College football is right around the corner, and nothing beats the Week 1 matchups. You’ve got heavyweight showdowns like Clemson vs LSU in Death Valley, Ohio State vs Texas in Columbus, and tucked right in the madness? Cincinnati versus Nebraska under the lights at Arrowhead Stadium. Home of Kansas City Chiefs. But here’s the kicker: Cincinnati’s head coach Scott Satterfield just hinted he’s not done tinkering with the lineup, and he’s throwing a little shade at the Big 12’s brand-new injury disclosure rule while he’s at it.

Satterfield stepped to the mic after scrimmage on August 20th, and the man didn’t sugarcoat a thing when asked about not being satisfied with scrimmage work: “I mean, we got work to do in all three facets of the game plan.” He admitted. He rattled off the checklist—kicking, offense, defense—all still needing polish. Starters? Basically locked. Depth chart? Still cooking. Translation: if you thought Cincinnati’s rotation was set in stone, think again. He said flat out that multiple guys are gonna see the field in certain spots. Special teams? He called it “big” and admitted they’re grinding through every situation possible. In other words, the Bearcats are still very much in lab mode, one week out from game day.

Now, if you’re looking for positives, the final intra-squad scrimmage at Nippert Stadium gave fans a little appetizer. The offense found some juice through the air: sophomore tight end Gavin Grover snagged 2 touchdowns, Caleb Goodie made a crazy grab, and Jeff Caldwell pulled in a sideline catch that had the sideline going mad all over him. Solid signs, but Satterfield still wasn’t ready to hand out gold stars. Scott Satterfield is already working with tweaks: “We’re working through all your situations and special teams are big. We’ve been doing that the last couple days. But yeah, I mean, we still got a lot of work to do. We’re still a little over a week out.” For him, the progress is there, but it’s baby steps, not leaps.

The opener on August 28th isn’t just another game; it’s a measuring stick. And speaking of measuring sticks, Satterfield also got real about the Big 12’s shiny new player availability rule. The league is forcing teams to do NFL-style injury reports starting this season—daily updates for three days before kickoff, then a final 90-minute drop before the game. Players will now be labeled as available, probable, questionable, doubtful, or out. Transparency? Sure. But Satterfield’s eyebrow was raised.

“Yeah, it’s interesting. I guess gambling has really taken over sports,” he said, half shrugging. “Why else would you disclose injuries like this? … I think there was some gamesmanship by teams, and I think now it’ll be interesting to see if there’s any gamesmanship as we move forward with this. You may have everybody listed as probable, and we’ll see game time, and we’ll see what happens.”

Read between the lines, and he’s calling it how it is: this isn’t about player safety; it’s about Vegas. Sports betting’s explosion is the driver, and Satterfield knows it. In his mind, this is less about protecting athletes and more about keeping the gamblers and networks happy. And he’s already predicting loopholes—like coaches slapping the “probable” tag on half the roster just to keep opponents guessing. Basically, the rule might kill some old-school gamesmanship, but don’t expect coaches to stop playing chess.

Cincinnati is still ironing out depth, still finding their groove, and now navigating new injury-report politics. Nebraska? They’re the first litmus test, and the Bearcats don’t exactly get a warm-up lap. This is Satterfield’s third year at the helm, and after last year’s flameout (5–2 start, followed by a brutal five-game skid), the leash is shorter than ever. The man needs wins—period.

Can Bearcats make the Bowl run in Big 2025?

Here’s the real talk: year three under Satterfield is do-or-die. Last year, the Bearcats teased hope early before falling flat on their face with a five-game losing streak. No bowl. This season? The roster’s got enough juice to flip the script—if they don’t trip over themselves again.

It starts with QB Brendan Sorsby. The Indiana transfer was steady last year: 18 touchdowns, 7 picks, 64% completions. Solid, not spectacular. But this year, he’s gotta level up. He’s lost his top wideouts, sure, but the Bearcats hit the portal hard. Cyrus Allen (Texas A&M), Jeff Caldwell (Lindenwood), and Caleb Goodie (Colorado State) are the new weapons. Plus, tight end Joe Royer is back after pulling in 50 grabs for 521 yards. That’s his safety valve and downfield threat rolled into one. If Sorsby makes that sophomore leap in Clifton, the offense won’t just survive—it’ll cook.

Defensively, it’s all about one man-tank: Dontay Corleone. The man’s nickname has to be “The Godfather,” and it fits. Three years of anchoring the trenches, 110 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and nearly 10 sacks later, he’s the soul of this defense. If he stays healthy, Cincinnati’s front can bully anybody in the Big 12. Around him, linebacker Jake Golday and safety Antwan Peek Jr. bring steadiness, while transfer pickups like Matthew McDoom (All-Sun Belt corner) and Christian Harrison (SEC safety) should plug the leaks in a secondary that gave up way too many chunk plays last year.

And then there’s the schedule—it’s actually not brutal. Nebraska at Arrowhead is tough, but winnable. Then two cupcake home games before diving into Big 12 play. And here’s the kicker: only one ranked team on the slate, No. 22 Iowa State. Compare that to most Big 12 gauntlets, and Cincinnati might have caught a break. In a league where literally anybody can beat anybody—remember Arizona State clowning half the conference last year—the Bearcats just need consistency.

So can they make a bowl? Absolutely. Analysts like Greg McElroy are low-key betting his stock on Satterfield & Co. They don’t need to be perfect; they just need to stop collapsing. If Sorsby keeps his head, if Corleone keeps wrecking shop, and if the transfer wideouts click, a 6–7 win season is right there.