The No. 11 UCF Knights are ready to host College Gameday as the self-proclaimed national champs have also prepared to welcome the No. 24 Cincinnati Bearcats to town.
The team that declared itself the winner of last season’s national title is facing off against a ranked opponent this weekend. While the Alabama Crimson Tide has already met with a few ranked foes this season, they’re taking on Citadel this weekend. Meanwhile, down in Orlando, the No. 11 UCF Knights are set to host College Gameday and the No. 24 Cincinnati Bearcats.
Central Florida could be in for a bit of a challenge this weekend. The Bearcats have an impressive 9-1 record this year and their only loss came in overtime against a resilient Temple team. Cincinnati has combined an impressive offense with a stout defense and is able to take control of games by wearing its opponents out.
On offense, Cincinnati is balanced in its attack, averaging 235.8 rushing yards per game and 212 passing yards per game. On defense, the Bearcats are holding foes to 278.2 total yards of offense per game. According to ESPN, that’s good for seventh-best in the country, ahead of teams with high profiled defenses such as Mississippi State and Alabama.
In UCF, Cincinnati’s defense will find itself taking on one of the highest scoring teams in the country. While the Knights are far from good on defense, their offense led by McKenzie Milton is incredibly impressive. Milton is completing 60.2 percent of his passes this season and has thrown for 2309 yards and 21 touchdowns against just five interceptions. He’ll need to be sharp against the Bearcats to give his team a shot at winning.
How to bet on and watch UCF vs. Cincinnati
Date: Saturday, Nov. 17
Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Orlando, Florida
Stadium: Spectrum Stadium
TV Info: ABC
Odds: UCF -7
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Prediction: The Bearcats are coming to town as a well-rounded team that is good on both offense and defense. UCF, on the other hand, has relied on its incredibly explosive offense to carry the way all season while the Knights’ defense makes just enough plays to get by on a weekly basis. Expect the Knights to be challenged this weekend in a way that they haven’t through most of this season. McKenzie Milton and UCF’s diversified running attack can’t afford to make any mistakes against this defense. UCF should win at home, but it’ll be significantly closer than most UCF fans will want.