It’s been 9 long months since we last saw our Bearcats hit the Gridiron in a season that many would call disastrous. Year 1 under Head Coach Scott Satterfield failed to enchant the hearts of many Bearcat fans, leaving few with a sense of optimism for the future. However, many of our former coaches have gone on to have some success after a dissapointing season. Benedict Fickell went 4-8 in his first season with the ‘Cats and could have gone 1-11 without some lucky bounces. Total cheeseball Butch Jones went 4-8 in his first season before ripping off two consecutive 9 win seasons. Hell even a Senator could maintain the momentum Butch set forth to win 9 games, before quickly dropping a huge dookie on this program.

Last year’s roster was the first coaching transition that had to manage the NIL version of the transfer portal. Satterfield’s staff was able to secure some talent, but a swing and a miss at the QB position put this team behind the 8 ball. Mix that in with some roster mismatches and that’s a recipe for the worst finish the Bearcats have had since 1999. This year’s roster, on paper, has a lot more production tied to it. Add in the efforts of the Strength and Conditioning Staff to build a better locker room culture and this team could be poised for a turn around. Is this team a B12 Championship contender? Likely not, but 6 wins and a bowl game with the additional practices that go along with it could build a foundation for this team to compete in 2025. This week the Bearcats start their campaign against the Towson Tigers out of Baltimore, MD. Can this new look Bearcat team capture the hearts of Bearcats Nation?

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