2026 Cincinnati Football Preview
Jake Wimberly
Abby Boyd Contributing-
What’s to like:
Cincinnati's defense should be able to hold up well against the run. The Bearcats have enough size and experience up front to make life difficult for opposing rushing attacks, which gives them a solid foundation defensively. Being able to stop the run consistently will be important in a Big 12 conference where several teams rely heavily on their rushing attack.
The receiving corps is another positive for Cincinnati. The Bearcats have enough talent at wide receiver to give the passing game some options and create opportunities down the field. If the quarterback can consistently get the ball to those playmakers, Cincinnati should have a better chance of creating explosive plays offensively.
What’s not to like:
Cincinnati needs to do a better job controlling time of possession. Long offensive drives would allow the Bearcats to keep their defense rested while putting more pressure on opposing defenses. Too many short possessions can put a team in a difficult position, especially against offenses that can score quickly.
The defense also needs to create more takeaways. Cincinnati has the ability to stop teams without forcing turnovers, but generating extra possessions would make a noticeable difference. In close Big 12 games, getting one or two additional turnovers could be the difference between a win and a loss.
What does the Hourglass say?
Cincinnati- Big 12 (3-9)
Power ranking 21.37.
2026 Cincinnati Analytics
National recruiting rating (three year metric): #61- outside the boundary of a National Championship Roster.
National Coaching Ranking:
Scott Satterfield- 56th in Power 5 and 12th in the Big 12.
2026 coaching value= 10.3 (average 2026 Power 5 coaching value=21.93) Scott Satterfield is ranked lower of the pack for coaches in the Power 5.
Quarterback Play: JC French IV- ranked 51st in the Power 4, 14th in the Big 12; 2026 QB value= 23.7 (Power 4 average- 26.43).
Impact Ball Catcher Metric: Cincinnati has an Impact Ball Catcher Metric of . This puts the Bearcats at the lower tier for the Big 12 in this metric.
Final Thoughts:
Cincinnati should have a defense capable of keeping games close, particularly against the run, while the receiving corps gives the offense some options in the passing game. The Bearcats still need to control the clock better and create more takeaways to consistently win close games. Those improvements could determine whether Cincinnati finishes in the middle of the Big 12 or pushes toward the upper half.
2026 Schedule analysis:
Projected Hourglass W/L record: Games in red denote games that could be a one possession game or even a different outcome than projection.
9/5/26 Boston College- Win
9/12/26 WCU- Win
9/19/26 Miami Ohio- Win
9/26/26 Kansas State- Loss
10/3/26 At Arizona- Loss
10/17/26 At West Virginia- Loss
10/24/26 Texas Tech- Loss
10/31/26 Utah- Loss
11/7/26 At Houston- Loss
11/14/26 At Iowa State- Loss
11/21/26 Colorado- Loss
11/28/26 At BYU- Loss
