Cincinnati vs. Tulsa Prediction, Game Preview
Cincinnati vs. Tulsa prediction and game preview. The Bearcats travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma to face off against the Golden Hurricane on Friday.
Cincinnati vs. Tulsa prediction and game preview. The Bearcats travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma to face off against the Golden Hurricane on Friday.
Cincinnati vs. Tulsa Game Preview
When: Friday, November 25 – 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: H.A. Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Broadcast: ESPNU
The seasons for Cincinnati and Tulsa have not gone as planned, but for very different reasons. The Bearcats have lost four straight to get eliminated for a bowl game and have a coach, Tommy Tuberville, who’s struggling to save his job. Throw in the lack of an invite to join the Big 12 and the Bengals problems and it’s been a most forgettable fall in Cincy. The Golden Hurricane, on the other hand, have exceeded expectations in his second season. Tulsa has won eight games behind a diverse and explosive offense, and its only losses have been to quality opponents, Ohio State, Houston and Navy.
What To Know About Cincinnati
After five straight years of averaging more than 30 points per game, the offense has tanked this season. The Bearcats are uncharacteristically norming 18 points per game, thanks to poor blocking and inconsistency and a revolving door behind center. The defense has actually played fairly well, getting contributions from DT Cortez Broughton, S Tyrell Gilbert and linebackers Mike Tyson and Eric Wilson. But it hasn’t really mattered to the bottom line, since the team has manufactured a paltry 26 points over the past four games.
What to Know About Tulsa
The Golden Hurricane roster is littered with veterans. And the team has performed like it in 2016. The offense rings up more than 41 points per game, with a flood of talented skill guys surrounding senior QB Dane Evans. Tulsa boasts a pair of 1,000-yard rushers, James Flanders and D’Angelo Brewer, and a couple of receivers, Keevan Lucas and Josh Atkinson, who can stretch defenses. The D is the softest area, especially against the run. Still, the team is underrated in the front seven, with linemen Jesse Brubaker and Jeremy Smith and linebackers Matt Linscott and Craig Suits able to get regular penetration.
Advantages
Offense: Tulsa. A mismatch, with the units from Tulsa and Cincinnati traveling in starkly disparate directions.
Defense: Cincinnati. With a little less time on the field, the Bearcats, which rank second in the league in interceptions, would be regarded even higher this year.
Special Teams: Tulsa. Both teams are having issues, but the edge in the kicking game goes to Golden Hurricane Redford Jones, who’s hit 17-of-22 field goal tries.
Coaching: Tulsa. Sure, Tuberville has seen and done it all, but Montgomery is the far hotter coach at this stage of the evaluation.
Intangibles: Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane is having fun as the postseason approaches. The Bearcats can’t wait to get to the offseason after the way 2016 has gone.
Matchup To Watch
Flanders and Brewer vs. Wilson and Tyson
Flanders and Brewer have been transcendent weapons for Tulsa this fall, exploiting the wide lanes and splits in the line. However, Wilson and Tyson move like safeties from sideline to sideline, and Cincinnati is surrendering less than four yards per carry this season.
Betting Odds
Spread: Tulsa -22.5
Over/Under: 62.5
Cincinnati vs. Tulsa Prediction
A trip to Tulsa when the season is essentially over. Yeah, Cincinnati has absolutely no desire to play this game the day after Thanksgiving, and it’ll be reflected in the final score. The Golden Hurricane will continue to roll offensively behind the diverse set of options around Evans. The Bearcats, conversely, have shown no signs of locating an offensive spark, even with a middling Tulsa defense on the other side of the line. The Golden Hurricane will start fast, finish strong and endure little resistance en route to a nine-win regular season.
Cincinnati vs. Tulsa Final Score Prediction: Tulsa 41, Cincinnati 10
