Cincy on the Prowl
Fansided

Cincinnati Football’s Seven Most Important Games of 2016

By Bearcat Jones

facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
8 of 8
Next
Oct 24, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats running back Mike Boone (27) carries the ball past South Florida Bulls defensive back Nate Godwin (36) at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bearcats won 34-17. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats running back Mike Boone (27) carries the ball past South Florida Bulls defensive back Nate Godwin (36) at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bearcats won 34-17. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
  1. USF (Oct. 1 – Week 5)

The matchup against the Bulls from South Florida is definitely the most important game of the Bearcats’ season.  USF is the favorite to win the division, and returns all of its key skill players: QB Quinton Flowers, RB Marlon Mack, and WR Rodney Adams.  This game is relatively early in the season, and will set the tone for the rest of the year.  This is USF’s conference opener, and the second AAC game for UC.  The winner will have the inside track to an Eastern division title.  The loser will instantly need help to win the league.  Especially true, since Cincinnati’s fist conference game is against Houston.  If the ‘Cats lose to UH and then USF, they can kiss any chance of a league title goodbye.  We’ve seen too many early season stumbles in conference play under Tuberville, and that absolutely has to change in this game.  As I wrote earlier, UC can survive a loss to Houston, but must beat USF and Temple.

Oh, and this is another game where UC owes somebody – they owe the fans and themselves redemption for the dumpster fire that was last year’s blowout loss in Tampa, which saw UC go into halftime trailing by nearly 50 points.  One of the most embarrassing losses – maybe the most embarrassing that I’ve ever witnessed as a Bearcat fan.