Boston College Football

BOSTON COLLEGE 24 Florida St. (-3.5) 23

Over/Under Total: 45.5

12:30 PM Pacific Time Saturday, Oct-03

Boston College has really struggled offensively, averaging just 5.0 yards per play against teams that would allow 5.8 yppl to an average team. Despite their troubled attack the Eagles actually have a pretty good team thanks to a defense that has allowed 4.1 yppl (to teams that would average 5.1 yppl against an average defensive team).

The Eagles had a rough week defensively last week against Wake Forest (7.5 yppl), but they were great the week before that in allowing just 3.4 yppl to Clemson. Florida State has been good offensively for the season (5.9 yppl against teams that would allow 5.0 yppl), but the Seminoles are also coming off a sub-par game (4.5 yppl against USF) and they're at a slight disadvantage against BC's defense today.

Surprisingly, Boston College's much maligned offense appears to have an advantage over Florida State's defense in this game. The Seminoles have given up 7.6 yppl to Miami-Florida, 8.9 yppl to BYU, and 6.4 yppl to South Florida last week and I rate their defense at 1.0 yppl worse than average after compensating for the strength of opposing offenses faced.

My math model favors Boston College to win and gives the Eagles a 59% chance of covering at +3 1/2 points but Florida State is 18-4 ATS over the years the next week after losing by 7 points or more and I'm not eager to buck that trend.

Florida State also applies to a negative 48-92-3 ATS situation, so I still would rather have the Eagles in this game despite the team trend that favors the Noles.

Read more on my website www.drbobsports.com

I have 7 NCAA Best Bets and 4 NCAA Strong Opinions this week!

Read an article about me in the Wall Street Journal

So, many of you are wondering how in the world ESPN’s College GameDay decided to set up shop at Boston College this weekend. Certainly those in Berkeley, California feel an extra sting after the loss to Oregon knocked them out of contention for hosting every college football fan’s favorite Saturday morning show. Ditto the Miami fans who thought they were at the precipice of regaining all of their past glory in just a few short weeks this September, only the ‘Canes forgot to run their plans by the Virginia Tech Hokies.

In fact, there may be a few other campuses that could stake their claim to Fowler, Corso, Herbstreit, and Des Howard but, I assure you, there is no more rightful place for them to be this weekend than Chestnut Hill.

Some of you may know by now why ESPN has decided to bring the party to BC and the reasoning starts with a player named Mark Herzlich. As last season’s ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, the 6’4”, 240-pound Herzlich was working all spring to get ready to destroy offenses in his senior season and repeat that honor (at least) on his way to being a first-round NFL draft pick.

But, wouldn’t you know it, a little thing called life decided to step in and set up a roadblock. Mark Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, this past May and has been undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the past five months.

As an alumnus and long-time season-ticket holder, I have seen plenty of players come through ‘The Heights’ and Herzlich is building as good a career as any of them, including recent high-profile players Matt Ryan and B.J. Raji. As an alumnus I can also tell you that everyone refers to him as Herzy; he’s the player that everybody loves. He physically dominates opponents, he plays hard, AND he plays smart; he truly is on another level on the gridiron.

When the Jeff Jagodzinksi coaching regime ended last season in turmoil, it was Herzy’s phone call and vote of confidence for Frank Spaziani to Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo that helped cement that choice—you’ll notice Coach Spaz is the mustachioed head coach with the 3-1 record now patrolling BC’s sidelines in 2009. Not your average linebacker, he’s a leader who has made his promise to not only beat the disease he is fighting but to return to play football for the Eagles in 2010.

Herzy’s resolve has inspired BC as well as the other ACC member schools to join him in his fight against cancer. Proceeds from BC’s Beat Cancer T-shirts will be donated to the American Cancer Society in support of Ewing's Sarcoma research. Clemson presented him with a check for $5,000 two weeks ago when the Tigers hosted the Eagles. Members of the Virginia Tech scout team sold wrist bands for $1 at last week's game against Miami to benefit the cause and then announced this week that it had increased the total of its fund-raising campaign to $9,400 after they blew past their original goal of $5,094; a check will be presented to Herzlich when Boston College visits Lane Stadium on Oct. 10.

