It's been an interesting ride for the turf-thirsty, football-driven series from HBO, with a slew of teams as the core of the plot, but the show is back and will again feature the Bengals, just like in 2009.

The difference between the two teams regarding this year's 2013 team and 2009's team isn't all that large. The Bengals were actually mildly successful in '09, going 10-6 and winning the AFC North.

This year, we might have a similar result, if not something better for the Cincinnati cats. I expect the team to be a very strong dark horse, a sturdy sleeper eager to upset the bigger names, especially division rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

Check out "Hard Knocks" with the orange and black when it hits the airwaves on August 6 at 9 PM Central.

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