 2.4 yards per rush and Mike Boone got just a single carry in the first half. The offensive line couldn’t protect Hayden Moore if it meant their lives, as he was sacked four times. Finally, Cincinnati’s defense allowed 207 yards on the ground.
Remember those? You should because it feels like we’ve been a broken record saying those over and over again during the Bearcats’ losses and even some of their wins. That’s why they’re 7-6 and were blown out in their bowl game. Lack of preparation during game week, or misguided commands from the coaching staff, poor in-game execution, and even worse management. All of those directly correlate with Cincinnati’s losses.
Look, I’m not yet in the “Fire Tommy Tuberville” camp. I know it’s year three but Hayden Moore, outside of the Memphis game, has been fairly pedestrian, UC was missing Gunner Kiel today, the secondary is as young as they’ve been in a decade, and the defense hasn’t had the same coordinator two years in a row. All of those factors are major chinks in the armor of a supposedly stable and talented team that we probably should have accounted for before the season began.
At the same time, I don’t know how Tuberville doesn’t evaluate today’s performance, and the entire season, and not start to feel the seat beneath him heating up. He’s due millions of dollars in his contract should UC fire him but if fan anger turns to apathy which turns to decreasing season ticket and suite renewals, the athletic department will have an easy choice to make. Tuberville needs to ensure seasons like this one are very few and far between. With the kind of investment Cincinnati is making in football, which is far and away more than most of the Group of Five, the on-field performance should match that.
If it doesn’t, UC can do nothing but look at different options to head up their football program.