Cincinnati Bearcats Football

After October's second bye week, the Cincinnati Bearcats are well-rested and ready for a five-game stretch that will determine the fate of their season. Three of those five games will be on the road against some of the better teams in the conference. The first of those five road games will be against Pittsburgh, currently in the middle of the Big East standings. Here is a preview of what to expect from Pittsburgh on Saturday:

Offense

The Pittsburgh offense was centered around star running back Ray Graham who is one of the top running backs in the country. He was second in the country in rushing yards before a serious knee injury against Connecticut last week that sidelined him for the season.

Senior Zach Brown will be filling in for Ray Graham, and while he is nowhere close to Graham, he does have experience and over 250 carries in his career. 

Quarterback Tino Sunseri has been up and down all season. He has thrown seven interceptions to go along with his seven touchdowns.

When Sunseri does throw the ball, his biggest target is 6'5" receiver Mike Shanahan. Shanahan has three touchdowns on the year with 330 yards. Devin Street leads the team with 353 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

Defense

The Panthers' defense ranks 44th in the country, allowing 23.5 points per game. They lost a lot on defense from a year ago and have had their fair share of ups and downs.

Linebacker Max Gruder is the Panthers' defensive leader. He currently leads the team in tackles with 71 and also has five tackles for loss.

The defense has only forced seven turnovers all season in eight games. If they plan on staying with Cincinnati, they will need to force at least two turnovers to make up for the offensive explosiveness of Cincinnati.

The key for the Panthers defense will be getting pressure on Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros to force him into some tough decisions.

Prediction

Pittsburgh is at home, where they are 4-2 and have played much better than they have on the road. Cincinnati is 2-1 on the road and currently positioned to make a run at a Big East title.

This game will be close for a while and if Cincinnati can win the turnover battle, they should have no trouble knocking off Pittsburgh and moving to 3-0 in Big East play.

This one will be close for a while, but in the end, the Bearcats will have too much.

Cincinnati 31, Pittsburgh 24 

After October's second bye week, the Cincinnati Bearcats are well-rested and ready for a five-game stretch that will determine the fate of their season. Three of those five games will be on the road against some of the better teams in the conference. The first of those five road games will be against Pittsburgh, currently in the middle of the Big East standings. Here is a preview of what to expect from Pittsburgh on Saturday:

Offense

The Pittsburgh offense was centered around star running back Ray Graham who is one of the top running backs in the country. He was second in the country in rushing yards before a serious knee injury against Connecticut last week that sidelined him for the season.

Senior Zach Brown will be filling in for Ray Graham, and while he is nowhere close to Graham, he does have experience and over 250 carries in his career. 

Quarterback Tino Sunseri has been up and down all season. He has thrown seven interceptions to go along with his seven touchdowns.

When Sunseri does throw the ball, his biggest target is 6'5" receiver Mike Shanahan. Shanahan has three touchdowns on the year with 330 yards. Devin Street leads the team with 353 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

Defense

The Panthers' defense ranks 44th in the country, allowing 23.5 points per game. They lost a lot on defense from a year ago and have had their fair share of ups and downs.

Linebacker Max Gruder is the Panthers' defensive leader. He currently leads the team in tackles with 71 and also has five tackles for loss.

The defense has only forced seven turnovers all season in eight games. If they plan on staying with Cincinnati, they will need to force at least two turnovers to make up for the offensive explosiveness of Cincinnati.

The key for the Panthers defense will be getting pressure on Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros to force him into some tough decisions.

Prediction

Pittsburgh is at home, where they are 4-2 and have played much better than they have on the road. Cincinnati is 2-1 on the road and currently positioned to make a run at a Big East title.

This game will be close for a while and if Cincinnati can win the turnover battle, they should have no trouble knocking off Pittsburgh and moving to 3-0 in Big East play.

This one will be close for a while, but in the end, the Bearcats will have too much.

Cincinnati 31, Pittsburgh 24 

With the success Cincinnati has had over the past few seasons, the recruits and commitments they have signed have slowly gotten better and better. 

The class of 2012 is shaping up to be as good as any. Cincinnati currently has 25 commitments for the class with 16 of them three-star recruits and one four-star according to rivals.com. 

The biggest name in the class is running back Dennis Norfleet. Norfleet is rated the No. 6 all-purpose back in the country and the No. 11 player in the entire state of Michigan. He chose Cincinnati over Michigan St. and Tennessee. At 5'7" and 170 lbs he is most often compared to Darren Sproles. 

