The fifth time's a charm as No. 9 Cincinnati and No. 23 Tulsa hope to finally square off after four previous cancellations or postponements. The stakes are high, as not only will the winner wear the American Athletic Conference crown, but the victor will be eligible for an invite to a New Year's Six bowl as well.
Cincinnati (8-0) is the highest-ranked Group of 5 team and will need some help in order to become the first non-Power 5 program to make the College Football Playoff. While the Bearcats likely don't stand much of a chance of moving into one of the coveted four playoff spots, they do have a comparable resume to Clemson and Notre Dame with a pair of wins over ranked teams at the time. Cincinnati beat then No. 22 Army 24-10 and walloped No. 16 SMU by 29 points two games later.
The Bearcats are led by their quarterback Desmond Ridder who was just named the AAC Offensive Player of the Year earlier this week. Ridder has passed for 1,821 yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for 526 yards and 11 scores this season. Head coach Luke Fickell, who is 34-13 in four seasons at Cincinnati, also earned his second AAC Coach of the Year honor and continues to be a hot name in this offseason's coaching carousel.
MORE: Watch Cincinnati vs. Tulsa live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
Tulsa (6-1) similarly has two wins over teams that were ranked at the time of the game and lost a close defensive battle to then No. 11 Oklahoma State to start the season. While Cincinnati's defense may steal much of the praise, the Golden Hurricane's total defense ranks 20th in the country, allowing just 329.4 yards per game. The defense is bolstered by linebacker Zaven Collins, who was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Here's everything you need to know to watch Cincinnati vs. Tulsa on Saturday, including kickoff time, TV channels and more.
What channel is Cincinnati vs. Tulsa on today?
- TV channel (national): ABC
- Live stream: fuboTV
Cincinnati vs. Tulsa will be broadcast live on ABC starting at 8 p.m. ET. The game follows the ACC Championship between Clemson and Notre Dame on the network.
Cincinnati vs. Tulsa start time
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 19
- Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
The matchup between the Bearcats and Golden Hurricanes is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be held in Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium, and some 1,500 people are expected to be in attendance.
Cincinnati football schedule 2020
| Date | Game |
| Sept. 19 | Cincinnati 55, Austin Peay 20 |
| Sept. 26 | Cincinnati 24, Army 10 |
| Oct. 3 | Cincinnati 28, South Florida 7 |
| Oct. 24 | Cincinnati 42, SMU 13 |
| Oct. 31 | Cincinnati 49, Memphis 10 |
| Nov. 7 | Cincinnati 38, Houston 10 |
| Nov. 13 | Cincinnati 55, East Carolina 17 |
| Nov. 21 | Cincinnati 36, Central Florida 33 |
| Nov. 28 | at Temple (canceled) |
| Dec. 12 | at Tulsa (canceled) |
| Dec 19 | vs Tulsa |
Tulsa football schedule 2020
| Date | Game |
| Sept. 19 | Oklahoma State 16, Tulsa 7 |
| Sept. 26 | at Arkansas State (canceled) |
| Oct. 3 | Tulsa 34, Central Florida 26 |
| Oct. 23 | Tulsa 42, South Florida 13 |
| Oct. 30 | Tulsa 34, East Carolina 30 |
| Nov. 14 | Tulsa 28, SMU 24 |
| Nov. 19 | Tulsa 30, Tulane 24 |
| Nov. 28 | at Houston (canceled) |
| Dec. 5 | Tulsa 19, Navy 6 |
| Dec 12 | vs. Cincinnati (canceled) |
| Dec. 19 | at Cincinnati |