Colorado could claim bowl eligibility this week, but a sixth win on the season isn’t going to come easy against the 5-2 Cincinnati Bearcats.

Both Colorado and Cincinnati have turned their programs around this year as the Bearcats went 3-9 last season and the Buffs finished 4-8. Similarly to CU, Cincinnati hired a new offensive and defensive coordinator to change the trajectory and efficiency on both sides of the ball and the results have shown through in a productive season with just two close losses to Pitt and Texas Tech.

With kickoff at 8:15 p.m. MT, late-night antics may come in to play as the Buffs and the Bearcats battle in a pivotal matchup for both sides.

“They're playing really good football,” coach Deion Sanders said. “If you match up statistically, we're kind of right there with one another. Our defense may have the edges a little bit, but offensively, they have a lot more balance with running and passing the football.

“I like what they're doing. They're not flashy and it's not a sexy thing, but they get the job done, and I love the way they attack. I love the way they get to the ball. I love what they're accomplishing this season. It's a tremendous task. We cannot make mistakes and we cannot start off slow. We got to go get them.”

As we do each week, our CU Sports Report staff discusses and debates the key storylines and makes score predictions.

Troy Finnegan: The biggest concern for the Buffs in this one is the quarterback run game, especially in short yardage situations and down in the red zone. Cincinnati likes to design runs for Brendan Sorsby when they get in those situations, and Colorado’s struggles against the QB run this season have been well-documented. Sorsby is a big-bodied, physical runner who can run either between the tackles or on the outside, so the Buffs will have to contain him.

Sorsby also has a chance to hurt Colorado as a scrambler. Even though the Buffs got home and sacked Noah Fifita seven times in Tucson last week, he still scrambled for 37 yards on three attempts. If Sorsby is able to win with his legs late in the down, Cincinnati will be able to rely on that to move the ball.

Nikki Edwards: Cincinnati’s offensive line has allowed the Bearcats’ run game to thrive this season as they currently rank 51st in the FBS, averaging 172.4 rushing yards per game. The Bearcats’ offensive line is able to move defensive fronts and create large holes for their running backs and quarterback Brendan Sorsby as he has six rushing touchdowns this season.

Agreed, quarterback containment will be a priority in this one as Sorsby is capable of slipping out of pressure and scrambling to move the chains. Colorado’s pass rush leads the Big 12 in sacks with 21 after demolishing Fifita with those seven sacks at Arizona. The trench matchup will be an exciting one to watch as the Buffs have been really effective in getting to the quarterback in recent games and Cincinnati’s offense line has allowed the Bearcats to carve up defenses.