On Saturday, if you were a Syracuse University or Rutgers University football fan curious on which Big East Conference foe, the University of South Florida or the University of Cincinnati, to root for or against the end result worked in your favor.
In a last-minute, game-winning drive, the Bearcats (6-1, 2-0 Big East) edged the Bulls, 37-34. The victory helped Cincinnati leap to the top of the Big East standings and practically, but not mathematically, eliminated USF, a preseason favorite to win the league, from a chance to earn the league’s Bowl Championship Series automatic qualify spot.
Now, Scarlet Knights and Orange fans should be happy about this considering that neither program has played both schools. Why is this good?
Well, because neither program has played the Bearcats or Bulls (4-3, 0-3) making a win over Cincinnati that more meaningful, but a loss to USF, which is still a talented program, less hurtful.
Yes, it’s not good to lose, but for the Bulls, who currently are at the bottom of the league standing, it makes it very unlikely, or a lot harder, that they will leap frog either Rutgers or Syracuse. While, the Orange and Scarlet Knights can really key on its contests against Cincinnati when they play them.
For the record: the Syracuse football schedule features the Orange hosting USF, Nov. 11, and then Cincy, Nov. 28, in back-to-back weeks, while Rutgers hosts the Bulls, Nov. 5, and then three weeks later, Nov. 19, hosts the Bearcats.