Believe In The Bearcats, UC Grad Urges

This week, three old buds I wrote sports with at The University of Cincinnati's The News Record many years ago are contributing guest posts to One Great Season. Today's third and final update is from Phil Frye, now a real estate salesman in Newark, Ohio.

By PHIL FRYE
Special to One Great Season

CINCINNATI -- Who would have ever thought the University of Cincinnati Bearcats would be ranked ahead of the almighty Ohio State Buckeyes?

Me, but that was back in 2002 when I thought for sure the Bearcats were going to upset OSU when the teams met in Cincinnati.

I watched that game while pacing in a Philadelphia hotel room on vacation. As the Bearcats continued to score against Ohio State that afternoon in Paul Brown Stadium, I started to pick up my phone to taunt my Buckeye friends but never dialed.

Remember how that story ended? Coach Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes rallied to beat the Bearcats, and then went on to win the national championship. Just imagine if Cincy would have pulled off the upset and knocked Ohio State out of the title hunt.

I tell myself and anyone who will listen that Cincinnati let Ohio State win that game and continue its national championship run so the entire state could return to national football prominence and help our struggling economy.

The Bearcats had once again let me down, but just the fact that they gave me a reason to believe they could beat Ohio State was all I needed to proudly tell people that I graduated from the University of Cincinnati, which was often followed up by the other person saying, "They gave Ohio State a good game."

Seven years later in Columbus, some Ohio State fans want to fire Coach Tressel and Notre Dame fans are waiting for Brian Kelly to leave Cincinnati so he can replace Charlie Weis. I'm just waiting for UC to win a National Championship and for Brian Kelly to stay for years and continue to build a national powerhouse the right way.

I always thought a Cincinnati championship would come on the basketball court, or some obscure sport that barely made any headlines. Now, I choose to believe that Cincinnati can continue to win football games this "One Great Season" and with a little luck, you never know, I may be calling you up in January to remind you that I graduated from the top football school in the nation, The University of Cincinnati.

Of course if that doesn't happen I can always look forward to my Chicago Cubs winning the 2010 World Series.