The Cincinnati Bearcats will begin their 2022 season with a showdown against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Ahead of this battle between two ranked teams, we'll look at some bold college football predictions for Cincinnati against Arkansas.
The 2021 season was nothing short of magical for Cincinnati. The Bearcats won the American Athletic Conference with a perfect 8-0 record and became the first Group of Five school to ever make the College Football Playoff.
Although they lost 27-6 to the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Bearcats finished No. 4 in the final polls. Along with 13 wins in the season, those numbers were the highest marks in program history. Still, for 2022, the team is ranked in the 20s in the preseason polls.
Cincinnati lost some key players in the offseason. Most importantly, quarterback Desmond Ridder and cornerback Sauce Gardner were selected in the early rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. Because of that, it will be interesting to see how the Bearcats will respond to adversity after years of glory.
The team will open its season on Saturday against the No. 19 Arkansas Razorbacks on the road. Here are three bold predictions for Cincinnati football in this game.
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3. The offensive line will be the highlight for the Bearcats
Without Ridder and Gardner, Cincinnati football fans are in need of new stars to cheer for. Apparently, the offensive line could be the unit most likely to earn the praise in 2022.
Lorenz Metz, Dylan O’Quinn and Jake Renfro were all First-Team All-AAC last season, and the trio is back for the upcoming season. They are also joined by returners Jeremy Cooper and James Tunstall, though the starting lineup could still look a bit different from the Cotton Bowl.
In 2021, Cincinnati was one of the best teams in the country in tackles for loss allowed. With a lot of help from the offensive line, Ridder was able to throw for 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. The quarterback also finished with 355 rushing yards and six scores on the ground.
Even though things will look very different in Cincinnati, the pass and running protection should remain very solid. Since the team will have a new starting quarterback, the returning offensive linemen should make the transition less complicated. It will be a surprise if Arkansas gets more than a sack in the game, and the Bearcats should explore some of the running game to take advantage of the strong linemen.
2. The quarterback battle will still be ongoing
One of the biggest battles of the 2022 training camp for the Bearcats is who will take over as Desmond Ridder's replacement.
The two main options are redshirt senior Ben Bryant and redshirt sophomore Evan Prater. Bryant, a transfer from Eastern Michigan, is not new to the Bearcats' system. He played for Cincinnati for three seasons before spending 2021 with the Eagles as a starter. He threw for more than 3,000 yards for 14 touchdowns with Eastern Michigan. Now back in Cincinnati, Bryant still needs to prove he can be a starter.
Prater appeared in seven games as Ridder's backup in 2021. He was 5-for-11 in his pass attempts for 38 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.
Bryant might have an advantage due to his experience as a starter and that he was previously a member of the Bearcats. However, Prater is a more talented runner.
Because of that, it would not be a surprise if Cincinnati uses a two-quarterback system at least for the beginning of the year. Perhaps Bryant will play most of the snaps, but Prater could appear in short-yard downs to get a first down or a score on the ground. Playing both could be the closest Cincinnati will have to replicating Ridder's performance, so the battle for the position will continue throughout the 2022 season.
1. It will be a very close game for Cincinnati football
Despite the strong 2021 season, Cincinnati is No. 22 and 23 in the coaches and AP polls, respectively. On the other hand, the Arkansas Razorbacks are No. 19.
Arkansas is considered the favorite for the matchup at home. According to FanDuel, the Razorbacks are likely to win, being a 6.5-point favorite. However, Cincinnati has been an impressive team for multiple years now, and 2022 should not be different.
Yes, the Bearcats lost multiple key players, but they are set to move to the Big 12 next season. As their journey in the AAC concludes this fall, fans and the coaching staff want to go out with a conference title. They also probably would like to get a bid to one of the New Year's Six bowls, and a big win on the road against a ranked opponent would make Cincinnati climb the rankings.
It should be a back-and-forth affair between the teams. Unless something unusual happens, the fourth quarter should be a battle to see who wants the victory more. By the end of the day on Saturday, the scoreboard should be at most a touchdown difference. It could go either way, but do not count out the underdog Bearcats.
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