Cincinnati's jump from the American to the Big 12 is first and foremost a boon to the Bearcats' coffers (which is the name of the game these days). On the football field, however, this might have worked better in any of the past few seasons when Cincinnati was a legitimate force, especially when the Bearcats had an NFL-quality quarterback (Desmond Ridder, who might be starting for the Atlanta Falcons this fall) taking snaps and were good enough to get invited to the football College Football Playoff in 2021. Cincy had certainly been riding high under head coach Luke Fickell, who displayed a good deal of loyalty by sticking around much longer than most of his contemporaries would have done, turning away several suitors (including, if rumors are to be believed, USC prior to the Trojans turning their attention to Lincoln Riley) before finally making the move to Wisconsin. Which, sources suggest, was one of the few jobs (outside of a return to alma mater and former employer Ohio State) that could entice him.'
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