In this week’s review, a monumental win for Cincinnati Football. The Cincinnati Bengals come from behind for a prime time win. While the 2021 Cincinnati Reds season comes to a close.

Cincinnati Football’s milestone win at Notre Dame

Then No.7 Cincinnati Football got their biggest win in program history to date last Saturday. Beating then No.9 Notre Dame Football in South Bend, IN 24-13. In perhaps the biggest top ten game of the weekend. It’s Cincinnati’s first road win against a top ten opponent. How Cincinnati won is the most impressive part of their Saturday performance.

The Cincinnati Bearcats never trailed in this game. Taking a 17-0 lead into halftime; many likely expected that score to be flipped going into last Saturday. Notre Dame tried to surge out of their corner swinging for a knockout. Moving quickly down the field in their opening drive. Which was thwarted by Ahmad Gardner’s 2nd and Goal interception. Deshawn Pace snagged a Bearcats interception in the second quarter. Setting the stage for Cincinnati’s opening touchdown; a Desmond Ridder pass to Leonard Taylor.

17-13 in the fourth was the closest Notre Dame ultimately got in this game. Ridder’s six-yard rushing touchdown and Cole Smith’s extra point marked the final points of the game. The Bearcats got the ball back in the final two and a half minutes to close out the game. Snapping Notre Dame’s 26-game home winning streak. The second longest at the Football Bowl Subdivision level going into last Saturday.

Cincinnati moved up two spots in the AP Top 25 to reach No.5 in this week’s poll. One spot behind their program record; set during Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly’s tenure in Cincinnati. Kelly had to manage with a revolving door of quarterbacks in this game. Drew Pyne, Jack Coan and Tyler Buchner were under center for Notre Dame. While Desmond Ridder went un-intercepted; as he played the entire game for Cincinnati.

Next up for No.5 Cincinnati, their American Athletic Conference opener. Featuring Temple Football at Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium this Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 PM Eastern on ESPN. This and the rest of their AAC games will be pivotal for the Bearcats. In keeping their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Hopes that are much more realistic thanks to their South Bend top ten victory.

Elsewhere in local college football news, Kentucky Football had a milestone win of their own last Saturday. Beating then No.10 Florida Football in Lexington, KY 20-13. It’s Kentucky’s first win at home against Florida since 1986. 5-0 Kentucky is now ranked 16th in the AP Top 25 and 14th in the AFCA Coaches Poll. Next up for Kentucky, a home game against LSU Football. That game is set to kickoff at 7:30 PM Eastern on SEC Network.

Cincinnati Bengals comeback prime time win

While the Bearcats were in control throughout last Saturday’s game. The Cincinnati Bengals had to battle from behind. To beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-21 last Thursday in Cincinnati. Thanks to Evan McPherson’s 35 yard game-winning last second field goal. Cincinnati trailed 14-0 at halftime, it could’ve been a 20-22 point deficit. If not for a critical goal line stop by Cincinnati defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi and linebacker Logan Wilson. Ogunjobi was injured on the fourth and goal second quarter play.

McPherson, Wilson and Ogunjobi were among the Bengals that came through in clutch situations for Cincinnati. Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon and C.J. Uzomah were other clutch playmakers. The three combined for Cincinnati’s three touchdowns. Uzomah scored Cincinnati’s first and third touchdowns. A 22 yd reception in the third quarter and a 31 yd reception in the fourth. Mixon scored through a one yard run in the third.

The second half comeback was the culmination of a night saluting the Bengals’ inaugural Ring of Honor class. Ken Anderson, Anthony Munoz, the late Ken Riley and Paul Brown were saluted. The 1981 AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals were also celebrated last Thursday. You can watch the Ring of Honor induction ceremony here. Next up for the 3-1 Bengals, a home game this Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Sunday’s game is set to kickoff at 1 PM Eastern on FOX.

Cincinnati Reds end 2021 season on winning note

The Cincinnati Reds wrapped up their 2021 season on a mixed yet winning note. While they’re missing out on the MLB Postseason. The Reds wrapped up their second-consecutive winning regular season. Concluding their 2021 season with an 83-79 record. The Reds won their first and last games of last week.

Cincinnati beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in last Monday’s home finale for Cincinnati. Then beating the Pirates last Sunday in their season finale. With Nick Castellanos ending his season with his 100th run batted in. Along with Joey Votto hitting his 99th RBI in a monumental season for both. The Reds lost every game in between last Monday and Sunday. Getting swept by the Chicago White Sox and losing two out of three against Pittsburgh.

Cincinnati went into last week with a slim chance of getting a postseason berth. They needed to win their six games last week. While also needing the St. Louis Cardinals to lose their games last week. Those hopes were dashed last Tuesday; when the Cardinals won their 17th-consecutive game. A team record winning streak snapped a day later.

While the Cardinals surged late, Cincinnati did plenty to wreck their own postseason hopes. Through a late slide leaving Reds fans wondering what could’ve been. Losing eight-consecutive series between late August and late September. Despite that slide, back-to-back winning seasons is impressive. Given where the Reds were in the last half of the 2010’s.

FC Cincinnati lose Marshall’s debut matches

After firing head coach Jaap Stam last Monday morning. Tyrone Marshall had two days to prepare for his first match as FC Cincinnati’s interim head coach. Familiar problems stuck to FCC in their two matches last week. FC Cincinnati had another one-goal lead slip away. In their 3-2 loss last Wednesday at Toronto FC.

Ronald Matarrita scored FCC’s first goal in the 38th minute. Toronto’s Jacob Shaffelburg, Marco Delgado and Ifunanyachi Achara scored in the second half. FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta scored in the 72nd minute. Last Saturday, FCC lost 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls in Cincinnati. The lone goal came from Andrew Gutman in the 73rd minute.

FC Cincinnati will host Philadelphia Union this Saturday. The match is set to kickoff at 8 PM Eastern on WSTR-TV 64. This match is coming days after Chris Albright left the Philadelphia Union. To become FC Cincinnati’s new general manager. Albright was most recently Philadelphia’s technical director. The 42 year old previously played for Philadelphia from 2012-13. Albright succeeds Gerard Nijkamp who parted ways with FCC last August.