In all, more than $60,000 has been raised much of which has been donated to Uplifting Athletes, an organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds for rare diseases.

All of this brings us to the heart of the matter, when deciding why or where we think College GameDay should arrive each Saturday morning. For all the hand-wringing about strength of schedule, Harris Interactive polls, BCS-busters, and marquee games the reason many of us watch college sports is a bit bigger than that.

There is a sense of community amongst the fans and players that blow away the atmosphere at any professional sporting event you can attend. It is truly different and anyone that has been to a game on a campus can tell you that. No one would deny that the NCAA is big business but there are stories all across college sports that inspire and encourage others across the country. This story just happens to be Herzy’s, arguably the best linebacker in the nation.

I applaud ESPN for producing a theme for this week’s show based on athletes overcoming adversity and featuring Mark Herzlich’s continued fight against cancer, it is a genuine way to keep the community informed and involved in these battles that require our collective efforts. Selfishly, I am happy to have GameDay back in Chestnut Hill for the first time since 2005 to see BC battle Florida State, a budding division rivalry that has seen zero home-field wins in the four years since the Eagles joined the Seminoles in the ACC.

So, to all those outside of the Boston College community who were perplexed by the choice, miffed at your snub, or bitter about the time you wasted on your new GameDay sign I encourage you to watch this weekend. Enjoy the banter, get hyped for the games, root for Mark Herzlich in his courageous fight, and by all means donate to a good cause.

Go Eagles.

Go Herzy.

Three offensive series into Saturday’s game against Southern Miss, the UCF football team could see it was going to be a long night.

Quarterback Rob Calabrese fumbled on two of UCF’s first three drives, with one of those being returned for a 22-yard touchdown. The Knights couldn’t get their offense going in the second half, resulting in a 26-19 loss at “The Rock,” M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg Saturday night.

The Knights recorded just one yard of offense in the third quarter and couldn’t fight back from an early 14-0 deficit in the game springing from those two early fumbles.

"That was hard because you are playing away and you give up momentum right away,” O’Leary said in a press release about the two early fumbles. “I thought the kids hung in there on the first one and then they missed the field goal. The second one they took in for a touchdown. That's the difference in the game really."

A late 5-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Brett Hodges to Rocky Ross in the back of the end zone, pulled the Knights to within seven (26-19) with 1:22 remaining; but the team failed to recover the onside kick.

For the second straight game, Hodges relieved starter Calabrese early in the first quarter and got the offense rolling, leading UCF down the field on an 18-play, 68-yard drive for their first score of the game off a 28-yard field goal by Nick Cattoi. Hodges finished the game completing 15-of-26 passes for a career-high 158 yards and two touchdowns.

After the game, O’Leary hinted towards Hodges passing Calabrese for the starting job.

“I have been very pleased with him,” O’Leary said in the post-game press conference. “I think he makes the right throw and he makes the right reads. He very rarely makes bad decisions, which I think allows him to move the ball. I have to sit down with the offensive staff, but after tonight’s performance, I would say that it looks like it’s his football team.”

Hodges helped pull the Knights to within a score off a 79-yard drive late in the first half, connecting with Kamar Aiken from four yards out for the touchdown. He completed passes of 19, 20 and 29 yards down the field to set up the score. It was his second long drive of the game.

"We were all working as a unit and we were converting third downs,” Hodges said in a press release of the long drives. “My running game was working which opened up my passing game, and the passing game working opened up our running game.”

Defensively, the Knights struggled to contain USM’s triple threat on offense.

