Cincinnati may cause problems for Irish people

CINCINNATI, OH OCTOBER 03: Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame football defense coordinator Cincinnati Bearcats speaks with his players during a game against the South Florida Bulls at Nippert Stadium on October 3, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati won 28-7. (Photo: Joe Robbins / Getty Images)

The Notre Dame football team will host the Cincinnati Bearcats in the regular season 2021 in a game with a lot of stories.

Despite their relative proximity, Notre Dame football and Cincinnati have only played once in their entire history. It happened more than 120 years ago, in 1900, when Notre Dame football defeated Cincinnati 58-0.

They chose an excellent time for their second meeting as the Irish are coming out of two College Football Playoffs in three years, while the Bearcats are widely regarded as the top team in the five teams.

Put aside how exciting the match is with this game on the field, the coaches are surrounded by a lot of interest. Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly was in Cincinnati before getting a job in South Bend, and while there, Kelly set a 34-6 record and has been selected for the Cincinnati Athletics Hall.

Meanwhile, Kelly had just brought Marcus Freeman as his new defense coordinator, and in his previous role as defense coordinator in Cincinnati, he was a key figure in the Bearcats ’recent rise to the top of the G5.

The game itself is in Notre Dame’s tough times right after the trip to Soldier Field to play Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Cincinnati gets past a week to get into the game.

For the Bearcats, this game is vital. Cincinnati is in an excellent position in a world where the (presumably) G5 team can make the current four-team College Football Playoff. They’ve been a consistent name for a few years, and they’re heading into 2021 with a lot of jumps and a tough off-conference schedule.

Trips to Indiana and Notre Dame are wins on which they can hang their hats, while UCF and SMU offer fireworks at the conference. If all goes well and the Bearcats go undefeated, they could hypothetically be considered for the playoffs.

But what are the chances for Cincinnati to go to South Bend and win, and should Notre Dame be worried about losing the home of G5 power?