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Temple-Cincinnati prediction: Can the Owls keep their title hopes alive?

Coming off two straight strong defensive games, the Owls will need to stop the run.

The Owls' Benny Walls (middle) pulling down Georgia Tech’s Jerry Howard Jr. in September.
The Owls' Benny Walls (middle) pulling down Georgia Tech’s Jerry Howard Jr. in September.Read moreELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer

Temple is 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the American Athletic Conference and needs a win Saturday at Cincinnati (9-1, 6-0) to stay in the hunt. Cincinnati would clinch the division with a win.

Cincinnati’s only loss has been to Ohio State, 42-0, in the second game of the season. The Bearcats have some impressive wins, but they have struggled recently. In two of their past three games, the Bearcats have needed a late field goal for three-point wins over East Carolina and South Florida, teams that are a combined 2-10 in AAC play.

While Temple didn’t dominate against both teams, the Owls still beat ECU and USF by 10 points each. Like Cincinnati, both games against those two were on the road.

Temple has played two straight strong defensive games, and if the Owls stop the run, they should be even more competitive against the Bearcats than ECU or USF were.

Prediction: Temple 24, Cincinnati 21