QB Austin Davis ripped apart the UCF defense for 253 yards passing and a touchdown while completing 23-of-31 passes. Davis spread the ball around with seven different players nabbing a reception, including WR DeAndre Brown, who had a team-high seven receptions for 75 yards. On the ground, UCF struggled to hold down Golden Eagles running back Damion Fletcher, who gained 154 total yards from scrimmage with 21 carries and six receptions.

Bruce Miller, who recorded three tackles and a sack on the night, was disappointed in his defense’s performance.

“We had a chance to make a lot of plays and we didn't make them and get off the field,” he said. “In a game like this when it is on the line in a loud and crazy environment you have to do what you got to do. You got to make plays and I am not sure we made a whole lot of them.”

Despite the loss, O’Leary will go into next week’s game against Buffalo knowing the team will need to fix obvious mistakes and that he will have a new starting quarterback.

“[The loss is] disappointing because it's the first conference game,” O’Leary said in a press release. “I think the players know that we gave up some points that you can't give up. I think they understand that. Close only counts in horseshoes. I think the big thing is that we just have to re-coup. We've got a bunch of games left to play and continue to basically get better in some areas we need help in.”

With the storied departure of former head coach Jeff Jagodzinski,the emotional loss of senior All American linebacker Mark Herzlich and without a true starting Quarterback; expectations are not truly high for the Boston College Eagles this season.

However, Saturday gave us some things to truly feel positive about.

Anytime you win 54-0, there is a good feeling on campus. The Eagles put up 21 points in the first quarter and rolled from there out gaining the Huskies 441-131. Perhaps the brightest spot of the day was Dave Shinskie the 25 year old Freshman Quarterback from Mount Carmel, PA. He threw just ten times because of the talented Montel Harris in the backfield. Shinskie completed 70 percent of his passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. When backup Justin Tuggle was in the game he also did well completing three of his five passes for 56 yards.

A key to the Eagles' recent success has been their defense, of course losing Herzlich is going to be a huge hit to BC's defense this year, however Saturday, they did not miss a beat giving up just five first downs. If Boston College wants to be successful in ACC play this season, they are going to need an unbelievably strong output from their defense.

Montel Harris picked up right where he left off his freshman year picking up 113 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries. He truly stepped up as a leader Saturday as he looks to be the spark to this run oriented offense. Harris ran for 900 yards his freshman year and looks to dash right past that this season.

The Eagles looked strong, fast and crisp on Saturday, reason for excitement in Chestnut Hill. Yes, we know it is Northeasten but with all the other CAA success this weekend it is good to see one FBS team who can take care of business.

There is not much expected of Boston College this season, however in a division that is chock full of question marks, do not be surprised if you see the Eagles back in the ACC Hunt once again this season.

I have bad news to report to Eagle fans everywhere:  BC only has an 11-game schedule this season.

You may have seen recent typos in the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, or New England newspaper of choice that on Sept. 5, Boston College defeated cross-town opponent Northeastern by a score of 54-0.  It even might have mentioned that 33,000 or so fans were at this game on a beautiful day at the start of the college football season.

I don't believe it.  I'm sure the news outlets were trying to write that BC defeated Northeastern 5-4 in a hockey game.

Because, no offense to Northeastern, what occurred on Saturday was nothing that resembled a football game.

Now, I know that in the first few weeks of a season, teams schedule "cupcake" games.  Heck, college football is not the only guilty party.  Can anyone remember the last time the University of Connecticut's basketball team did not have a de-facto Nutmeg State Championship Tournament held in Storrs during the months of November and December?

Many teams across the country were guilty of doing it, but not all cupcakes are created the same.

For starters, the Colonial Athletic Association went 2-1 against the ACC opening weekend.  William & Mary defeated UVA, and defending FCS Champion Richmond defeated Duke.

The relative weakness of the bottom of the ACC is a topic I shall indulge in at another time, but to be sure the "top" of the FCS can compete with the bottom to middling levels of the BCS Conferences.  Northern Iowa for a long time has been a good team at the FCS level, and despite prolonged time in a pink locker room they almost took down the Iowa Hawkeyes in Kinnick Stadium. 

