When USA Today released its 2017-18 preseason Top 25 on Friday, it was very likely that the Cincinnati Bearcats would be on there somewhere. That thinking turned out to be true, as UC fell in at No. 21. Now while rankings, especially ones in the preseason, are largely just a nominal honor and don’t actually do much other than spark conversation, its still good to see the Bearcats be recognized as one of the best teams in the country.
However, as much as being ranked No. 1, No. 25 or not at all is not something written in stone, where you fall does give an indication of the expectations put on your team.