Cheering for Cincinnati in the CFP? Here's a guide to becoming a bandwagon UC Bearcats fan

Bummed out that the Buckeyes didn't make the College Football Playoff? Just can't bring yourself to cheer for Big Ten champion Michigan?

You're not alone.

Lucky for you, there's another Ohio team making its first appearance in the playoffs that you can pledge allegiance to this month: the University of Cincinnati Bearcats.

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Cincinnati made history Sunday when it was selected as the first non-Power 5 conference team to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. The undefeated Bearcats snagged the No. 4 slot after defeating the University of Houston in the AAC Championship game Dec. 4.

Ohio State fans will still get a chance to cheer on the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. But for Buckeyes fans looking to hop on the bandwagon and watch the Cincinnati Bearcats vie for the National Championship, here's what you need to know:

First off, what is a Cincinnati Bearcat?

The Cincy Bearcat –– a black and brown creature with bright red eyebrows, eyes and nose, clad in a UC uniform –– is the university's official mascot.

The notion of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats was born on Oct. 31, 1914, at a football game against the University of Kentucky Wildcats, according to UC's athletics department.

The story goes that during the second half of the game, UC cheerleader Norman "Pat" Lyon wanted to build on the efforts of fullback Leonard K. "Teddy" Baehr.

Lyon created the chant: "They may be Wildcats, but we have a Baehr-cat on our side."

In turn, the crowd began to cheer: "Come on, Baehr-cat!"

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Cincinnati ultimately beat Kentucky, winning 14-7. In the Nov. 3 issue of University News, the student newspaper, a front-page cartoon by John "Paddy" Reece featured a fearful Kentucky Wildcat being chased by "Cincinnati Bear Cats."

The name Bearcats stuck, but not immediately. After Baehr graduated in 1916, the nickname disappeared for a few years. It wasn't until 1919 that the Bearcats caught on again after a local reporter used the nickname in an article and was solidified as the university's mascot.

Bearcats are indeed real animals. The binturong, also known as the bearcat, is a viverrid (a family of small to medium-sized mammals) native to South and Southeast Asia. The animal is neither a bear nor a cat, though, and the original meaning of the name is lost because the local language used to name it is extinct, according to UC's athletics department.

What traditions does UC football have?

New Cincinnati football fans can expect to see a few traditions take place throughout game day.

The Cincinnati RallyCats, the university's student spirit club, break UC's football traditions into three times: pregame, game time, and postgame.

Leading up to home games, the university band marches into Nippert Stadium playing "Down the Drive." Once the band gets inside, members stand at the top of the student section and begin playing "Down the Stairs," during which the band runs down the stairs to meet the drumline on the field.

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The band then immediately transitions into UC's fight song, "Cheer Cincinnati." After the pregame show and national anthem play, the Bearcats run onto the field while the band plays and the student section sings "Cheer Cincinnati."

During the game, there are a few more traditions.

At every kickoff, fans start yelling "Cinciiiiiiiiiiii..." and get increasingly louder as the kicker runs toward the ball. Once the ball is kicked, fans shout in unison "'N-A-T-I!"

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Bearcats get a first down? Join the student section in cheering: "First and 10, do it again! Let's-go-'Cats!"

And on a Cincinnati touchdown, get ready to sing "Cheer Cincinnati." During home games, UC's ROTC fires a cannon while cadets do a pushup for every point that the Bearcats have while the student section counts.

At the end of each game, win or lose, Bearcat fans sing UC's alma mater. If the Bearcats win, they also sing "Cheer Cincinnati."

Who coaches the University of Cincinnati football team?

Luke Fickell is the head coach of Cincinnati's football team.

Most Ohio State fans already know Fickell, a Columbus native who started his football career at St. Francis DeSales High School on the Northeast Side and played for the Buckeyes as a nose guard from 1993 to 1996. Fickell went on to sign with the New Orleans Saints in 1997 as an undrafted free agent, but a torn ACL cut his NFL career short.

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After the NFL and one year as a graduate assistant at Ohio State in 1999, Fickell was hired by the University of Akron Zips as a defensive line coach. He coached there for two years before coming to Ohio State under former head coach Jim Tressel.

In his two-decade career with the Buckeyes as both student and coach, Fickell was the special teams coordinator, linebackers coach, interim head coach and co-defensive coordinator. Fickell helped lead the Buckeyes to the 2014 national championship under former head coach Urban Meyer.

In December 2016, Fickell was named head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats. Fickell has been named AAC Coach of the Year three times during his time with the Bearcats, in 2018, 2020 and 2021.

Any important UC football players I should know?

Three Cincinnati Bearcats made the cut in Pro Football Focus' latest top 100 big board for the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft.

Coming in at No. 26 on the list is junior cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner. The Detroit native has been a starter since he was a true freshman, and he hasn’t allowed a single touchdown in his career.

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Quarterback Desmond Ridder landed the No. 36 spot on this year's list. Ridder, originally from Louisville, is the "nation's winningest quarterback with a career record of 41-5 (89.1%)," according to UC's athletic department. The junior has the most career rushing touchdowns of any Cincinnati quarterback at 27.

Edge rusher Myjai Sanders rounds out UC's contributions to the list at No. 47. The senior from Jacksonville, Florida, has had an up-and-down season, but commentators say his impact on the team goes beyond this season's stats.

When and where can I watch Cincinnati Bearcats football team play?

The Bearcats will play No. 1-ranked University of Alabama in Dallas at AT&T Stadium at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 31. The game will air on ESPN.

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Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for the Columbus Dispatch. You can reach her at shendrix@dispatch.com and follow her on Twitter at @sheridan120.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: College football playoff: How to be a bandwagon Cincinnati Bearcat fan