Cotton Bowl Game
Real Madrid's Marcelo lifts the trophy as players celebrate winning the Champions League final soccer match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint Denis near Paris, Saturday, May 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Real Madrid, Barcelona to meet in Las Vegas during US tour

By Greg Beacham Jun. 10, 2022 11:02 AM EDT

FILE - Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell walks onto the field before the Cotton Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game against Alabama, Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. Fickell has received a two-year contract extension through 2028 and a raise to $5 million per year after leading the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff. The university board of trustees approved the contract extension Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022, also increasing the football staff salary pool to $5.2 million per year. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth, File)
Cincinnati extends Luke Fickell's contract after playoff run

Feb. 22, 2022 11:37 AM EST

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett tosses oranges after their win against Michigan in the Orange Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game, Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Georgia won 34-11.(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
CFP title game QBs: Former 5-star recruit vs. former walk-on

By Stephen Hawkins Jan. 01, 2022 02:23 PM EST

Alabama's Jahleel Billingsley (19) leaps over Cincinnati's Ja'von Hicks (3) during the first half of the Cotton Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game, Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
Run Tide! No. 1 Bama over non-P5 Cincy 27-6 in CFP semi

By Stephen Hawkins Dec. 31, 2021 07:14 PM EST

Alabama running back Trey Sanders (6) runs for a first down against Cincinnati during the second half of the Cotton Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game, Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
Ridder, breakthrough Bearcats stall in 27-6 loss to Alabama

By Schuyler Dixon Dec. 31, 2021 07:07 PM EST

No. 1 Alabama beats No. 4 Cincinnati 27-6 in College Football Playoff semifinal at Cotton Bowl to advance to title game

Dec. 31, 2021 06:58 PM EST
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — No. 1 Alabama beats No. 4 Cincinnati 27-6 in College Football Playoff semifinal at Cotton Bowl to advance to title game. ...

Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell watches his team warm up before the Cotton Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game against Alabama, Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
DB Hill starts Orange Bowl for Michigan after late arrival

Stephen Hawkins Dec. 31, 2021 04:54 PM EST

Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh speaks during a coaches luncheon ahead of the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game, Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021, in Miami. Michigan will play Georgia in the Orange Bowl on Friday, Dec. 31. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Avoiding coronavirus part of quieter bowl week for CFP teams

By Ralph D. Russo Dec. 31, 2021 02:32 AM EST

FILE - Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) looks to pass from the pocket during the first half of the American Athletic Conference championship NCAA college football game against Houston Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Cincinnati. The fourth-ranked Bearcats (13-0) get their shot in the CFP semifinal Cotton Bowl on Friday, Dec. 31 against No. 1 defending national champion Alabama. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File)
Non-P5 Cincy takes CFP journey to Cotton semi against Bama

By Stephen Hawkins Dec. 30, 2021 02:38 PM EST

FILE - Alabama quarterback Bryce Young (9) warms up as offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, left, watches before an NCAA college football game against Florida, on Sept. 18, 2021, in Gainesville, Fla. Young views the Heisman Trophy as about what he and Alabama have already done, not what the top-ranked Crimson Tide are still trying to accomplish in his first season as their starting quarterback. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
No. 1 Alabama faces upstart Bearcats in Cotton Bowl CFP semi

By The Associated Press Dec. 30, 2021 12:18 PM EST

Alabama head coach Nick Saban speaks to players during the first half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game against Georgia, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Tide's Robinson ready to ramp up run game against Cincinnati

By Eric Olson Dec. 30, 2021 02:26 AM EST

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett (left) and offensive lineman Xavier Truss walk to team practice for the Orange Bowl at Barry University on Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, in Miami Shores, Fla. Georgia plays Michigan at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., in the Orange Bowl CFP Semifinal. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Smart: Stetson to start at QB; Daniels health still unclear

By Ralph D. Russo Dec. 29, 2021 06:06 PM EST

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young holds the Heisman Trophy at an award ceremony, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, in New York. (Todd Van Emst/Heisman Trust via AP, Pool)
Young says Heisman reflects past as Bama seeks another title

By Stephen Hawkins Dec. 29, 2021 04:06 PM EST

FILE - Cincinnati tight end Josh Whyle makes a catch against South Florida during the first half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. College teams haven't quite unlocked the full potential of the position as effectively as the pros, but Friday, Dec. 31 College Football Playoff with No. 1 Alabama facing No. 4 Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl will put players with potential to be part of the next wave of dominate tight ends on display. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
Tight ends take center stage in College Football Playoff

By Ralph D. Russo Dec. 29, 2021 02:17 PM EST

Alabama wide receiver John Metchie III (8) misses the catch against Georgia during the first half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Alabama turning to Brooks, others to fill Metchie's void

By John Zenor Dec. 29, 2021 01:15 PM EST

FILE - Cincinnati running back Jerome Ford (24) carries the ball as he breaks a tackle against UCF linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, in Cincinnati. For Cincinnati (13-0), a member of the second-tier American Athletic Conference, the planets aligned. The Bearcats landed as the No. 4 seed in the CFP, invading the domain of college football's blue bloods. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster, File)
Bearcats RB Jerome Ford sheds 'the Alabama transfer' label

By Stephen Hawkins Dec. 28, 2021 04:50 PM EST

Alabama head coach Nick Saban leaves the field after the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game between Georgia and Alabama, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Atlanta. Alabama won 41-24. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
'Stay focused': CFP games arrive with pandemic raging, again

By Tim Reynolds Dec. 27, 2021 03:27 PM EST

FILE - Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell prepares to take players onto the field prior to an NCAA college football game against Miami (Ohio) Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, in Cincinnati. For Cincinnati (13-0), a member of the second-tier American Athletic Conference, the planets aligned. The Bearcats landed as the No. 4 seed in the CFP, invading the domain of college football's blue bloods. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File)
No. 1 Alabama without OC and No. 4 Cincy arrive for CFP semi

By Stephen Hawkins Dec. 26, 2021 03:29 PM EST

FIEL - Florida defensive lineman Zachary Carter (6) encourages fans during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Alabama, on Sept. 18, 2021, in Gainesville, Fla. Carter is opting out of the team’s bowl game to begin preparing for the NFL draft. He made his announcement on social media Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, thanking coaches from two regimes, fans, teammates and relatives (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
Alabama at Florida 9/18/2021

Dec. 10, 2021 06:43 PM EST

Cincinnati defensive lineman Curtis Brooks (92) celebrates with teammates after making a stop on third down during the second half of the American Athletic Conference championship NCAA college football game against Houston Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Bearcats vs Tide: Cotton Bowl CFP semifinal at a glance

By The Associated Press Dec. 05, 2021 04:09 PM EST