2008 Cincinnati Bearcats College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football games this season, Buy Alex’s College Football Picks.

Cincinnati Bearcats (10-3, 4-3 in 2007, 3rd place in Big East)
Ever since they joined the Big East in 2005, the Bearcats have been a team on the rise. They took another step towards the top of the conference last year, notching their first ten win season since 1951. The task will be tougher this year, as they only return 12 starters from that 10-win team, and just got the bad news that QB Ben Mauk was denied an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA for a medical redshirt.

2007 Highlight: The unranked Bearcats were out seeking respect when the #13 Connecticut Huskies came to town on November 10th. The defense held UConn to just 204 total yards, while Mauk accounted for all four touchdowns to give Cincy a resounding 27-3 victory. The next week, the Bearcats cracked the Top-25 in the AP poll (21st), the USA Today poll (25th), and the BCS rankings (23rd).

2007 Lowlight: Having already beaten South Florida and UConn, Cincinnati headed into their game against #6 West Virginia with a birth in the BCS a distinct possibility with a victory. Unfortunately, the rushing attack for the Mountaineers was just too much, as Pat White and Steve Slaton each rushed for over 100 yards against the Bearcats a worn out ‘D’. Mauk led the troops back from a 28-10 hole early in the 4th quarter, but simply ran out of time to pull off the upset. Cincinnati lost 28-23, and turned its attention to a less-illustrious bowl birth.

Offensive Outlook: Sophomore QB Demetrius Jones will fill Mauk’s shoes. He’ll need all the help he can get from an experienced offensive line that returns three starters. Marcus Barnett could have a huge second year at wide receiver for the Bearcats after posting 862 yards and 13 touchdowns in his freshman season. Cincy will likely end up with a running back by committee situation, but look for freshman Isaiah Pead to have a productive year.

Defensive Outlook: The defense is loaded with juniors and seniors, but not of a ton of experience. DT Terrill Byrd will need to be a force in the middle of the defensive line to give his talented secondary some help. Both CBs DeAngelo Smith and Mike Mickens could be All-Big East performers in ’08.

2008 Preview: The road schedule is a nightmare for Cincinnati this season. Road trips to MAC opponents Akron and Marshall shouldn’t be a big deal, but games at Oklahoma, UConn, West Virginia, Louisville, and Hawaii are no walks in the park. The target game for the Bearcats is October 30th when South Florida comes to town in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPN.

2008 will be a success if… Jones picks up where Mauk left off with the offense. He needs to protect the football to cover a questionable defense, but if the Bearcats can come anywhere near last year’s average of 36.3 PPG, the team will be in contention for a BCS bid.

Optimism is high in Cincinnati, but the schedule will prove too difficult to send the Bearcats to a prolific bowl game this winter.

Prediction: 8-5, 3rd place in Big East