Another big name on the commitment list for Cincinnati is quarterback Bennie Coney. Coney is ranked the No. 14 dual-threat quarterback in the country and is the No. 80 player in the state of Florida. He chose Cincinnati over numerous schools including LSU, Arkansas and Auburn. 

Butch Jones loves recruiting receivers and this class will be no different. Perhaps the biggest wide receiver name is Nathan Cole. He is rated the No. 58 wide receiver in the country and the No. 13 player in the state of Tennessee. Cole had offers from Alabama and Tennessee among others. 

Cincinnati also has commitments from numerous other three-stars, including safety Andre Jones, defensive end Ryan Leahy and linebackers Ey'Shawn McClain and Kenneth Bynum. 

The class is starting to take shape and as always there is a lot of balance in the class with talent at all positions on both sides of the ball. 

If Cincinnati keeps winning year in and year out, the recruits will continue to come and the team that this senior class has become will eventually turn into a program with a tradition of winning. 

The Cincinnati Bearcats are off to a fast 6-1 start. That can be attributed to a number of things, including senior leadership at all positions on both sides of the ball. 

The Bearcats have had to come from behind in the fourth quarter of back-to-back games, and while some of it can be attributed to their conditioning, a lot of credit can be given to their senior leadership. That senior leadership all starts with fifth-year senior Zach Collaros. Collaros is in his second full season as a starter for Cincinnati, and he has led the Bearcats on two game-winning fourth quarter drives the past two games. 

Running back Isaiah Pead is one of the best in the country and is in his third season as a starter. His 50-yard touchdown scamper helped put Cincinnati ahead for good in the fourth quarter against Louisville. 

Receiver D.J. Woods has been a vocal leader for Cincinnati ever since he arrived and, like Pead, is in his third year as a starter. While he has not had as big of a season as he would have liked numbers-wise, he has helped develop the younger players. 

On the offensive line, Alex Hoffman has been a stalwart for three years and has shown his versatility, moving from guard to tackle. He is the Bearcats' senior leader up front and an anchor on the offensive line. 

On defense, tackle Derek Wolfe has been a man up front. He has spent most of the season in the other teams' backfield and is possibly the Bearcats top draft prospect for 2012. 

Linebacker J.K. Schaffer has been an anchor for the Cincinnati defense the past three seasons. He has led the team in tackles each of the last two years and is likely to do it again this season. 

The secondary is led by safeties Wesley Richardson and Drew Frey. While Richardson is a senior, Frey is a fifth-year junior who is already starting for his third season. 

These seniors are looking for their third Big East title in four years and for another trip to a BCS bowl. Only time will tell if that will happen, but with the group of seniors Cincinnati has, it is a strong possibility. 

Cincinnati is enjoying their second bye week of October. It so happens to be the same week they jump into the national rankings for the first time in almost two years. 

The Bearcats are currently ranked No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll and No. 24 in the AP Poll. They are one of only four schools that is currently ranked in both football and basketball. 

While the Bearcats were still left out of the BCS Rankings, some recognition by the coaches and national media after an impressive 6-1 start goes a long way towards helping recruiting and image for Cincinnati. 

After a bye week followed by back-to-back wins over Louisville and at South Florida, Cincinnati is enjoying their final off-week of the season before five straight Big East conference games to end the year.  

The first of those games will be next Saturday night on ESPNU against Pittsburgh. 

The Panthers are coming off a 35-20 win against Connecticut and will come in 4-4 overall and 2-1 in the Big East. 

Pittsburgh will likely be without star running back Ray Graham, who ranks second in college football in rushing yards. He left the Connecticut game because of a knee injury that appears serious and may shelf him for the rest of the season.

After a trip to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati comes home for a showdown at Paul Brown Stadium against West Virginia in what could be the Big East game of the year if both teams win their games leading up to the November 12th contest.

Cincinnati then finishes up the road part of their schedule with trips to Rutgers and Syracuse, two teams who have been pleasant surprises in the Big East.

The final game of the season will be a home encounter against Connecticut on December 3rd.

Their Big East fate and BCS hopes lie in the balance. It is up to the Bearcats, particularly the seniors, to seize the opportunity and win the third Big East Championship of their careers.  

The Cincinnati Bearcats will take to the road for four of their final six games of the season. It all starts Saturday afternoon when they take on the South Florida Bulls. 

The Bulls have been reeling lately, with two straight losses starting conference play. They come in 4-2 overall with a win at Notre Dame to start off the season. 

