The University of Cincinnati had a dominant season in the American Athletic Conference, rolling to a perfect 9-0 record, including a win over Tulsa in the AAC Championship. They had a late lead over Georgia in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, but some mental lapses down the stretch (and what looked like a serious case of nerves from their offense) led to a three-point defeat. The Bearcats come into 2021 as one of the favorites to come out as the highest ranked Group of Five team once again.
Let’s look at the team’s prospects of 2021 and break down their schedule to better understand the Cincinnati college football odds.
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The Cincinnati Offense
Quarterback Desmond Ridder is a threat with his legs and with his arm, and he won’t surprise anyone this season, as an NFL prospect. The offense moved the ball well, kept the chains moving and chewed up clock when it needed to. When the Bearcats struggled on offense, it often had to do with poor ball security. Ridder gets back his top target with tight end Josh Whyte returning (28 receptions, 353 yards, 6 TD). Michael Young returns for his senior season after 28 receptions a year ago. Tailback Gerrid Doaks (673 yards, 7 TD) is gone, but Ridder can run the ball himself, and Alabama transfer Jerome Ford can also burn.
The Cincinnati Defense
The D was the top unit for Cincinnati, leading the AAC and coming in 13th in the nation, permitting 325 yards and 17 points per game. Mike Tressel comes on as the new defensive coordinator, and he will have to replace safeties Derrick Forrest and James Wiggins. Ja’Von Hicks, Bryan Cook and Arquon Bush have big shoes to fill. The cornerback duo of Coby Bryant and Ahmad Gardner combined for seven picks and 13 passes defensed, one of the best pairs in the nation. On the pass rush, Myjai Sanders (7 sacks, 10 ½ tackles for loss) returns at linebacker; on the other end, Elijah Ponder is gone, but Malik Vann looks ready to take his place. Darrian Beavers returns at linebacker; last season, he was second on the defense with 58 tackles and 7 ½ tackles for loss.
What the Bearcats Need on Offense
Cincinnati coughed the ball up 16 times, but most of those miscues came in the early part of the season. However, starting out with better ball security would definitely be a plus. Ridder could also stretch the field more; the Bearcast averaged just 12 yards per pass completion and 8 yards per attempt. Getting those numbers up could lead to more big plays and help keep the offense from wearing down late. Obviously, the team doesn’t want Ridder to take unwise risks with the ball, but the Bearcats have the personnel to get separation on deep routes. In four games, Cincinnati averaged less than 6 yards per pass attempt
What the Bearcats Need on Defense
The defense will need to prepare for some quality passing teams. The pass rush should return strong, and the corners still have shutdown capability, but the new players at safety might have a bit of a learning curve. The top passing teams on the schedule include SMU, who kept turning the ball over to Cincinnati in their meeting in Dallas last year; with better ball security, SMU could make the safeties pay as wide receiver Reggie Roberson Jr returns. Memphis also has a high-flying pass attack, but the Bearcats beat Memphis despite giving up crazy passing yards. UCF pushed Cincinnati hard through the air, losing 36-33, and Georgia’s J.T. Daniels threw for more than 10 yards per attempt in the Peach Bowl.
Cincinnati tangles with Notre Dame and Indiana, both on the road. The Fighting Irish have a CFP slot on their mind, and Indiana looked like a spoiler in the Big Ten a year ago. It will be interesting to see how the Bearcats finish the season.
2021 Schedule
| September 4 | vs Miami (OH) |
| September 11 | vs Murray State |
| September 18 | at Indiana |
| September 25 | BYE |
| October 2 | at Notre Dame |
| October 8 | vs Temple |
| October 16 | UCF |
| October 23 | at Navy |
| October 30 | at Tulane |
| November 6 | Tulsa |
| November 13 | at South Florida |
| November 20 | SMU |
| November 27 | at East Carolina |
College Football Betting Odds
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