Cincinnati Bearcats' special season ends with loss to Alabama in College Football Playoff

ARLINGTON, Texas – With a little more than 10 minutes left, the University of Cincinnati’s football team needed to convert a fourth down from the 22-yard line to keep their national championship hopes alive.

Quarterback Desmond Ridder, out of a timeout, took the snap, faked a handoff to his running back, dropped back two steps and saw Alabama defensive back Brian Branch in his face. Ridder tried to sprint forward, needing three yards for a first down. He made it one step before Branch and defensive end Will Anderson Jr. wrestled him to turf.

The Bearcats, who won all 13 of their regular-season games with their gritty defense and balanced offense, didn’t have an answer for the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in a 27-6 loss in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl on Thursday.

The offense was limited to a pair of field goals in their 58 offensive plays. The defense was gashed for a season-high 301 rushing yards (6.4 yards per attempt) and Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young completed 17 of his 28 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns.

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Alabama, a two-touchdown favorite, simply bullied Cincinnati at the line of scrimmage and refused to allow the Bearcats to hang around in front of 76,313 fans at AT&T Stadium.

Young made one of his few mistakes midway through the third quarter, sailing a throw when he was under pressure that was intercepted by senior safety Bryan Cook at midfield. The Bearcats, struggling to maintain any consistency offensively, finally had their chance to claw back into the 11-point game.

Cincinnati’s offense responded with a negative-16-yard drive, backed up by an illegal shift penalty and a sack on third-and-long. The Tide used a nine-play, 70-yard drive to put the game out of reach, ending the drive with a nine-yard touchdown catch by Cameron Latu.

Nick Saban’s Alabama teams are undefeated in their last six national semifinal games with a 20.3-point average margin of victory.

The Bearcats, like all underdogs, needed something to break their way. Ridder had three passes swatted down at the line of scrimmage in the first half, including one that would’ve likely resulted in a touchdown to Alec Pierce on a shifty slant route. The defense, so dominant in the regular season, gave up three points on a drive where it had Alabama in a 3rd-and-14 situation after an illegal forward pass.

At the end of the first half, the opportunities were there, like a pot of gold in sight. Alabama kicker Will Reichard pushed a field goal attempt wide left from 44 yards, but … it turned into the third straight three-and-out offensive possession.

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Then another one. Cincinnati’s Mason Fletcher boomed a punt inside Alabama’s 20-yard line and returner JoJo Earle mishandled it. A chance to even the score before the end of the half, but… Alabama recovered and took a two-touchdown lead afterward.

The Bearcats didn’t allow a play longer than 23 yards until Young connected with Ja’Corey Brooks for a 44-yard touchdown with 1:36 left in first half. Brooks slipped past safety Bryan Cook, streaked down the left sideline, caught the ball in stride and lunged for the pylon, giving the Tide a commanding 17-3 lead.

Everyone knew Alabama’s biggest advantage over Cincinnati was its size upfront. Perennially atop the recruiting rankings with four- and five-star recruits, the Tide land the cartoon character-sized linemen armed with speed and strength.

The Tide flexed its muscle on the opening drive, running for 62 yards against a defense that allowed 137.5 rushing yards per game and reaching the red zone without Young attempting a pass. Young’s first throw was an eight-yard touchdown to receiver Slade Bolden.

Throughout the first half, it felt like the Bearcats were in bend-not-break mode. Alabama running back Brian Robinson Jr. averaged nearly eight yards per carry. Young extended plays with his feet and converted safe passes over the middle of the field, rarely challenging star cornerbacks Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and Coby Bryant. They could slow the Heisman Trophy winner, but they were knocked down by the trucks creating paths for Robinson.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Cincinnati Bearcats lose to Alabama in College Football Playoff