2012-13 Football Previews – (Big East) – Cincinnati Bearcats
For the fourth time in the last five years the Cincinnati Bearcats finished with double digits in wins in 2011. The Bearcats went just 4-8 in Butch Jones’ first year, but they went 10-3 and beat Vanderbilt in the Liberty Bowl at the end of the season. Cincinnati made a big move in 2011, but they return just 11 starters from that team.
Big East Conference 2012-2013 College Football Previews: Cincinnati Bearcats
Head Coach: Butch Jones
2011 Record: 10-3
Cincinnati Gambling Odds from BetOnline to win BCS Championship: +10,000
Cincinnati Gambling Odds from BetOnline to win Big East Conference: +200
Cincinnati Team Page – Players Stats – Roster – 2012 Schedule –>
The offense returns only four starters, while the defense returns seven starters from last year. Butch Jones clearly has faith in the team, since he turned down a Big Ten job at Illinois to stay in Cincinnati.
College football as a whole has been undergoing some major changes with conference realignment, and no conference has seen its landscape change more than the Big East. Without West Virginia there to head the conference, many other schools will have a better chance in this conference. Cincinnati has had a lot of success in the past few years. Can the Bearcats overcome all their losses from graduation to stay at the top?
Team Strengths:
The secondary doubled its interception total, and three of four starters return. The Bearcats have athletes all over the place in the secondary, which allows them to take chances and pick off passes that other teams wouldn’t be able to get to. Depth is a major strength in the secondary at Cincinnati. Drew Fry has been called “a rock of stability” in the secondary by Coach Jones.
The Bearcats have a trio of very talented receivers. This is a group that should be among the best in the conference. Anthony McClung is the best game breaker of the group.
Walter Stewart and Dan Giordano are both stars at the defensive end spots. Look for them to rack up some big sack totals in 2012. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Team Weaknesses:
The offensive front will be a major problem for the Bearcats in 2012. Cincinnati has only one senior in this group and its top two linemen from last year are both gone. Inexperience will be the name of the game here. Bearcats fans can expect to be frustrated by this unit all year long.
The entire backfield is a major question mark. Zach Collaros was one of the most talented dual-threat quarterbacks in the country and Isaiah Pead was one of the school’s best runners ever, but they are both gone. Munchie Legeaux (what a name) played pretty well last year in limited action, but he is still a major question mark at the quarterback spot. At the running back spot, George Winn is the team’s leading returning rusher, but he only had 219 rushing yards in 2011.
2012-2013 Cincinnati Bearcats Football Prediction: 6-6
Butch Jones is a good coach, and I expect him to do well with this program, but I think the Bearcats are in for a down season. The offense is one major question mark, and the defense isn’t good enough to carry them the whole way.
We’ll find out a lot about this team right away when it hosts Pittsburgh in the season opener. The October game at Toledo is a dangerous game for Cincinnati, so watch out for an upset in that contest.
Don’t expect the Bearcats to contend for the Big East title this year. It should be a rebuilding year in Cincinnati.
2012 Schedule
Thurs., Sept. 6 Pittsburgh Nippert Stadium 8 p.m. ESPN
Sat., Sept. 15 Delaware State Nippert Stadium TBA TBA
Sat., Sept. 22 Open
Sat., Sept. 29 vs. Virginia Tech Landover, Md. TBA TBA
Sat., Oct. 6 Miami (Ohio) Nippert Stadium TBA TBA
Sat. Oct. 13 Fordham Nippert Stadium TBA TBA
Sat., Oct. 20 at Toledo Toledo, Ohio TBA TBA
Fri., Oct. 26 at Louisville Louisville, Ky. 8 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Sat., Nov. 3 Syracuse Nippert Stadium TBA TBA
Sat., Nov. 10 at Temple Philadelphia, Pa. TBA TBA
Sat., Nov. 17 Rutgers Nippert Stadium TBA TBA
Fri., Nov. 23 USF Nippert Stadium TBA ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
Sat., Dec. 1 at Connecticut Storrs, Ct. TBA ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
