Navy vs. Cincinnati

When playing Navy, it is mandatory to have a strong run defense and to come up with takeaways. Cincinnati does neither of these things. The Bearcats rank 98th in run defense. They also were last in the country in takeaways with only two. So look for Navy to defeat the Bearcats by more than a touchdown in the Liberty Bowl. Navy, with its triple option attack, was the No. 1 rushing offense in the country. Being a service academy, the 9-2 Midshipmen didn't have to worry about opt-outs. Not the case with Cincinnati. The Bearcats will be without quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who accounted for 36 touchdowns with only five interceptions. The Bearcats haven’t played since November 29, while Navy beat Army on Dec. 13. That is a long time for 7-5 Cincinnati to go without playing. Navy's only losses were to North Texas and to Notre Dame. The Irish finished No. 9 in the most recent AP poll and North Texas was No. 23. Cincinnati is not in that class. Take Navy.