Stephen Leonard
Writer
This has all the makings of a Big 12 Conference thriller. As they say, November is for contenders, and the stakes in the Big 12 couldn’t be higher. On Saturday, November 22, No. 12 BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) invades historic Nippert Stadium to battle the Cincinnati Bearcats (7-3, 5-2 Big 12) in a primetime FOX showdown kicking off at 8 p.m. ET.
For the Cougars, it’s championship or bust. A win here, followed by a home victory over UCF, locks in a berth to the Big 12 championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. More importantly, it keeps the Cougars’ College Football Playoff dreams (36.9% chance per ESPN FPI) alive. BYU needed a bounce back game Saturday after the beat down the Texas Tech Red Raiders put on them last week (29-7). BYU’s demolition of TCU last Saturday (44-13) was just what Cougar Nation needed.
For the host Bearcats, this isn’t just another late-season grind; it’s a pivotal point in a Big 12 race. They will need help in order to reach the Big 12 championship game, but every opportunity Scott Satterfield gets in primetime is critical in continuing to build this UC football program. What better way for Cincinnati to cap off the Senior Day than to knock off the 11th-ranked BYU Cougars?
Bear Bachmeier, where is his Heisman talk? He is the definition of dual threat; he has delivered the voter 2,177 passing yards and 13 TDs with just 4 picks. He has a 79.5 QBR and 63.2 completion percentage. He lives up to the name Bear the way he totes the rock voraciously. He has 10 touchdowns on the ground and nearly 500 yards rushing (479). All of this as a true freshman!
Defensively, they’re a brick wall: 13th nationally in points allowed (17.8 per game), and Jack Kelly leads the way with 7 sacks and 10 TFLs on the year. Opposing offenses will also need to know where Safety Faletau Satuala is at all times, with three INTs and 64 total tackles. He leads the team in both tackles, and 2 other DBs have 3 INTs (LB Evan Johnson and Tanner Wall). The Cougars rank seventh nationally in interceptions with 14 total.
QB Brendan Sorsby has been productive, passing for 2,204 yards, 21 TDs, 4 INTs, 59.8 completion percentage. Sorsby has added 483 rushing yards and 9 TDs on the ground.
Defensively, LB Jake Golday is going to make the Cougars taste the field turf. He has 93 total tackles on the year, putting him 19th nationally.
ESPN’s matchup prediction gives the Cougars a 67.5% probability to win. They are 2.5-point favorites, but Kalani Sitake isn’t falling for the rat poison. “We’ve got destiny in our hands,” Sitake said post-TCU. “But destiny don’t play favorites in places like Nippert.” Will Nippert Stadium, with the field’s unique north-northeast orientation, be enough to throw off the balance of this BYU Cougars attack?
The Red, Black, and White will be electric for this primetime event. The Bearcat faithful are ready to eat. With Big Noon Kickoff festivities, this historic stadium will be raucous for the main event Saturday night. Maybe it’s just me, but I believe the stadium atmosphere will be enough to give the Bearcat a fighting chance. Scott Satterfield didn’t leave Louisville to come to Cincinnati and lose prime-time games. He came to the Queen City to win, and I would have said he edges this one out in a nail-biter, but not so fast. This College Football Backers’ MBM (merit-based model) is on fire, and I’m going with the model. Prediction: BYU 29 Cincinnati 20.
Tony Thomas
Writer
The Red Raiders are 23.5-point favorites against West Virginia
The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program has a new head coach as Eric Morris accepted the job on Tuesday. Morris will continue to coach at North Texas as long as the team plays this season before shifting his attention to Stillwater, Okla. Morris takes over for Mike Gundy, who left the Oklahoma State program after […]
Tony Thomas
Writer
The Big 12 rushing leader is a converted quarterback
