Change can happen gradually over time or it can happen all at once. What has happened to the Cincinnati Bearcats is somewhere in between. While head coach Luke Fickell did not immediately turn the program into a national powerhouse, going 4-8 in his first season a year ago, he has still lifted the Bearcats to the upper echelon quicker than most expected.
Prior to this season, the Bearcats were projected to finish fourth in the American Athletic Conference east division and most just hoped that they would contend for a bowl game. This very site predicted that they would win five games.