The Big 12 conference has major threats when it comes to conference play.
Many of the opponents in the conference happen early in Houston's schedule while others will be later on in the season. Most of the dangerous opponents happen in the beginning of the season, so Houston will have to be prepared against those opponents.
One of the opponents that Houston will match up against later on this season is the Cincinnati Bearcats and their newly reformed roster. Thanks to the transfer portal, Cincinnati got a handful of transfers and three-star recruits, which will definitely help out their depth on the roster.
With those new players added to the Bearcats' roster, many new position battles will open up against Houston in their week nine matchup. Which of those new Bearcats could spell trouble against Houston's starters?
Jan 2, 2026; Memphis, TN, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) passes the ball during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The matchups that will impact the game goes to the matchups against Houston's main starters, as the starters for Houston will directly impact the strategies and coordination Cincinnati will have in order to win. It all begins with the battle of the quarterbacks, but also leans into a major defensive matchup late in the game
To start, the matchup against Houston quarterback Conner Weigman and Cincinnati quarterback Samaj Jones will be a big one, as both of them will have played through most of their season before facing off against each other. In terms of stamina, the player who will win must have more experience when it comes to the long football seasons, and Weigman takes that victory as a senior.
However, experience only plays one part in a battle, and strategy will also come into play with both quarterbacks being experts when it comes to passing the ball to their receivers. Weigman will have to prove his worth against Samaj when it comes to passing percentages and interceptions, as Weigman struggled with interceptions late in Houston's previous season.
Another battle will be the defenses on both teams, as the Bearcats have recently retooled their defense to the extreme with new transfers coming in. The defensive line in Cincinnati has definitely improved, but their secondary could be a weakness that Houston could exploit.
With star receiver Amare Thomas on the offense, the Cincinnati secondary will have to step up if they don't want to let Thomas have receiving yards. If they can successfully prevent Thomas from gaining any passing yards, Houston could definitely keep the game in their favor.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/houston as Houston vs Cincinnati: The Matchups That Will Decide the Game .
