2 games, 2 States, 2 losses but mighty proud of the Cats

I decided to see them both. I drove to Ann Arbor, shortly after I made my last post and saw the Wolverines. In a cold, rainy and gloomy Michigan Stadium. I saw the Wolverines get dominated by Ohio State 14-3. I give credit where it was due. The Bucks defense totally dominated and shut down the Wolverines offense. Their on again off again offense was off all day. With 10 minutes to play in the fourth I broke my long standing tradition of staying till the end. I bid adieu to my buddy Curtis who lives up there and headed out. I beat the notoriously bad Ann Arbor traffic out and headed back to Cincinnati. I made the 250 mile in 4 hours and got to Nippert Stadium on the campus of UC at 7:05. Traffic was thick but I was able to get to my seat just in time to see the band charging down the steps onto the field. The atmosphere was electric and for the first time I saw offcial with loud tacky blazers at a UC. Representatives from the Fiesta and Orange Bowls were in attendance. To see the Cats! The crowd was loud and proud and for the first time I felt that Cincinnati had become a college football town.
The Mountaineers brought a small but vocal contigent but unlike the arrogant Louisville fans who openly deried UC as not worthy to be on the same field and their fans as mere trash. The Mountaineer fans were proud and vocal, but well aware that they would have a fight on their hands. I heard more than one WVA fan say, this is a great atmosphere, and that this could be a real rivalry. But all was said with respect, there was good natured trash talk, but it wasn't malicious and though the Mountaineers jumped out to a 28-10 lead their fans were not calling the Bearcats "same old sorry Bearcats." I had one fan tell me that this team is markedly different than the team that they had so easily defeated 42-24 and 38-0 the last two years. The Bearcats rallied and closed the score to 28-23, but were unable to recover an onside kick. WVA utilized its strong ground game and closed out the game. The Bearcat fans were disappointed but proud nonetheless. Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Paul Daughtery called it a start of a climb. The Cats may have been elimnated from gaining a berth to a BCS bowl, but still have a lot to proud of and there is still more to gain. If they can beat Syracuse and finish as high as second in the Big East they may be able to go the Gator Bowl, play on New Years Day and be able to win ten games for the first time since 1951. (They didn't go to a bowl that year) The Cats didn't take the crown this year, but they have set the foundation for years to come. Get used to seeing big college games in Cincinnati.