CINCINNATI — The 23rd-ranked Bearcats can’t get that song out of their heads.

Rival Pittsburgh came to town last December and beat Cincinnati 28-10 on a snowy day. Then, the Panthers celebrated on the field and sang their fight song in the locker room so loudly that the Bearcats could hear it in their adjacent room.

In some ways, it was the worst moment in their 4-8 season.

“They were doing snow angels on our field, dancing with the trophy, they stormed the field,” running back Isaiah Pead said. “And hearing them in the locker room singing their fight song — that hurt. Everything hurt. Losing that game, going 4-8, not going to a bowl game, it was just a bad feeling all around.

“There were tears shed by some players. You could see in everybody’s eyes that that was going to be a statement in all of our football lives and as we go on. When you get another chance to get that title back and play that team that did this to you, you’ve got to be at your tiptop effort.”

The chance is here.

The Bearcats (6-1, 2-0 Big East) have made a turnaround as they get ready to the rematch at Pittsburgh (4-4, 2-1). Cincinnati can put itself in position for a third Big East title in four years by winning at Pitt on Saturday, then beating No. 24 West Virginia at Paul Brown Stadium a week later.

“It’s set up great for us,” quarterback Zach Collaros said. “We control our own destiny.”

They’ve come a long way since Dec. 4, when Pittsburgh flattened them 28-10.