Central Florida hasn’t lost a college football game in nearly two years. And that’s how we got a College Gameday showdown featuring the University of Cincinnati.
Cincinnati vs. UCF: Why is ‘College GameDay’ in Orlando this weekend?
FBS’s biggest campus finally gets its taste of ESPN’s roadshow.
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
The Bearcats travel to Orlando for a showdown between two top 25 teams with one loss between them, and ESPN’s flagship program will be there to greet them Saturday morning. College Gameday will visit the (formerly Golden) Knights for the first time ever November 17, putting the nation’s longest active winning streak under a national spotlight.
The program tends to make at least one trip to a smaller program every year, and why not the defending Peach Bowl champs? Plus, this weekend’s schedule lends itself to such a trip, with only a couple other ranked games elsewhere.
UCF has handled its transition from former head coach Scott Frost with aplomb, running up a 9-0 record and the 11th position in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings.
But Cincinnati has the chops to challenge its iron grip atop the American Athletic Conference. The Bearcats are 9-1 behind a high-powered rushing offense led by tailback Michael Warren II and dual-threat quarterback Desmond Ridder. UC is capable of putting up plenty of points in a hurry, having dropped 34+ in six of its 10 games this fall.
Then again, UCF’s lowest-scoring game of the season came in a 31-30 win over Memphis. Expect points Saturday night.
Cincinnati vs. Central Florida prediction:
The S&P+ ratings see UCF as the nation’s seventh-best team. One-loss Cincinnati clocks in at 29th thanks to a dearth of quality wins. This is the Knights’ showcase game; don’t expect a club clawing and scratching for respect to forget that. Add in the Bearcats’ weak schedule to this point, and all signs point to a Central Florida victory.
Time, TV channel, and streaming info
Cincinnati vs. Central Florida news:
- Paul Finebaum actually praised UCF this week, which is as much a reason as any to bet on Cincinnati.
- Down the Drive simulated UC-UCF five times and came away with a surprising winner (it was the Bearcats).
- UCF had a boring gameplan to beat Navy, because that’s all it takes to beat Navy in 2018.
- Cincinnati gave up a few big plays last week, but their defense could be the key to a season-ruining win in Orlando.
How many points are we going to see Saturday night?
Part of the allure for College GameDay is that Week 12’s game between the Bearcats and Knights is nearly guaranteed to be a fireworks display. These two teams, on average, combine for more than 1,000 yards of offense per game, and shaky defenses mean Saturday’s winner could simply be the team who has the ball last.
UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton has scored 29 touchdowns in nine games this fall. His UC counterpart Ridder has 20. Those two gunslingers will get the chance to shoot on a national stage Saturday night, and one could walk off the field in Orlando a star.
See More:
