College Football Week 2 Sleeper Game: Tennessee vs. Cincinnati

The buzz around college football after the first week was not about the game between LSU and Oregon, even though both were top ten teams at the time. Boise State and Georgia failed to capture the attention of the nation as well. Instead, a frenetic Friday night game between Baylor and TCU stole the spotlight and reminded us all of what we love about college football.

In the spirit of the instant classic between the Bears and the Horned Frogs, here is an analysis of underrated Week 2 match-ups with the potential to be an exciting game: Tennessee Volunteers versus Cincinnati Bearcats.

Tennessee Volunteers Strengths

Sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray has “NFL potential” written all over him. At 6’6” and 210 lbs, Bray has excellent field vision and is difficult to sack.  Last week, Bray went 17 for 24, and threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns.

Tauren Poole is a big-bodied workhorse who can carry the load on the ground. Poole rushed 24 times for 98 yards last week against Montana. Expect him to tote the ball even more against the Bearcats.

At 6’4”, sophomore wide receiver Justin Hunter provides a big downfield target for Bray. Hunter caught six balls for 146 yards last week, including a reception that went for 81 yards.

Tennessee Volunteers Key Weakness

Tennessee’s defensive unit is young, starting three freshmen and three sophomores. These six players will see significant action in their first competitive game on Saturday. The moment may prove to be too much for them.

Cincinnati Bearcats Strengths

The Bearcat defensive unit is loaded with veteran players on the line, at linebacker, and in the secondary. The Bearcats D held last week’s opponent Austin Peay to a pathetic 177 yards.

Senior quarterback Zach Collaros was an incredibly efficient 12-19 with four touchdowns in Week 1. Collaros has mastered Butch Jones’ offense, and while not a running quarterback, he can make plays with his feet.

At 5’11” and 200 lbs, senior Isaiah Pead is a running back in the mold of Maurice Jones-Drew. Pead carried the ball seven times for 87 yards last week, at a whopping 12.4 yards per rush.

Cincinnati Bearcats Key Weakness

The Bearcat wide receivers are undersized: None are listed over 6’1”. Last week, D.J. Woods hauled in four receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown, and Anthony McClung caught three passes for 48 yards and two scores, but at their size, they may not be able to match up an SEC secondary.

The Wild Card: Neyland Stadium

Saturday’s game is being played at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. The 3:30 start allows Vols faithful to tailgate all day, so look for the crowd to be extra enthusiastic. The Bearcats have played in hostile road environments before, including Oklahoma, but Tennessee will be unlike anything Cincinnati has seen before.

Match-Ups That Will Determine the Winner

Interior line play will be paramount in this contest. The Tennessee offensive line has a distinct size advantage over the Cincinnati defensive front, and the same holds true when the teams switch sides. If one defensive line can apply any consistent quarterback pressure, that team will likely end up victorious.

Tennessee’s wide receivers are much taller than Cincinnati’s defensive backs. This height advantage may allow Tyler Bray a clear view of open teammates. If nothing else, he can throw the ball up in the corner of the end zone and be confident one of his receivers will come down with it.

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Cincinnati Bearcats Prediction

Cincinnati will fight hard as they aim to make some noise on the national college football scene and contend for the Big East Championship. However, with severe mismatches against a talented group of Tennessee receivers, the Bearcats fall short.

The Volunteers win this game, 28-20.