Cincinnati.com: Here are 5 questions UC football will face at Big 12 Media Days this week
UC one of four schools being welcomed to the Big 12
UC is one of four schools being welcomed into the Big 12 this week with the conference holding league-wide media days. Cincinnati.com published a story looking at five questions facing Bearcat football as the team starts play in the conference in a few weeks.
The first question asked in the article is if the Bearcats have enough experience to compete in the Big 12. According to Phil Steele's College Football Preview, UC has the least amount of game experience in the Big 12. The Kansas Jayhawks, meanwhile, have the most experience. Big 12 media picked UC 13th. Kansas was predicted to finish ninth. On the other hand, the magazine ranked UC as having the third-easiest schedule of the Big 12 and a No. 53 ranking overall in terms of difficulty.
The next question wonders if UC can win with another new quarterback. Ben Bryant played well in the first post-Desmond Ridder season for UC, but he transferred to Northwestern in the spring. The article says Emory Jones Jr. was spectacular at times during the spring scrimmage with freshman Brady Drogosh also showing some promise. Jones is considered the favorite to win the starting QB job, having thrown for 4,800 yards and running for 1,300 yards in his college career at Florida and last season at Arizona State.
The next question examines the losses the Bearcats suffered on the offensive side of the ball thanks to players being drafted to the NFL or transferring to other schools. New head coach Scott Satterfield will be looking for immediate contributions from former Florida Gator Xzavier Henderson, Dee Wiggins and Braden Smith who came with Satterfield from Louisville, Donovan Ollie who transferred from Washington State, Sterling Berkhalter out of North Carolina A&T, and Aaron Turner a former Connecticut Husky. Several have Power Five experience, and Jones and Henderson connected on touchdowns at Florida in the SEC.
One of the biggest losses on the defensive side of the ball was the departure to the NFL's Minnesota Vikings of linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr. which is the topic of the fourth question in the story. Satterfield is getting help from another member of the Pace family from Ivan's brother, Deshawn, who was a standout in spring practices.
"Every level that me and Ivan played on, it's always been top dogs," Pace said. "I feel that every level we touch, it's going to be top dogs."
The final question looks at whether Satterfield is prepared to succeed in the Big 12 after compiling a 25-24 record at Louisville. Satterfield was an up-and-comer at Appalachian State where he was 51-24, so much so that he was in the mix for the UC job before Luke Fickell was hired. His overall record is 76-48 and he was the 2018 Sun Belt Coach of the Year, then the 2019 ACC Coach of the Year in his first year at Louisville.
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