Appalachian State (whom need no introduction) took Eastern Carolina down to the wire (the same ECU who gave fits to ACC teams last season).  Rarely does one see Montana or Delaware take on a "big boy" in the season anymore.

Just like how not all FBS teams are created equal, neither are FCS teams.  Which brings me to my point:  Northeastern was so bad, so unequivocally untalented that this game was little more than an excuse to tailgate in the wonderful Labor Day weather.

Iowa, ECU, Duke, and Virginia had varying successes against FCS opponents, but they all received something in common—lessons.  A practical education of the strengths and weaknesses of their respective teams.

BC is predicted to finish last in the ACC Atlantic Division.  The Eagles entered week one surrounded by the most questions of just about any ACC team.  The questions were a result of an offseason filled with controversial news (ex-coach and ex-Buccaneer Offensive Coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski), tragic news (Mark Herzlich's battle with cancer), and just plain bad news (Dominique Davis' academic suspension and subsequent transfer from the program).

The game that was played out on Alumni Stadium was a farce.  I do not mean to disparage Northeastern fans.  I have all the respect in the world for our friends down Huntington, and I am a firm believer that the co-op education and programs down there do not get the credit it deserves on the national scale—but the Husky football team is bad.

Not just FBS vs FCS bad, but FCS bottom-dweller bad.

The Eagles received better competition during intra-squad scrimmages, as the two- and possibly three-deep units have more talent than Northeastern's top guns.  In a post-game interview, Eagle quarterback Dave Shinskie said "I thought it was almost a little slower than in practice." 

A quote from a 25-year old freshman who two months ago was playing baseball in New Hampshire, and has not seen the field since he was playing high school ball years ago.

So Northeastern's bad.  What of it?

It's simple.  What Eagle fans saw were the following:

1) BC has a good offensive line

2) BC has a talented 1-2 (literally, with Montel Harris' number change this year) punch at running back.

3) Rich Gunnell is the most proven wideout in the ACC this year, and can return punts

4) BC's secondary is one of the best in the country.

All that is marvelous.  There is just one problem:  Eagle fans knew those facts going into the game.  Nothing new was learned, and worse because Northeastern was just so bad they could not pressure any possible weaknesses if they saw any, thus BC will be unable to make adjustments or address possible problems.

Even worse, the most pressing question: "who is the quarterback?" still was not answered.  Not significantly.  And in this writer's opinion, the decision to even put in freshman Mike Marscovetra was a travesty in itself.  Instead of leaving the option to redshirt the true freshman, by virtue of his seeing playing time, now he has burned a year of eligibility. 

If Marscovetra "is" the man, the redshirt could have been burned later with no problems.  Now if he is "not" the man, it is a wasted year.  With Tuggle, Shinskie, and Boek fighting it out to be signal-caller, the use of Marscovetra was borderline criminal. 

Instead of sitting him and preserving a possible redshirt, the BC "quarterback competition" is between two true freshmen (one of them being 25), one redshirt freshman, and a senior converted from fullback.

I lack the necessary vocabulary to express the sound my head just made when it hit my desk while thinking about that fully.  Onomatopoeia was never one of my strengths.

Before though, BC fans contemplate tossing me down a well for bringing down doom and gloom after a 54-0 rout, cupcakes do usually have one redeeming quality: frosting.  The frosting on the cupcake from this weekend came in the form of Luke Kuechly.

The first test of a BC football fan is to ask someone to pronounce that name, and see if they can get it correct before turning to the media guide for help.  Secondly, while he is a true freshman being trusted to start right away, he clearly has the motor to step in and be effective. 

He will not make Eagle fans forget Mark Herzlich—not until he uses the proper amount of eye black—but his performance on the field and how he hovered around the ball will remind BC fans of a pre-injury Brian Toal, or even of a freshman version of Herzlich himself.  Linebacking strategy will come to the young man, but he has something that few people can be taught—relentless pursuit and an instinct to always be around the ball.

