But that doesn't mean Dantonio, starting his third season at the Cincy helm and trying to get the Bearcats recognized in a pro city and in the same state as Ohio State, is willing to concede anything to Ohio State, Virginia Tech or anyone else on the slate.

"When we can play with Louisville straight up, we'll be in business," the coach said at the annual Big East media day. "How long that's going to take ... I would hope it happens this year. I would expect it would happen this year."

The Bearcats don't draw, and last year they didn't win. But Dantonio's contract has been extended back to its original five-year length, so there's confidence in the coach.

The '06 Bearcats were picked seventh in an eight-team league by the Big East media, which means people are expecting Cincinnati to have its second consecutive losing season in the new league. Naturally, Dantonio thinks it can turn out a lot differently than what the prognosticators prognosticated.

"I really do expect to go to a bowl game," Dantonio said. "We have the experience to win every game. I'd be disappointed if we didn't go to a bowl game this year.

"The schedule's tough, but things are in line with our players. The excitement is there."

But so is that schedule.

The Bearcats, who were actually 4-4 before losing the final three games of the 2005 season -- by a combined 113-25 score -- open with home games against Eastern Kentucky and Pittsburgh (the conference opener) but then have back-to-back road games at Ohio State and Virginia Tech. Cincy is also at Louisville and West Virginia in conference play.

So, if you go in thinking that's four losses right there, the Cats need to go 6-2 in the other eight games to finish even.

"The single most (important) thing for us is turnovers (34 of them last year)," Dantonio says. "If our turnover ratio is in the top 20 in the nation, we'll be a 7-5 team."

Obviously, that's easier said than done.

What would another losing season mean to the Bearcats? To Dantonio? Well, this was a bowl program two years ago (a win in the Fort Worth Bowl in Dantonio's first season) so you'd like to think the grace period in the Big East will continue into next season. The school expressed its confidence in Dantonio by extending his contract back to its original five years.

The Cats have talented players. TE Brent Celek is as good as there is in the league, and LB Corey Smith and CB Mike Mickens were second team All-Big East last year -- the latter pair are two of the 10 returning starters. Last year's team was young. This year's version is more experienced but faces that killer schedule.

KEY EARLY SEASON GAME: vs. Pittsburgh, Sept. 8 -- Forget non-league road games you won’t be expected to win down the line against Ohio State and Virginia Tech. The Big East opener, against a Pitt team picked third in the conference, could go a long way toward making this a .500 team at season's end. A loss, with those tough games coming up, could be damaging.

THE BEARCATS WILL SUCCEED IF: They can keep their turnovers to a minimum and not get too badly beaten up in road games against Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Louisville and West Virginia. Having more experience than a year ago should be huge, but the '05 Bearcats turned the ball over 34 times.

THE BEARCATS WILL FAIL IF: The losing ways from the end of last season -- three defeats by a combined 113-25 -- carry over at all, and/or the players expected to lead are just so-so and not able to lead the team with authority.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I didn't see either newspaper from Cincinnati, I didn't see one TV camera from Cincinnati or one radio microphone. I saw people there for the other seven schools, but not Cincinnati." -- Cincinnati coach Mark Dantonio on the lack of attention his team gets in Cincinnati.

HEAD COACH: Mark Dantonio, third year at Cincinnati, 11-12 with the Bearcats.

MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER: QB Dustin Grutza -- Cincinnati coach Mark Dantonio, like most of his brethren in the trade, believes it starts and ends at the QB spot. Grutza is a second-year starter who completed 56 percent of his passes last year. He has to improve on his TD-interception ratio (11 TDs and 11 INTs last year), but being more experienced should help. "(He) was inconstant last year," says Cincy coach Mark Dantonio.

BREAKOUT STAR: TE Brent Celek -- Already a star for this team, Celek should get even more national attention playing with a more-experienced quarterback. One of the league's best caught 32 passes last year and should grab even more.

NEWCOMER TO WATCH: DE Ricardo Mathews -- His coach calls Mathews "a very good football player," and Mark Dantonio is counting on the 6-3, 265-pound freshman from Jacksonville to step in and help.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: Offense -- QB Dustin Grutza, RB Greg Moore, RB Doug Jones, WR Earnest Jackson, WR Bill Poland, TE Brent Celek, LT Digger Bujnoch, LG Jeff Reinstatler, C Mario Duenas, ORG Trevor Canfield, ORT J.P. Simon.

Defense -- DE Anthony Hoke, DT Terrill Byrd, DT Tony Carvitti, DE Trevor Anderson, OLB Corey Smith, MLB Kevin McCullough, OLB Anthony Williams, CB Mike Mickens, CB John Bowie, FS Haruki Nakamura, SS Dominic Ross.

ROSTER REPORT:

--The Bearcats went through spring practice without several key players, but all, led by LB Corey Smith, were back for fall practice.

--WR Derrick Stewart, ineligible last year, could be a factor.