Game Prediction: #23 Cincinnati Bearcats at #19 Arkansas Razorbacks

Cincinnati and Arkansas kick off the 2022 season in a matchup that is huge for both teams. One team is looking to build on a brilliant 2021 campaign and the other is looking to continue climbing up the SEC West rankings.

The Bearcats earned a pair of Power 5 victories last season, beating both Notre Dame and Indiana on the road en route to an undefeated regular season and the program's first ever playoff berth.

Arkansas went 3-7 in Sam Pittman's first season but were a fun surprise last fall, climbing to 9-4 and earning wins over Texas, Texas A&M, LSU and Penn State. But can the Razorbacks build on that?

Irish Breakdown is ready to make predictions for this very intriguing matchup.

BRYAN DRISKELL, PUBLISHER

Prediction: Arkansas 30, Cincinnati 20

Everything went perfect for the Bearcats last season, and it ended with them getting to the playoff and Luke Fickell earning Coach of the Year honors. Cincinnati had eight players off that team get drafted in April, including five players on the first two days of the draft.

Call me a hater, but I just don't see the Bearcats being a program that can simply rebuild after all those losses and then go on the road against a good SEC team and kick off the next season with a win.

Cincinnati lost a ton off their defense and I believe they are going to take a big step back, while the offense must replace a quarterback who simply won week after week, and the Bearcats also lost their two most dynamic players on offense.

Arkansas suffered a huge loss when Treylon Burks went to the league, but I love KJ Jefferson as a quarterback, the Razorbacks return four starters up front and the defense should continue improving. If Arkansas can find some weapons to replace Burks I see them continuing to be a dangerous team in the West, and they'll certainly handle the Bearcats.

RYAN ROBERTS, RECRUITING DIRECTOR

Prediction: Arkansas 37, Cincinnati 21

The Razorbacks seem ready to really take a step forward in the SEC. They kick a big season in dominating fashion against the Bearcats.

Cincinnati is building a very good program but there is just too much turnover from the 2021 season. They will ultimately figure it out during the majority of the season but they picked a tough draw to kickoff the 2022 campaign.

VINCE DEDARIO, FOOTBALL ANALYST

Prediction: Arkansas 31, Cincinnati 17

Maybe there is some bitterness still harboring deep in my soul when it comes to Cincinnati but the bottom line is they had an amazing year last year Luke Fickell did some outstanding work getting that program to where it is. With that said they lost a LOT of what made them special and most of that is playing in the NFL this season. It is going to be very hard to replicate 2021 especially when you are starting on the road against an up and coming squad in the SEC like Arkansas.

Can the Bearcats replace their outstanding corners and what does the quarterback position look like? If Cincinnati can answer those questions in the positive then they have a shot. I just do not see that being the case in game one. Arkansas is going to try and punch Cincinnati in the mouth with their run game and I think they are going to be successful. Too many times last year the Bearcats were saved by goal line stands.

Can that kind of luck sustain you? I don't think so. I actually think the pundits have this game too close with the spread. I will take the Hogs minus the points.

SEAN STIRES, STAFF WRITER

Prediction: Arkansas 24, Cincinnati 17

After leading the Bearcats to the program’s first College Football Playoff appearance, and the first for any Group of Five team, Luke Fickell could have left Cincinnati, but he’s back to face a stiff test after losing four-year starting quarterback Desmond Ridder to the NFL. Sam Pittman was just 3-7 in his first season at Arkansas, but he led the Razorbacks to a 9-4 record last year, which included an Outback Bowl win over Penn State.

ANDREW McDONOUGH, IB CONTRIBUTOR

Prediction: Arkansas 27, Cincinnati 16

Cincinnati travels to Fayetteville fresh off the best season in school history. The Bearcats knocked off Notre Dame and won the American Athletic Conference en route to a College Football Playoff berth. However, Cincinnati has to find a way to replace QB Desmond Ridder and first round pick Ahmad Gardner. The Bearcats are still the class of the American, but a victory at Arkansas is too much to ask in the season opener, especially when Luke Fickell still hasn’t named a starting QB in the battle between Evan Prater and Ben Bryant.

This game will serve as a coming out party for Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson, who was one of the most underrated players in the country last season, passing for almost 2700 yards and 21 touchdowns while also leading the SEC’s top rushing offense last season in rushing yards. Jefferson has a talented cast around him headlined by Rocket Sanders at RB and Oklahoma transfer Jadon Haselwood joining what was already a deep wide receiver room.

The Hogs lost seven starters on defense but added five Power Five transfers from the portal and still have plenty of athleticism on that side of the ball. Playing at home with high expectations for the first time in what seems like at least a decade, the Hogs will start fast. Cincinnati is good enough to keep this close but lacks the firepower on offense to win this game.

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