The fake Ohio high school football team that misrepresented itself to play a nationally televised game on ESPN will be featured in another high-profile matchup next week when it faces off against the Cincinnati Bengals in a scrimmage at Paul Brown Stadium Thursday, September 9th.
Bishop Sycamore, a supposed charter school out of Columbus that nobody has heard of, was routed by Florida powerhouse IMG Academy this past Sunday. Sycamore was touted as a program loaded with Division I talent, but during the 58–0 blowout, it quickly became clear that its players couldn’t hang with IMG and that the school had somehow duped ESPN.
Despite the blowout loss, Cincinnati Bengals’ coach Zac Taylor said he liked what he saw of the team on film and thought they’d make a good matchup for his team as they prepare for their season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 12th.
“I thought our guys could use a little extra playing time, and after watching Bishop Sycamore play and hearing their story, I thought they would benefit from the matchup as well,” Taylor said. “It’s Ohio Against the World, so we Ohio boys have to stick together. Plus, they are basically our little brothers up there in Columbus. They’re a fraudulent high school team, and a lot of people consider us to be a fraudulent NFL team.”
Bishop Sycamore and its coaching staff are reportedly paid $250,000 for the scrimmage.
