The 2026-27 Cincinnati Bearcats are about to get a full season to prove they belong in the NCAA Tournament conversation, and the schedule gives Jerrod Calhoun plenty of chances to make that case. Cincinnati is set for a 32-game grind, and after missing out on March Madness every year this decade, the Bearcats are trying to change that in Calhoun’s first season.
There’s reason for optimism, at least on paper. Cincinnati sits just inside the top 40 in both Bart Torvik and Evan Miya, and the non-conference slate doesn’t look like a minefield. Even with a few tricky spots sprinkled in, the Bearcats are projected to be favored in every game outside the toughest tests.
Calhoun made it clear on Oct. 29 that the details still matter most at this stage. “I don’t think you’re ever fully where you need to be," Calhoun said about his team on Oct.
- "My biggest fear is end-of-game situations after timeouts.
I think that’s something coaches have to help their players with. We had a situation in the exhibition against Oakland where they fouled three or four times at the end of the half, and we didn’t have that particular play in for inbounding with under a second to play.
So it’s our job over the next few days to make sure we’re very detailed with that.
"It’s something Max Bent and I will spend a ton of time on, making sure guys are aware of those situations. For the most part, your offensive and defensive systems are in, and now you just have to carry out some of those game plans leading up to your first game.”
The first real checkpoint comes on Nov. 14 at Dayton, and that’s where the first projected stumble arrives. Cincinnati is also picked to take a small-margin loss to Georgia in the ESPN Events Invitational, while handling the rest of the non-conference schedule - including the 2026 Crosstown Shootout. Anything short of an 8-0 mark in the Quad 4 non-conference games would be a major setback.
Those Dayton and Georgia matchups are both projected Quad 1 games, so a 1-2 start in those contests would leave Cincinnati needing to recover quickly. A win over Clemson at Heritage Bank Center helps, but the bigger picture is what comes next: a Big 12 slate that finally turns into a winning one.
That’s the projection here. Cincinnati is expected to use its depth to grind out enough close games in league play to finish above .500 in the Big 12 for the first time since joining the conference. Calhoun’s in-game coaching is viewed as a step up, and that edge could be the difference in a few tight ones that have slipped away in recent years.
The biggest home opportunity in league play may be Kansas, a game Cincinnati is projected to win even though the Bearcats will likely be underdogs. Another major swing game comes March 2 against Houston at home, a chance to help end a long losing streak in that series.
Here’s how the Big 12 run is projected to unfold:
Wins: Texas Tech home, Utah home, TCU home, Kansas State home, Kansas home, Colorado away, Arizona State home, Oklahoma State away, UCF home, Houston home
Losses: BYU away, West Virginia away, Arizona home, Baylor away, Iowa State away, West Virginia home, Texas Tech away, Kansas State away
If this forecast holds, Cincinnati’s season won’t just be about getting through the schedule. It’ll be about turning a promising roster and a manageable non-conference path into the kind of conference record that puts the Bearcats back in the tournament picture.
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Bearcats Still Flash Enough To Frustrate Fans After Utah Loss
For stretches against No. 6 Utah, Cincinnati showed enough to make the final score sting a little more. The Bearcats fell 49-25, but they also found some life on the ground, with the offense at least able to create a few moments that hinted at more than the lopsided result suggested.
Cole Tabb was the bright spot, giving Cincinnati a real spark with a productive night carrying the load. Even so, the Bearcats could not sustain drives, and the gap on third down told the story of how often Utah controlled the flow of the game without leaving much room for Cincinnati to build momentum. [Read more 🡒]