ESPN's FPI ranks Cincinnati as the No. 70 team nationally

Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsESPN's metric measures team strength and it has the Bearcats at No. 70 nationally.

After entering last season with high hopes and lofty expectations, Cincinnati Bearcats football took a bit of a dive in the deceptively deep American Athletic Conference, en route to a 7-6 overall record (with a 42-7 embarrassment against San Diego State in the Hawaii Bowl) and a 4-4 record in the AAC.

The expectations aren't as high heading into this season, as evidenced by ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) team ratings, where Cincinnati falls in at No. 70 nationally. The Bearcats are projected to match their win total from 2015 with seven wins and five losses, according to the…