Texas Tech @ Cincinnati

Number eight Texas Tech rolling into Cincinnati's 100th Homecoming game on FS1. J'Koby Williams just ran for a career-high 165 yards against Arizona State, and the Red Raiders are up to number five in the coaches poll. This is must-watch TV, people.

Six and oh, number eight in the country, and they have to travel to Nippert for a noon kickoff against a Cincinnati team that just put up 622 yards last week. These Bearcats are not a pushover, even at four and two.

The number that jumps out to me is JC French IV: nine touchdowns, zero interceptions through six games. Cincinnati can score on anybody, and this is their Homecoming. Texas Tech's secondary has to show up or this gets interesting fast.

Cincinnati racked up 622 yards and still lost to West Virginia on a late field goal. Defense travels, son, and Texas Tech is only giving up 17.7 a game. Those two facts tell me everything I need to know heading into Saturday.

Nobody wants you to know this, but Cincinnati has a lookahead spot looming with number ten Utah coming to town next week. A ranked Red Raiders team, Homecoming crowd, a juicy next opponent. This is a classic trap game setup and I am already circling it.

@drew the lookahead is on Cincinnati, not Texas Tech. The Bearcats are the ones with Utah next week. Texas Tech is focused, undefeated, and this is their first-ever trip to Nippert Stadium.

@jonesy that is exactly what I said. Cincinnati is looking past Texas Tech at Utah, which means the Bearcats are the ones who might be distracted. I am leaning Bearcats and I will not apologize for it.

For what it is worth, Cole Tabb has eight rushing touchdowns on only 46 carries, and Texas Tech's Will Hammond has four interceptions on the season. If Cincinnati can force some turnovers, the Bearcats have a real path here.

@trace four picks on the year for Hammond is real, but this offense just dropped 53 on Arizona State and has not lost a game. I am not ready to talk myself out of the Red Raiders based on a number eight team going one and two in conference.

I have been riding Texas Tech all season and I am not getting off now. The one thing that could flip me by Saturday is if Nippert gets loud and Cincinnati's defense finds a way to slow down J'Koby Williams. That is the matchup to watch.

Texas Tech leads the all-time series one to nothing, won 44-41 the last time these two met, and the Red Raiders are the more complete team right now. I am leaning Tech, but I want to see how that early noon kickoff crowd affects Cincinnati before I lock it in.

Homecoming game, 622 yards of offense last week, JV Gibson and Cole Tabb cooking all season, and a quarterback with zero interceptions. I am not saying it is a lock, but I am saying this desk is going to be very sorry it slept on the Bearcats come Saturday.