ARLINGTON, Texas – The No. 4 Cincinnati Bearcats (13-0, 8-0 American Athletic Conference) continued game week preparations for the 2021 College Football Playoff at the 86th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Tuesday with a practice at AT&T Stadium. The Bearcats take on the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) on New Year's Eve.

It was a standard game week Wednesday practice following their normal game week practice schedule leading up to the clash with the Crimson Tide. Afterwards, Bearcats defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, cornerbacks Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner and Coby Bryant, and linebackers Darrian Beavers and Joel Dublanko participated in a virtual media availability session before returning to the team hotel.

"The great thing about this group right here is they have a lot of maturity from what our seniors have been through," Head Coach Luke Fickell said after the practice. "Very business-like, very pro-like, so it's no surprise that we had a very good practice today."

Gardner has never allowed a touchdown in his career, spanning more than 1,000 coverage snaps. Per PFF, he has only given up 117 receiving yards all year and no receptions in the red zone. The Detroit, Mich., native has allowed a 26.7 completion percentage and only 1.9 yards per target in 2021. A consensus All-American – only the fourth player in UC history to earn the accolade and the first Bearcat defensive player to do so – was a unanimous winner of the 2021 AAC Defensive Player of the Year award.

"Sauce and Coby are used to being challenged, but they're competitors, they're up to the challenge, and I'm excited to see what they can do this week," Fickell said.

The 2021 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the 86th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is Friday, Dec. 31 at 2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN and ESPN Radio. Kickoff is slated for 2:40 p.m.

This year's Classic is a part of the ESPN bowl lineup for the eighth straight year. Sean McDonough and Todd Blackledge are set to the call the action from the booth with Molly McGrath and Laura Rutledge reporting from the sidelines.

ESPN Radio returns as the Classic's national radio partner for the eighth consecutive year with Sean Kelley and Barrett Jones in the booth and Ian Fitzsimmons on the sidelines to describe all the action from AT&T Stadium.

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