Cincinnati Football’s American Athletic Conference title hopes face some pivotal tests. Starting with a de-facto division title game this Saturday.

There’s much at stake for the Cincinnati Bearcats this Saturday. With Temple Football coming to Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium for Senior Night. Cincinnati is currently two games ahead in the AAC East with two games left. Victory this Saturday will guarantee the Bearcats win their division outright. Clinching a spot in their first ever AAC championship game appearance.

One major factor in Saturday’s game will be Cincinnati’s defense. Cincinnati’s defense will need to disrupt Temple’s passing game. The Bearcats have struggled to stop opponent’s passing games all season long. Cincinnati fell behind 10-0 last Saturday against USF Football before scoring. USF’s 267 receiving yards in that game were a key contributing factor. Temple has the edge over Cincinnati in passing yards going into Saturday. However, Cincinnati’s offense is more balanced compared to Temple’s pass-heavy offense.

Conference title hopes add layers of intrigue into the next couple of weeks. The chase for a prestigious New Year’s Six bowl bid adds even more intrigue. This makes the latest College Football Playoff rankings worth noting. The rankings will play a role in whether the Bearcats qualify for a New Year’s Six bowl. Cincinnati is now 19th in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.

No.19 Cincinnati dropped from a season-high 17th in last week’s rankings. The Bearcats are ranked 17th in the AP Top 25; staying in the same spot they were in last week. The drop is likely due to their nail-biter win over USF Football last Saturday. The Bearcats are no longer the top Group of Five team in the rankings. Conference rival No.18 Memphis Football now holds the best Group of Five ranking.

Memphis and Cincinnati will likely stay closely paired in next week’s rankings. Adding more importance to their November 29th clash in Memphis. Where home field advantage for the AAC title game could be on the line. Memphis currently has the inside track in the AAC West title race. Making that game a potential tune up for the December 7th championship game.

This title chase is by far the most fun story in Cincinnati sports right now. Certainly when compared to a disastrous Cincinnati Bengals season. Now potentially facing a franchise-worst 0-11 start to their season. Meanwhile, the Bearcats are nationally ranked and contending for a conference title. Giving the Bearcats an opportunity to mildly “throw shade” on the Bengals.

Saturday’s Bearcats game is set to kickoff at 7 PM Eastern time on ESPN2.