Cincinnati Bearcats Football: 10 Off-the-Wall Predictions for the 2011 Season
A 12-0 regular season record is a tough act to follow.
The Cincinnati Bearcats proved this to be correct in 2010, putting up four wins and eight losses the year after Brian Kelly fled for Notre Dame.
Butch Jones did nothing but win before is hiring at Cincinnati; his Central Michigan Chippewas went 11-2 in 2009.
Jones may have been a bit dismayed after a 4-8 record, but he'll have his 'Cats ready to perform up to expectations in 2011.
And expectations are high.
Why wouldn't they be? Cincinnati returns seven starters on offense, including quarterback Zach Collaros and running back Isaiah Pead. It also brings back all 11 starters on defense.
Here are 10 predictions for the Bearcats in 2011—
Munchie Legaux Will Win the Backup QB Role
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Zach Collaros is no doubt the starting quarterback heading into the 2011 season.
But every starter needs a solid backup, and Collaros is currently without one.
The second string role blew wide open after senior Chazz Anderson made the decision to transfer in early May, leaving Cincinnati with questions to whom will step up.
Sophomore Munchie Legaux looks to be Jones' man.
Legaux is a dynamic dual-threat athlete with a very strong arm. He stands at 6'4" and 190 pounds, lead the spread in high school and runs a 4.6 40-yard-dash.
Legaux passed for 44 touchdowns in high school and led his team to 11 wins his senior season. His stellar speed and quickness makes him a threat on the ground as well as the pass, but he is a pass-first QB.
The Bearcats have the Munchies.
The Bearcats Will Beat the Tennessee Volunteers
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Okay, so this prediction isn't too "off-the-wall".
Tennessee had a 6-6 regular season record before faltering to the hands of North Carolina in the Music City Bowl. It had zero wins in five attempts against ranked opponents and lost by an average of 19.2 points a game against them.
To sum it up, the Volunteers weren't very good against good teams.
Tennessee allowed 152.5 yards on the ground per game last season. With UT only returning 7 starters on defense, Cincinnati's Isaiah Pead should have a field day running the ball.
The Volunteers are 45-20 at home since 2002, but the Bearcats will leave Neyland Stadium with at least a two-score victory.
Isaiah Pead Will Rush for 1,500+ Yards
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Isaiah Pead carried the ball 157 times for 1,029 yards and six scores.
He did not play in early season matchups against Indiana State and North Carolina State. With an estimated guess, I inquire that Pead probably could have combined for a good 200 yards if he played, giving him a season total of over 1,200 yards.
Pead averaged 6.6 yards per carry in 2010, and it goes unappreciated when Cincinnat's offensive line struggled year round.
Cincinnati was 3-1 when Pead rushed for more than 100 yards last season (lost 31-29 when he rushed for 169 against No. 8 Oklahoma).
Isaiah Pead is seeing the ball more and more every season, and if the Bearcats want to succeed, he will continue to receive more carries.
I expect the versatile tailback to run the ball at least 200 times for 1,500+ yards and 10 touchdowns in 2011.
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The Offensive Line Will Allow Under 20 Sacks
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The Bearcat O-line let its quarterback(s) get sacked 33 times in 2010-- a number that Zach Collaros would love to forget.
Cincinnati lost offensive tackle Samuel Griffin to graduation and center Jason Kelce to the NFL draft (Philadelphia).
It looks to plug the leaks with junior offensive tackle Sean Hooey and sophomore guard Austen Bujnoch. They both stand at 6'9", 300 pounds and 6'5", 280 respectively and both should be an incredible force.
The Bearcats need these two to step up, along with the rest of the offensive line, if they want to be successful.
If Hooey and Bujnoch can live up to their expectations and raw talent, Collaros won't be sacked over 20 times in 2011.
Zach Collaros Will Throw for 2,500+ Yards and Rush for 500+
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Zach Collaros was seen running for his life in most of the 2010 season.
Not only was he sacked 30 times in 11 games, but he was forced to move around the pocket quite a bit as well; Collaros averaged 11.0 "carries" a game, coming up with only 202 yards and four touchdowns.
With a struggling offensive line, it was bound for Collaros to have trouble succeeding.
This is a guy who completed 75 percent of his passes while coming up with 1,434 yards and 10 touchdowns when backing up Tony Pike in 2009. He also rushed for 344 yards and four touchdowns off of just 57 touches.
