Game To Watch: #8 Cincinnati at Indiana: September 18, 2021

Cincinnati will travel to Indiana for their first big test of the 2021 season on Saturday at 12:00 EST. The Bearcats are undefeated with two blowout wins over Miami (OH) and Murray State. The Hoosiers opened the season with a tough loss against Iowa but bounced back with a blowout win against Idaho. This is a big test for Cincinnati against an Indiana team that needs a win against a quality opponent to show they can build on their 2020 season.

Recent History

Indiana is 9 – 3 all time against the Cincinnati. They have won five in a row against the Bearcats, but the most recent of those games was in 2000. The two teams have not played in over 20 years and both programs are very different in 2021 then they were in 2000.

Top 25 Players

What To Watch For…

Will Indiana Disrupt Desmond Ridder?

Desmond Ridder has improved his game every year and through two weeks appears to again be better in 2021. The Bearcats’ quarterback has completed over 72 percent of his passes, is averaging 11.4 yards per attempt with 6 touchdowns and just 1 interception. He has been both efficient and explosive in the passing game and is also an excellent running threat when the situation calls for it. Indiana’s defense thrives when they pressure the quarterback, creating confusion which results in turnovers. The Hoosiers have done a good job defending the pass this year and are allowing just 5.1 yards per attempt, but have not faced a quarterback as good as Ridder. If the defense can create pressure and confuse the quarterback they will have a chance to slow down Cincinnati, if not Ridder will have a big day and lead his team to a big win.

Can Michael Penix Beat a Good Bearcats’ Defense?

Michael Penix had a difficult start to the season. He threw three interceptions in the season opener against Iowa and two of them were returned for a touchdown. Penix got back on track against Idaho, but that was obviously an easier opponent. The Indiana quarterback plays with extreme confidence and will take chances downfield to Ty Fryfogle and company, which leads to big plays for the offense, but can also result in turnovers. The question is which will it be against a good Cincinnati defense which features two of the best cornerbacks in college football. Cincinnati has the talent in the front seven to pressure the quarterback and will force Penix to make tough throws into coverage. He will need to play a good game for the Hoosiers to get the win against a good Cincinnati team.

Can Indiana be Balanced on Offense?

Indiana’s offense would benefit if their running game was more productive. The Hoosiers averaged a meager 3.1 yards per carry a year ago and have only bumped that up to 3.2 yards per carry through the first two games this season. USC transfer Stephen Carr did run for 100 yards against Idaho, but only time will tell if that was actual progress or a byproduct of playing an over-matched opponent. The lack of a running game puts a lot of pressure on Michael Penix and against a good defense it’s difficult to be one dimensional and succeed. Cincinnati is a good defensive team. They have talent and experience at all three levels of their defense, resulting in a cohesive unit that has dominated so far this year. The Bearcats allow just 4.5 yards per pass attempt, 3.2 yards per carry and 3.7 yards per play. The competition has not been tough yet, but the defense has done well in all facets of the game. To beat a defense like that, Indiana will have to be balanced offensively on Saturday to keep the Bearcats guessing.

Prediction

This is the first tough game for Cincinnati, who has some tough games on their schedule this year. The Bearcats will feel some pressure to perform early and that may lead to a slow start. Indiana lost the momentum early against Iowa and will make an extra effort to get off to a good start on Saturday. Desmond Ridder is playing at a high level and will put together big drives to lead his team to a big road win. Cincinnati 31 Indiana 21.

For more content like this don’t forget to subscribe to our website.

For the latest content follow us on twitter @saturdayscfb & @cfbsaturdaysC or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CFBSaturday

Fickell.jpg Image taken by Apyanac is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.