Cincinnati Football: 10 Gifts the Bearcats Hope to Find Under the Tree This Year

With Christmas only a week away, the University of Cincinnati football team has a lot to be thankful for during this holiday season.

They won a share of the Big East title for the third time in four seasons and are heading to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis on New Year's Eve.

As always, the football team and the university certainly have their Christmas wish list during the holiday season. Here are 10 things the Cincinnati Bearcats football team hopes to find under the Christmas tree.

Fans in the Stands

Attendance has been a major problem for the home games Cincinnati has played this season. They were only able to get 28,000 fans in the season finale against Connecticut with the Big East title on the line.

What better Christmas present for the team than Bearcats fans heading south and supporting them in the Liberty Bowl against Vanderbilt?

So far ticket sales have been relatively good, and Cincinnati does travel well to bowl games compared to the crowds they get at home.

Butch Jones Stays in Clifton

Butch Jones has been rumored for multiple head coaching positions, but it looks now like he is likely to stay in Clifton.

The Bearcat faithful would like nothing more than for Jones to hang around for the next 10-plus years and build a program in Clifton instead of bolting for greener pastures.

Jones pledging his allegiance to the Cincinnati football program and staying in Cincinnati would be a great present for the team and the university.

A Healthy Zach Collaros

The status of injured quarterback Zach Collaros is still very much up in the air.

Collaros began practicing last week, and head coach Butch Jones has said it is about a 50-50 shot as to whether or not he will be healthy enough to play.

If he can play, it will give Cincinnati a big boost and could be the best Christmas present the team could possibly get.

D.J. Woods

The Bearcats' senior receiver has been virtually nonexistent all season after being a second-team All-Big East selection a year ago.

Woods has been demoted as the punt returner and is now the No. 3 or 4 target for quarterback Munchie Legaux. A few big plays from Woods in the bowl game could be just what the doctor ordered for Cincinnati.

A Liberty Bowl Victory

Cincinnati would like nothing more than a Liberty Bowl victory as a late Christmas present.

The Bearcats have played all season and exceeded expectations the entire time. As underdogs in the Liberty Bowl, pulling off the upset and winning a big bowl game after being predicted to finish fifth in the Big East would be a huge present.

A Big Game from Isaiah Pead

Big East Offensive Player of the Year Isaiah Pead has been relatively quiet since the injury to Zach Collaros, and Cincinnati will need a big game from him to knock off Vanderbilt.

What better Christmas present for Cincinnati than a huge day from their star player in helping to lead them to victory in the biggest game of the season?

Big Bad Wolfe

Derek Wolfe is clearly the best player on the Cincinnati roster, and as a second-team All-American he will certainly be moving on to the NFL next season.

Wolfe will need to deliver one more time for a Bearcats team that he has put on his back on the defensive side of the ball. If he can come up big, Cincinnati should come out victorious in Memphis.

Nice Weather in Memphis

On a lighter note, one Christmas present that would make everybody happy—particularly the fans who are attending the game—would be some nice weather at the Liberty Bowl.

It is still too early to tell how nice it will be when the Bearcats and Commodores take the field in Memphis, but some sun and a temperature near the 60s would be an ideal Christmas present.

A Great Recruiting Class

Cincinnati will have to replace senior starters at nearly every position, and they are currently on pace to have the best recruiting class in the history of the program.

The class ranks in the top 30 according to all major websites, and a nice present would be for Cincinnati to get some big commitments later in the signing period before National Signing Day in February.

Great Defensive Effort

The defense has been much improved this season and has come up with some big plays that have led to victories.

They will need one more big-time effort against a solid Vanderbilt rushing attack to come out victorious in this one. This group of seniors, led by J.K. Schaffer and Derek Wolfe, is ready for one last stand before they depart the university.