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Week 1 of the college football season features the Cincinnati Bearcats traveling to face the Arkansas Razorbacks at Razorback Stadium on Saturday, September 3 with tip-off scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET. The game is scheduled to air on ESPN.
Yes, the Wildcats may have been easily handled in their loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff. But the fact that Cincinnati was in the College Football Playoff to begin with is a milestone in and of itself, and the Wildcats will look to build on their momentum heading into 2022. This program lost its key names on offense with Desmond Ridder, Jerome Ford, and Alec Pierce all heading to the NFL. But the receiving corps should be fine and the offensive line being solid is the biggest positive for the new season. That should make Evan Prater’s job under center a bit easier as well, as it looks like it's his job to lose in replacing Ridder, with Ben Bryant also in contention.
It’s hard to make national noise when you play in the stacked SEC, but the Razorbacks did win nine games last season. Their 9-4 record was the first time they’ve finished above .500 since the 2016 season when Arkansas went 7-6. This offense should continue to get better under coordinator Kendal Briles, and K.J. Jefferson should continue to be both a threat with his legs and his arm despite the loss of Treylon Burks to the NFL. Jaden Haselwood from Oklahoma should give him a nice threat over the top of the opposing secondary.
Cincinnati vs. Arkansas odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Arkansas -6
Total: 52
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