Phil Steele, a renowned college football analyst, released his yearly preseason prediction ranking every college football team from 1 to 136.
The Bearcats were ranked at No. 12 among the Big 12 in Steele's preseason ranking for the conference.
They are ranked at No. 42 in this year's full ranking, No. 9 in the Big 12, moving up three spots in Steele's ranking in a short amount of time.
This is a huge improvement from where they were ranked last season, which was in the high sixties. Satterfield put together a good roster that is meant to compete with the rest of the Big 12, and experts are taking notice.
The Bearcats don't play a team higher than 18 on the power ranking or lower than 110, as far as Conference games go, every opponent they play is between 18 and 75.
With a glance, it is clear to notice that the Bearcats don't play an incredibly tough schedule; their out-of-conference games are harder than most Big 12 schools. Their Big 12 schedule is easier than most, not playing Arizona State, Kansas State, Texas Tech, and BYU. All those teams are ranked to finish top 8 in the Big 12 and Cincinnati gets to miss out on playing them.
With the weaker schedule, it gives the Bearcats a great opportunity to stack on wins and compete for a Big 12 title, as well as hopefully making a Bowl game for the first time since 2022.
A weaker schedule also has some downsides, as the Bearcats could see themselves in a little bit of a slump when the schedule gets harder to end the year, as they end the season with a tough strech of games.
The Bearcats' Top 5 Opponents This Season:
1. Vs. Baylor Bears (18) - October 25th
2. @ Utah Utes (19) - November 1st
3. @ TCU Horned Frogs (26) - November 29th
4. Vs. Iowa State Cyclones (28) - October 4th
5. Vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers (35) - August 28th
The Bearcats' Bottom 5 Opponents This Season:
1. Vs. Bowling Green Falcons (110) - September 6th
2. @ Oklahoma State Cowboys (75) - October 18th
3. Vs. UCF Knights (70) - October 11th
4. Vs. Arizona Wildcats (56) - November 15th
5. @ Kansas Jayhawks (50) - September 27th
Every FBS College Football Team Ranked 1-136 for the 2025 College Football season.
— CFBudge (@CF_Budge) June 17, 2025
Who is the most underrated team in CFB this year? pic.twitter.com/KMjmioi7u8