The 2008 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team, coached by Brian Kelly, played its homes game in Nippert Stadium. Kelly was in his second full season with the Bearcats after coaching them to a 31–21 win against Southern Miss in the 2007 PapaJohns.com Bowl. On Friday, November 28, 2008, the Bearcats clinched a share of the Big East Conference title for the first time since joining the Big East in 2005. With a victory over Syracuse on November 29, 2008 the Bearcats became the outright football champions of the Big East and set a record with an average attendance of 31,964. After a disappointing loss to Virginia Tech in the 2009 Orange Bowl, the Bearcats finished 17th in the AP Poll for the second consecutive year. With West Virginia falling off Cincinnati became the front runner to win the big east.
2008 Cincinnati Bearcats football | |
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Big East champion | |
Orange Bowl, L 7–20 vs Virginia Tech | |
Conference | Big East Conference |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 17 |
AP | No. 17 |
Record | 11–3 (6–1 Big East) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Jeff Quinn (2nd season) |
Defensive coordinator | Joe Tresey (2nd season) |
Home stadium | Nippert Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 17 Cincinnati $ | 6 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pittsburgh | 5 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 23 West Virginia | 5 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rutgers | 5 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Connecticut | 3 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Florida | 2 | – | 5 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Louisville | 1 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Syracuse | 1 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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August 28 | 7:30 pm | Eastern Kentucky* | W 40–7 | 26,913 | |||
September 6 | 3:30 pm | at No. 4 Oklahoma* | ABC | L 26–52 | 84,476 | ||
September 20 | 7:30 pm | Miami (OH)* |
| ESPN360 | W 45–20 | 31,629 | |
September 27 | 7:30 pm | at Akron* | FSN Ohio | W 17–15 | 16,927 | ||
October 3 | 8:00 pm | at Marshall* | ESPN | W 33–10 | 29,237 | ||
October 11 | 12:00 pm | Rutgers |
| Big East Network | W 13–10 | 32,370 | |
October 25 | 12:00 pm | at Connecticut | Big East Network | L 16–40 | 40,000 | ||
October 30 | 7:45 pm | No. 23 South Florida |
| ESPN | W 24–10 | 31,175 | |
November 8 | 7:00 pm | at No. 20 West Virginia | ESPNU | W 26–23 OT | 59,834 | ||
November 14 | 8:00 pm | at Louisville | No. 22 | ESPN2 | W 28–20 | 37,822 | |
November 22 | 7:15 pm | No. 20 Pittsburgh | No. 19 |
| ESPN2 | W 28–21 | 35,098 |
November 29 | 12:00 pm | Syracuse | No. 16 |
| Big East Network | W 30–10 | 34,603 |
December 6 | 11:30 pm | at Hawaii* | No. 13 | ESPN2 | W 29–24 | 40,549 | |
January 1 | 8:00 pm | No. 19 Virginia Tech* | No. 12 | FOX | L 7–20 | 73,602 | |
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Week | |||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
AP | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | — | RV | 22 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 17 |
Coaches Poll | RV | RV | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | RV | 22 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 17 |
Harris | Not released | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | RV | 23 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 12 | Not released | ||||
BCS | Not released | — | — | — | 22 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 12 | Not released |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Eastern Kentucky | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Cincinnati | 6 | 20 | 14 | 0 | 40 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Cincinnati | 0 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 26 |
#4 Oklahoma | 14 | 7 | 21 | 10 | 52 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Miami | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
Cincinnati | 10 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Cincinnati | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
Akron | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 15 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cincinnati | 2 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 33 |
Marshall | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rutgers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Cincinnati | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cincinnati | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
Connecticut | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 | 40 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#23 South Florida | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
Cincinnati | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cincinnati | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 26 |
#20 West Virginia | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 23 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#22 Cincinnati | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
Louisville | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#20 Pittsburgh | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
#19 Cincinnati | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Syracuse | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
#16 Cincinnati | 7 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 30 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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#13 Cincinnati | 3 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 29 |
Hawaii | 0 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 24 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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#12 Cincinnati | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
#21 Virginia Tech | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
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Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
Connor Barwin | DE | 2 | 46 | Houston Texans |
Kevin Huber | P | 5 | 142 | Cincinnati Bengals |
DeAngelo Smith | CB | 5 | 143 | Dallas Cowboys |
Brandon Underwood | S | 6 | 187 | Green Bay Packers |
Mike Mickens | CB | 7 | 227 | Dallas Cowboys |
Trevor Canfield | G | 7 | 254 | Arizona Cardinals |