Cincinnati's offensive line is improved and Collaros will have a fun new toy with wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins.
Thompkins is a slick 6'2", 180 pound receiver whose quickness will give corners headaches come game-day. He runs a 4.4 40-yard-dash and is a great route-runner.
Collaros is being set-up for a profitable senior season. I expect at least 2,500 yards passing and 25 slings to the endzone in addition to 500+ yards on the ground. He will be the epitome of dual-threat in 2011.
The Defense Will Hold Opponents to Under 22 Points Per Game
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Cincinnati's defense was atrocious last season.
And I'm being nice.
The Bearcats' defense forced 14 turnovers in 2010—
Not horrible, but could be better.
They allowed an average of 135.4 yards against the rush—
Definitely room for improvement.
The secondary gave up 234.0 yards versus the pass—
Okay, this isn't good. We're getting pretty dicey here...
And finally, opposing offenses put an average of 28 points on the scoreboard—
Unacceptable. This is an awful lot of points for an already distressed offense to have to catch up to; a big reason the Bearcats went 4-8.
With the entire defensive squad back in 2011, plus the addition of freshman outside linebacker Nick Temple (No. 38 in his position), positive development is expected.
I believe the Bearcats' defense will have the talent needed to keep Cincinnati in ball games this year. It will hold opponents to an average of under 22 points per game and will be advantageous to a successful season.
The Bearcats Will Beat the West Virginia Mountaineers
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At this point, I can see Cincinnati having a 7-1 record (I really don't see the Bearcats winning at Pittsburgh, but its still very possible).
A Big East title could be on the line.
The West Virginia Mountaineers make a trip to Paul Brown Stadium (home of the Cincinnati Bengals) on Nov. 12 in hopes of making back-to-back wins against Cincinnati since '06-07.
But a rejuvenated Bearcat squad will have something else in mind.
West Virginia loses prodigy running back Noel Devine, wide receiver Jock Sanders and eight defensive starters from 2010.
Mountaineer quarterback Geno Smith is back and definitely ready for action, but he won't be able to keep up with Butch Jones' offense on the scoreboard.
Cincinnati should win this game by seven or more points and move forward.
Cincinnati Will Win the Big East
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The Big East isn't one of the best conferences in the country.
But its unmistakably competitive.
The Bearcats have a great shot at winning their conference title this upcoming season.
Pittsburgh will be Dion Lewis-less. It also had some offseason staff problems, hiring Mike Haywood and firing him after two weeks. It then hired Todd Graham nine days following this action. Pitt will be good, but beatable.
West Virginia is a nine-win football team. One of its three losses should be to the hands (or paws) of the Bearcats.
When was the last time Syracuse had back-to-back winning seasons? I don't know either. I don't expect the Orange to be much of a threat, even though they handed it to the 'Cats in '10.
The Connecticut Huskies are the reigning Big East champs.
However, that won't last long.
UCONN is losing six offensive players, including QB Zach Frazer and fullback Anthony Sherman. The offense will suffer and the defense will have to be outstanding for the Huskies to make a bowl in 2011.
Here is my prediction for the Big East standings at the end of the 2011 season—
1. Cincinnati: 11-1 (6-1)
2. West Virginia: 9-3 (5-2)
3. Pittsburgh: 8-4 (5-2)
4. South Florida: 8-4 (4-3)
5. Syracuse: 6-6 (3-4)
6. Connecticut Huskies: 5-7 (3-4)
7. Louisville Cardinals: 4-8 (2-5)
8. Rutgers Scarlet Knights: 2-10 (0-7)
Cincinnati Will Be Invited to the Orange Bowl
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After compiling an 11-1 regular season record and finishing as the Big East champions, the Bearcats should be invited to the Orange Bowl.
This would be their third BCS invite in the last four seasons.
Cincinnati will face the ACC champs. Florida State is the hands-on favorite to fit this title, as it is pre-ranked in the Top 10.
Butch Jones Will Win the AP Coach of the Year
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It would be hard to follow a 4-8 record with 11 wins and a BCS appearance without receiving some credit.
After tacking on seven and a possible eight wins more than he did in 2010, Jones would be the front-runner for coach of the year.
Especially if Cincinnati were to win in the Orange Bowl.
And instead of fighting for his job, the University of Cincinnati would probably be fighting to keep Jones in the Queen City.
And to not pull a Brian Kelly.
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