Cincinnati's jump from the American to the Big 12 is first and foremost a boon to the Bearcats' coffers (which is the name of the game these days). On the football field, however, this might have worked better in any of the past few seasons when Cincinnati was a legitimate force, especially when the Bearcats had an NFL-quality quarterback (Desmond Ridder, who might be starting for the Atlanta Falcons this fall) taking snaps and were good enough to get invited to the football College Football Playoff in 2021. Cincy had certainly been riding high under head coach Luke Fickell, who displayed a good deal of loyalty by sticking around much longer than most of his contemporaries would have done, turning away several suitors (including, if rumors are to be believed, USC prior to the Trojans turning their attention to Lincoln Riley) before finally making the move to Wisconsin. Which, sources suggest, was one of the few jobs (outside of a return to alma mater and former employer Ohio State) that could entice him.
In his place this fall is Scott Satterfield, a bit of a curious hire after progress in his tenure at Louisville plateaued following a promising beginning. Satterfield's hire in December also preceded one of the all-time awkward postseason matchups, his old Cardinals vs. his new Bearcats at the Fenway Bowl. Satterfield didn't coach in the game but certainly watched as his former Cardinals win a comfy 24-7 decision...
Bruce Marshall's full breakdown of Cincinnati's 2023 outlook, which includes how he's playing their win total, can be found below as part of SportsLine's preview of the Big 12 season.
Big 12 preview: Conference winner | Baylor | BYU | Cincinnati | Houston | Iowa State | Kansas | Kansas State | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | Texas | TCU | Texas Tech | UCF | West Virginia
What do you need to know about Cincinnati before locking in your Big 12 futures bets? And which side of their win total makes for the best play? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Big 12 futures betting strategy from a veteran college football expert!
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