You know what season is almost as good as football season itself? Prediction season!
The Cincinnati Bearcats open the 2023 season on Saturday, September 2nd against Eastern Kentucky. It’s their first of 12 regular season games and their first game in their first season in the Big 12.
One of my favorite things to do leading up to every season is go game-by-game and predict what will happen. I do it with the Bengals and Bearcats, so it’s time to predict each game on the Bearcats 2023 schedule and what their record will amount to be.
Week 1: vs. Eastern Kentucky (3:30 p.m. on ESPN+) – Look, this isn’t the most attractive draw for the Bearcats first game as a Big 12 team. But it’s a game they should win and should be able to do not only what they want to do primarily on offense, but maybe even experiment a little bit come the fourth quarter.
Game pick: Bearcats 48 EKU 14 (Record: 1-0)
Week 2: @ Pittsburgh (6:30 p.m. on the CW Cincinnati) – Now here you go, here’s an early-season, week two test in Pittsburgh against a quality, former rival in an opponent. Pittsburgh is coming off a 9-4 season in 2022 and an ACC Championship in 2021. The fact they went 9-4 their first season after losing quarterback Kenny Pickett and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple is impressive. Like the Bearcats, Pittsburgh will be ushering in a transfer quarterback this season in former Boston College Eagle Phil Jurkovec. Jurkovec is a Pittsburgh native and was named a preseason candidate to the Maxwell Award Watch List, presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football.
Jurkovec will join offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr., who also came from Boston College last year. The Panthers ranked in top half of the ACC in scoring and rushing offense last year, and the Bearcats struggled against the rush in big games last year. Defensively, the Panthers were in the top half in scoring and rushing, and the Bearcats struggled to run the ball in big games last year.
Needless to say, this will be a big early test for the fledgling Big 12 Bearcats.
Game pick: Pittsburgh 27 Bearcats 20 (Record: 1-1)
Week 3: vs. Miami (OH) (7 p.m. on ESPN+) – The Bearcats have owned this rivalry ever since Ben Roethlisberger left Miami. Sixteen straight wins, and the last four haven’t even been close. That was when the Bearcats were in the American Athletic Conference. Now they’re in the Big 12. Good luck to Miami trying to even compete against the Bearcats now.
Game pick: Bearcats 37 Miami (OH) 17 (Record: 2-1)
