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Bearcats want to prove themselves vs No. 22 OSU

By WTOP Staff

JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer

CINCINNATI (AP) — These chances don’t come around often for the Bearcats.

Cincinnati (2-0) lost a lot of regular opportunities to prove itself against ranked teams when conference realignment stripped the schedule of long-time rivalries. The Bearcats’ best chance to gain national attention this season comes on Saturday at No. 22 Ohio State (2-1), a team that it would love to have as a regular rival.

That’s not going to happen, so the Bearcats know they need to make the most of this one.

“We’ve anticipated this day for a while now,” said receiver Shaq Washington, who grew up in northern Ohio. “Leading up to this game, a lot of emotions are running high.

“It’s a chance for us to go out and show the world what we’re capable of. We want to take advantage of it.”

A win in Columbus would be a big deal in many ways.

The Buckeyes haven’t lost to an in-state school since a 7-6 defeat against Oberlin in 1921. Ohio State hasn’t lost in 44 consecutive games against other Ohio teams.

Cincinnati came as close as any to pulling off the big upset. Ohio State came to Paul Brown Stadium unbeaten in 2002 and watched the Bearcats drop two passes in the end zone during the closing minutes of a 23-19 Buckeye win. Ohio State went on to win the national championship.

The Buckeyes were supposed to come back to Cincinnati in 2012, but paid $1 million to buy out the deal and move the game to Columbus. They’ll play again in 2019 in Columbus.

“We’ve been looking forward to it for a while,” defensive end Silverberry Mouhon said Tuesday. “It’s been on our minds since the summertime when we first heard about it. It’s an opportunity for us to show what we can do on that much of a stage.

“At the same time, we’re just going to show that we are the best school in the state of Ohio.”

The Bearcats have a strong passing game that could take advantage of Ohio State’s problems in the secondary. The big question is how Gunner Kiel handles the pressure.

Kiel transferred from Notre Dame, sat out last season and tied the school record with six touchdown passes in his debut, a 58-34 win over Toledo. He threw for four more touchdowns, but was erratic during a 34-21 win over Miami of Ohio last Saturday.

“He needs to quit pressing,” coach Tommy Tuberville said Tuesday. “He also needs some help. He got a lot of help the first game. The good passes he threw, we didn’t drop any of them. And he threw three last week that should have been caught, one of them for a touchdown.”

Kiel acknowledged that he was extremely nervous before his debut at Paul Brown Stadium against Toledo. Tuberville is interested to see how he reacts before the huge crowd in Columbus.

“Hopefully, he doesn’t recognize how many people are there,” Tuberville said. “Hopefully, all of them don’t.”

The Bearcats used to have plenty of games against nationally ranked teams — and were often ranked themselves — when they were in the Big East, playing in the Orange Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. They got left behind in conference realignment and lost most of their long-time rivals when they ended up in the American Athletic Conference.

That contributes to making the game at Ohio State a special opportunity.

“It’s a measuring stick for us to see where we’re at with our speed, our talent and our linemen,” Tuberville said. “I’m anxious to see how we match up.”

Ohio State tight ends coach Tim Hinton was an assistant at Cincinnati from 2004-09, helping build the program to where it is now. He was with the Bearcats for their 27-6 loss at Ohio State in 2004 and again in 2006 when they fell 37-7.

“Listen, the one thing I know: I stood on that sideline twice with the University of Cincinnati coming against Ohio State,” Hinton said. “I know how special it is for those guys to come into the stadium and play us.

“They’re going to come in with a lot of enthusiasm. They’re going to come in with that little chip on the shoulder: ‘We’re the other. We’re an Ohio team also and we’ve got something to prove.'”

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AP Sports Writer Rusty Miller in Columbus contributed to this report.

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Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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