2008 Cincinnati Bearcats football team

2008 Cincinnati Bearcats football
Big East champion
ConferenceBig East Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 17
APNo. 17
Record11–3 (6–1 Big East)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJeff Quinn (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorJoe Tresey (2nd season)
Home stadiumNippert Stadium
Seasons
← 2007
2009 →
2008 Big East Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 17 Cincinnati $   6 1     11 3  
Pittsburgh   5 2     9 4  
No. 23 West Virginia   5 2     9 4  
Rutgers   5 2     8 5  
Connecticut   3 4     8 5  
South Florida   2 5     8 5  
Louisville   1 6     5 7  
Syracuse   1 6     3 9  
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2008 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team, coached by Brian Kelly, played its homes game in Nippert Stadium. Kelly was in his second full season with the Bearcats after coaching them to a 31–21 win against Southern Miss in the 2007 PapaJohns.com Bowl. On Friday, November 28, 2008, the Bearcats clinched a share of the Big East Conference title for the first time since joining the Big East in 2005. With a victory over Syracuse on November 29, 2008 the Bearcats became the outright football champions of the Big East and set a record with an average attendance of 31,964. After a disappointing loss to Virginia Tech in the 2009 Orange Bowl, the Bearcats finished 17th in the AP Poll for the second consecutive year. With West Virginia falling off Cincinnati became the front runner to win the big east.