Cincinnati Football 2026 Schedule: Breakdown and Season Outlook
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Uh oh – the Cincinnati 2026 football schedule is a problem.
Let’s put it this way. If the Bearcats have a massive season, they’ll have truly earned it. Yes, many of the top games are at home, but they’re still nasty, and three of the last four games are on the road.
The Good, the Bad, and Who Cincinnati Misses in 2026
The Good
Boston College isn’t a bad way to start the season, and the Bearcats should be 3-0 before starting the Big 12 slate. Two of the toughest games – Texas Tech and Utah – are home games, there’s a week off between the first two road dates, and …
The Bad
Oh dear heavens, the run of games after September. Five of the last eight games are on the road, Texas Tech and Utah aren’t teams you want to play, even at home, and …
What Big 12 Teams Cincinnati Will Miss
Arizona State, Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State, TCU, UCF. It’s fine, but Houston and BYU are road games, and missing Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State, and UCF – four teams that didn’t go bowling last year – hurts.
Cincinnati’s Best and Worst Case Scenarios in 2026
Best Case: The Bearcats roll through the first half of the season
The second half is a nightmare, so any chance at a big year starts with winning everything early on. The team is jelled, and they at least split the Texas Tech and Utah games, or …
Worst Case: The second half of the season is as bad as it looks
There’s an early home loss to Kansas State and/or Boston College, and then they drop the next six games are out of the bowl hunt fast.
Cincinnati Football 2026 Schedule
Sept 5 Boston College
Sept 12 Western Carolina
Sept 19 Miami University
Sept 26 Kansas State
Oct 3 at Arizona
Oct 10 OPEN DATE
Oct 17 at West Virginia
Oct 24 Texas Tech
Oct 31 Utah
Nov 7 at Houston
Nov 14 at Iowa State
Nov 21 Colorado
Nov 28 at BYU
Games That Will Decide Cincinnati’s Season
1. Kansas State, Sept. 26. It’s not the biggest game on the Bearcat schedule, but win this, and there’s a shot at a 4-0 start before diving into the Big 12 road games.
2. At BYU, Nov. 28. If the Bearcats can somehow get and stay in the Big 12 Championship hunt, there’s probably no way they have a chance to play for it all without winning the regular season finale.
3. At West Virginia, Oct. 17. Win or else, because what’s coming next is a whole lot of bad.
Related: Colorado Football 2026 Schedule: Full Breakdown and Season Outlook
This story was originally published by College Football News on Jan 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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