With potential bowl eligibility slipping away, the University of Cincinnati football team at least is entering the easier part of its 2017 schedule.
UC entered Saturday's American Athletic Conference game against SMU with a 2-5 record (0-3 AAC East). SMU entered the game 4-2 (1-1 AAC West). Entering Saturday, SMU was the last remaining UC opponent with a winning record.
UC needs six wins to reach bowl eligibility, meaning there is little room for error. The Bearcats entered Saturday as a 7 1/2-point underdog. If UC were to lose to SMU, that would mean the Bearcats would have to finish the regular season 4-0 to attain bowl eligibility.