The Bearcats are coming off a trip to the College Football Playoff, while the Razorbacks are a sleeper team in the SEC. Let's take a look at their Week 1 matchup in our Cincinnati-Arkansas picks.
The Cincinnati Bearcats finished the 2021 regular season undefeated before finally giving the country a look at a non-Power 5 team in the College Football Playoff. Now they'll need to adjust to life without quarterback Desmond Ridder. Their defense is still stout, and they'll look to take the ball away from Arkansas to get good field position, all while trying not to be removed from College Football Playoff consideration in Week 1.
Quarterback KJ Jefferson leads the Razorbacks, and he can beat teams with both his arms and legs. He threw for 2,676 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2021 with just four interceptions while rushing for 664 yards.
His ability to take care of the ball will be critical against Cincinnati. Arkansas should win easily if Jefferson doesn't turn it over. But if he does, this could turn into a very close contest.