Cincinnati Football: Bearcats predicted to secure bowl eligibility in several recent projections

A trio of outlets included the Cincinnati Bearcats in their latest bowl projections as the program aims to secure eligibility for a sixth consecutive season.

College Football News forecasted the Bearcats to participate in the First Responder Bowl against the Missouri Tigers on December 26 in Dallas, Texas.

ESPN recently predicted Cincinnati will eventually take on a Big Ten opponent in the First Responder Bowl or the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in late December.

247 Sports projected the Bearcats to face future Big 12 foe Arizona Wildcats in the Independence Bowl on December 16 in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Cincinnati Football: Bearcats predicted to secure bowl eligibility in several recent projections

• Date: Friday, September 29 at 10:15 PM
• Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo
• Series History: Bearcats trail 0-2
• TV Broadcast: ESPN and fuboTV

According to the most recent odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, the Bearcats are currently 1.5-point favorites with the over/under set at 49.5 points.

Make sure to read our preview for the matchup against BYU including the latest odds, players to watch, pregame quotes, TV coverage and more!

Players to watch include Cincinnati star defensive tackle Dontay Corleone, linebacker Daniel Grzesiak, quarterback Emory Jones and receiver Dee Wiggins.

Cincinnati Football: Can the Bearcats overcome offensive struggles in matchup against BYU?

Cincinnati should compete with the Cougars but it’s certainly going to be challenging to pull off a victory unless the recent offensive issues are corrected.

Following a great start to the season, the Bearcats have lost two consecutive games and a matchup at BYU could see the losing streak come to an end.

Scott Satterfield’s offense has to find a rhythm in the red zone early on but the defense must continue play at an elite level in the first ever Big 12 road game.

The recent losing streak could serve as a valuable learning experience for Cincinnati but it’s definitely going to be difficult to end the drought against BYU.