Cincinnati entered the Cotton Bowl as the Cinderella story of College Football. It was a 2021 season where the Bearcats beat their oppositions by two scores or more in eleven of their thirteen victories. However, Friday’s Cotton Bowl against the Alabama Crimson Tide was a whole new beast on its own. “I’m extremely impressed,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said before Friday’s game regarding Cincinnati Luke Fickell and the Bearcats. “I’ve always had a lot of respect and admiration for Luke when he was a defensive coordinator. I think he’s done a fantastic job of building a program.” Meantime Alabama looked to build on an impressive and dominating victory in the SEC Championship game nearly four weeks ago against Georgia and make their eighth Championship game since 2011. But, in the end, the beast was too much for Cinderella. Alabama outlasted Cincinnati 27-6 to move on to the National Championship Game on January 10th.
They went down the field on both teams’ opening possession of the game. While Alabama capitalized on a Bryce Young pass to Slade Bolden for a touchdown, the Crimson Tide held Cincinnati to a field goal. After that, Alabama’s defense barred down, allowing only sixteen total yards of offense on the Bearcat’s next four drives to halftime. However, the Crimson Tide’s offense didn’t take their foot off the gas pedal. Alabama scored on three of their five first-half drives with a missed field goal in the mix, leading Cincinnati 17-3 at halftime.
The second half mirrored most of the first half. Alabama’s defense held Cincinnati in check. Meantime, the Crimson Tide’s running game shortened the game. Alabama’s defense held Cincinnati to 2 for 12 on third-down conversions and 218 yards of total offense (an offense averaging 429.6 yards a game). Brian Robertson Jr. set a career-high with 204 rushing yards on twenty-six carries as Alabama ran for 301 yards against a Cincinnati team averaging 137.5 rushing yards/game allowed. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, Bryce Young, threw the ball efficiently, completing 17 of 28 throws for all three Alabama touchdowns. He did throw an interception in the third quarter, but it led to another Cincinnati three-and-out. “I’m proud of our team and our players. They showed great competitive character out there in this game,” Nick Saban said after the game. “It was a tough game, and we knew it would be a tough game.
Senior Desmond Ridder couldn’t muster off momentum offensively. Ridder finished the night 17 for 32 for 144 yards, with 45 yards coming on the opening possession’s field goal drive. It was only the second time all season that Ridder threw for under 150 yards (October 16th vs. UCF) and the fourth time under 200 passing yards. After the first drive for both teams in the first quarter, Alabama outgained Cincinnati 407 to 158. “We didn’t get it done tonight, and we didn’t play complementary football,” Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell said after the game. “We knew the battle of the trenches was going to be a big deal. I think that’s where the game was won. In no phase of it did we give ourselves the best opportunity.”
The National Championship game will either be an SEC rematch between the Crimson Tide and Georgia or a Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh matchup between Alabama and Michigan. “As a young kid, you always wanted to play for a National Championship,” Offensive MVP Brian Robertson Jr. said after the game. “To have another opportunity to play for a National Championship as a young kid that was the only thing that I ever wanted to do. It’s a dream come true.” For Cincinnati, their best season in school history came to a close. “These young guys are going to take it in, watch film, and continue to get better and grow and continue to be a greater Cincinnati team for years to come,” Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder said after the game.
