The Cincinnati Bearcats have had an extraordinary run in 2020 under head coach Luke Fickell, with a 9-0 record and an American Athletic Conference Championship.

Although people surrounding the program feel they were snubbed for a spot in the College Football Playoff, the Bearcats did earn a ticket to the Chik-Fil-A Peach Bowl, where they will play 7-2 Georgia on New Year’s Day. Now in his fourth season at Cincinnati, Fickell gave high praise to the Bulldogs when previewing the matchup in front of the media.

“We believe this is the best team we have faced since I’ve been here at the University of Cincinnati,” said Fickell.

“From what I’ve told our team, from what I’ve watched, from what I’ve seen, this is a really, really good football team. I know we’ve got to be at our best and play at our best.”

Fickell especially noted the momentum Georgia has created at the tail end of the season, specifically on offense with wins over Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Missouri.

“I think you’ve seen that maturity, you’ve seen that ability for them to mature and develop throughout that season, kind of settle into what they are as an offense. I think they’re playing a lot better here in the last three to four games than maybe what you had seen rhythm early on.”