In week eight of the 2025-26 college football season, the Cincinnati Bearcats take on Dave Arnada and the Baylor Bears on October 25 at Nippert Stadium.
The Bears finished with an overall record of 8-5 with a Big 12 record of 6-3, finishing fifth in the conference.
The Bears and the Bearcats did not play last season but faced off in 2023, where Baylor won narrowly, 32-29. There are very few starters from this game that will return in the 2025 matchup.
Baylor returns standout quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who passed for 3,071 yards, 28 touchdowns and 8 interceptions last season, top 5 in all of those statistics. Robertson added 230 yards and 4 touchdowns rushing last season as well.
Robertson enters his senior season where he is widely considered as a candidate to be named to All Big-12 honors and the team is projected to finish top 4 in the conference.
Bryson Washington, the Bears' super-talented redshirt sophomore running back, will also be returning in 2025 after an impressive campaign the year prior, where he ran for 1,028 yards on 175 carries, including 10 touchdowns on 5.9 yards per carry.
Washington was named to the All-American freshman team last season and the preseason All-Big 12 team this offseason. Washington is the No.1 returning running back in the Big 12 according to PFF.
They also have wide receiver Josh Cameron returning, who caught 52 passes for 754 yards and 10 touchdowns. Cameron was named preseason All-Big 12 for wide receiver and punt/kick returner destined to have a big year for the Bears.
On defense, the Bears return their tackler, linebacker Keaton Thomas. Thomas totaled 106 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 1 interception, which was returned for a touchdown.
Thomas is the leader of the defense and was in attendance for Big 12 media day, talking about his growing role as the defense's main communicator this upcoming season.
The defense also brings back Devyn Bobby, a safety who had 76 tackles, 2 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries, and 3 interceptions, a Veteran defensive back who will lead the secondary in 2025.
Baylor has 22 players coming in through the portal, the No. 9 rated class in the Big 12, right in front of Cincinnati at No. 10.
Their transfer class is highlighted by Kobe Prentice, a former 4-star Alabama wide receiver who is looking for a better situation and may have found it. They also add Emar'rion Winston, an Edge rusher from Oregon, who was also a 4-star prospect who didn't see the field much last season. Calvin Sampson-Hunt rounds out their transfer class, A cornerback from Ohio State who will add much-needed depth a play a pivotal role for the defense.
This will be the toughest matchup the Bearcats will have up to this point, this game likely being a matchup between two teams with a winning record due to the schedules they face coming into this game.
The Game could go either way, a ground battle or trading air strikes, with both teams having talented offenses with an unproven defense. The Bearcats' offensive line is going to be the position group to watch, If they can do their job well, then this could easily be a Bearcat win. This is going to be must must-watch game in Nippert Stadium on October 25.