As I sat at my desk and the Portsmouth Daily Times watching the Bearcats suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of wunderkind Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators I was having a very hard time thinking about what to write in this blog.

I admit that I would have liked to see my hometown Cincinnati Bearcats in the national title game. I'll further admit that I let my brain entertain the notion that they could beat Florida. Even trailing 30-3 at the half I thought, "Man wouldn't it be great to see UC have the greatest comeback ever?"

Of course I knew it was for naught. The Bearcats aren't in that league — yet.

Florida outclassed the Cincinnati. The Bearcats actually didn't play awful. They called good plays and executed — Florida's players just overpowered and outran them at every turn.

I think this game also helps highlight the need for a college football playoff. Cincinnati's season would certainly be worthy of a spot in a post-season but Florida's performance showed that, given another shot, they could very well win a national championship.

I spent a lot of this year asking people to give UC a chance, to accept them as a legit Ohio college football team. I still think they are, just in the early stages.

It will be tough to continue what Brian Kelly got started in terms of UC competing on the big stage but it can happen.

UC may have lost Friday but they still went undefeated in the regular season, won the Big East and made their second-straight BCS bowl game.

The right to play the Gators in the Sugar Bowl shows how far the Beacats have come. The blowout score shows how far they have to go.

Nippert Stadium will never be the "Shoe." Red and Black will never replace Scarlet and Gray.

Nevertheless, I think the Bearcats' season did Ohio proud and I was glad to watch it happen.

JOHN STEGEMAN can be reached at jstegeman02@hotmail.com