Thousands donning red and black flocked into Nippert Stadium to usher in the first Saturday of December. Nippert Stadium is one of the oldest venues college football has to offer, as it first broke ground in 1901. But there was a different, unforeseen aura in the century-old setting on this particular Saturday night, as it served as the nucleus of history for the Cincinnati Bearcats.
For the first time in the venue’s existence, a College Football Playoff berth was on the line. No. 4 Cincinnati hadn’t lost in the confines of its stadium since 2017, riding a 26-game home win streak heading into the AAC Championship Game.