South Florida seems to start strong every year but fades off when conference play begins. They will be at home in this one and are a three-point favorite over the Bearcats. 

Here is what to expect from the South Florida Bulls. 

Offense

The South Florida offense has been impressive in three games and virtually non-existent in the other three games. They scored 37, 70 and 52 points against the likes of Ball St, Florida International and UTEP, respectively. They were virtually non-existent, scoring 23, 17 and 10 against Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Connecticut. 

While they average nearly 35 points per game, it is hard to tell how good the offense really is. They are led by dual-threat quarterback B.J. Daniels, who has passed for 1,458 yards and eight touchdowns. He has also rushed for 322 yards and four touchdowns. 

The Bulls have a two-headed rushing attack of Darrell Scott, who has rushed for 482 yards and five touchdowns, along with Demetris Murray who has 295 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore Sterling Griffin is the only receiver with more than 15 catches. He has 32 receptions for 420 yards and a touchdown.

Defense

The defense has been a strength for the Bulls. They currently rank No. 30 in the country in total defense, allowing 338 yards per game. They are 33rd in the country in points per game, allowing just over 21 PPG.

On the ground, South Florida is giving up 125 yards per game and 213 through the air, both ranking in the top 50 in the nation. Cincinnati will need a balanced offensive attack to put some points on the board against the Bulls. 

Linebacker Mike Lanaris leads the team with 47 tackles. Fellow linebacker DeDe Lattimore has also been impressive with 40 tackles, including 5.5 for loss and two sacks to go along with a forced fumble. Senior safety Jerrell Young is a leader in the secondary. 

The Bulls forced Notre Dame into five turnovers in the season opener, and Cincinnati will need to do a good job of protecting the ball.

Outcome

Cincinnati has forced 19 turnovers this season, which is good for fifth in the nation. While South Florida quarterback B.J. Daniels has done a better job of protecting the ball this season with only three interceptions, the Cincinnati defense will look to force a few out of Daniels, who threw 13 interceptions last season.

The Cincinnati offense will need a few big plays down the field to put some points on the board and would benefit from a solid rushing attack from Isaiah Pead. 

Whoever wins the turnover battle will likely come out on top in this one.

Prediction: Cincinnati 27, South Florida 20 

After a bye week, the Cincinnati Bearcats are set to begin a seven-week conference stretch that will determine the fate of their season. 

A solid 4-1 non-conference season has positioned the Bearcats as one of the top contenders for the Big East championship. 

Saturday, Cincinnati makes their annual trip to Paul Brown Stadium, this time to take on the Louisville Cardinals. The homecoming crowd is expected to exceed 40,000 as the 51st Battle for The Keg of Nails takes place.

Cincinnati comes into the game a heavy favorite and in need of a victory to start off conference play. 

Here is a breakdown of what to expect from Louisville on Saturday. 

Offense

Louisville has one of the worst offenses in the country, averaging just over 16 points per game. Freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is set to make his third start of the season. Bridgewater is a former five-star recruit who has four touchdowns and four interceptions while splitting time with junior Will Stein. 

Sophomore running back Dominique Brown has come on strong as of late and has rushed for 170 yards on 43 carries. Brown is also the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart. Senior Vic Anderson will also get some carries.

Tight end Josh Chichester is a big target at 6'8" and 240 pounds. He has 240 yards on 15 receptions this season. Freshman receiver Michaelee Harris has 183 yards and a touchdown on 16 receptions.

Defense

The Louisville defense has been a pleasant surprise so far this season. They rank 13th in the country, only allowing 16.2 points per game. They have only allowed more than 17 points one time all season and held North Carolina to 14 points on the road last week. 

The run defense is the strength of the group, allowing just 78 yards per game, good for 10th in the nation. That run defense will be tested by Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead.

The defense as a whole allows less than 300 yards per game, which ranks 16th in the nation and is tied with Cincinnati at second in the country in tackles for loss at 8.8 per game.

The key to all these numbers is the defensive line. Marcus Smith, Greg Scruggs and William Savoy lead a solid front that is 10th in the country, averaging three sacks per game.

Outcome

With two defenses that have been surprisingly good all season, this game will be lower scoring than most people may think. 

The Cincinnati offense is very explosive, though, averaging 45 points per game. They will be too much for Louisville to handle. 

If the Cardinals can force a few turnovers, they can hang close in this one for a while. If not, Cincinnati will control this game for four quarters.

Prediction: Cincinnati 34, Louisville 17