Looking Back At The Top 10 Stories 2008 #4

From the time Ben Mauk was named the MVP of the 2007 PapaJohns.com Bowl the talk began. Would the transfer from Wake Forest be granted another year of eligibility or would the NCAA turn him away like so many other rulings in Bearcats history?

The battle lines were drawn and Mauk was ready to go till there was no hope left before giving up.

For eight months Ben Mauk was on the tip of Bearcat fans minds with hope of him being the teams starting quarterback when they opened the season against Eastern Kentucky. Many felt the team would struggle without Mauk at the helm despite the fact Dustin Grutza was a veteran starter of two seasons.

2007 was Mauk’s best college season as the former Ohio high school prep star and national record setter showed what many felt he was capable of doing. In what will be considered one of the best seasons posted by a quarterback in schools history, Mauk was ready to be the trigger man in what was sure to be a historic season for the Bearcats.

While some wondered if all the attention would cause problems for Brian Kelly and those fighting for a chance to be the starter, Mauk went about his business until the fight was over when the NCAA ruled against him having a sixth year of eligibility.

With the fight over Mauk left Bearcats camp for a few days looking for a chance to show he was capable of still playing at the professional level. But with the last start hopes of being on the field were left for another year and a return to the Bearcats program on the administrator assured him being part of the 2008 team.

Ben Mauk is a name Bearcat fans won’t soon forget and his fight to be on the field was Bearcat Insiders 4-th biggest story of 2008.