Other bright spots included the play of DTs Damik Scafe and Austin Giles.  Nobody is asking them to be B.J. Raji and Ron Brace, but if they can plug the middle effectively then the graduation of those two first-day NFL picks will be lessened.

The Eagles did indeed take care of business during the first week of football.  But a story is much more interesting with controversy.  Every protagonist needs an antagonist, every plot a climax before a meaningful denouement. 

The quality of competition will improve, but the point of having a Northeastern before Clemson is to shake off some rust, and to find weak links in the armor.

The win against the Huskies was too easy.  Too easy means uninteresting to the fans, and inadequate to the players.  Just like a single cupcake it was eaten and gone, with no satisfaction and the very real chance that those calories could cause problems further down the road.

Here is the first of a series of team previews for each team in the ACC (and the SEC later on August). First up is Boston College and I was fortunate enough to do a Q&A with the guys at BC Interruption.

After the Q&A, I will give my thoughts on the Eagles season and of course, a prediction.

What has this off season been like for BC fans with Jags getting fired, losing Dominique Davis, and finding out ACC DPOY Mark Herzlich may miss the season?

Jeff: This off season has been simply unimaginable and hard to describe as a fan. After losing the Music City Bowl in disappointing fashion, it was easy to say that the team just didn't care to be there and should improve at nearly every position aside from DT in 2009. Having come off an Atlantic Division title, there was no reason why another one couldn't easily be won in 2009.

Then the big surprise came with Jags apparently not really wanting to be at BC anymore and ultimately being fired. Losing Davis was almost a relief in a way because it clarified the already messy quarterback competition slightly for a moment. But losing Herzlich with so much uncertainty as to his future is tough to deal with. You want to think about how the team will adjust and fill the void but then you also want to hold out the slightest bit of hope that he might be on the field again.

You also feel guilty for wishing his recovery be quick enough for him to get back for part of the football and just want to be sure he makes a full recovery. It certainly has been a tough off season. When you throw in the recruiting of Dave Shinskie, there have literally been weeks where you thought that we could go 10-2, where you thought 4-8 was a real possibility, then get back to thinking about returning to Tampa for the ACC Championship Game.

Most are picking BC to finish at or near the bottom in the Atlantic. This is not new and the Eagles have defied the odds winning their division two straight years. Why do you think so many pick BC at the bottom and is it warranted this season?

Brian: Eagles fans have certainly gotten used to hearing the same theme every off season. It basically boils down to the following argument: I just don’t see how the Eagles can rebound this season since they lose _____ and _______ (fill in the blanks with marquee players and/or coaches).

In 2007, it was hearing this when Tom O’Brien left Boston College for the NC State head coaching position. How could the Eagles rebound? In 2008, it was the loss of NFL Draft first-rounders Matt Ryan and Gosder Cherilus. How could the Eagles possibly rebound after the loss of the ACC Player of the Year? And this summer, it has been the firing of coach Jeff Jagodzinski, the dismissal of quarterback Dominique Davis, the graduation of first day NFL Draft picks B.J. Raji and Ron Brace, the lingering Achilles injury to linebacker Mike McLaughlin and, of course, Mark Herzlich being diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma.

How can the Eagles possibly rebound from all those losses? Casual fans of the other 11 ACC programs that don’t know more than a few facts about Boston College could easily look at all those losses and quickly dismiss any chance the Eagles have in this year’s Atlantic Division race.

Is the skepticism warranted this season? Sure. I’d be lying if I said that all the losses in BC’s off season will be hard to overcome. But BC still returns a solid core of players and we certainly won’t be pushovers in the ACC this season. The truth of the matter is that every team in the Atlantic has similar flaws and holes to fill this season to the Eagles.

Clemson—picked by some to win the Atlantic—will also be breaking in a new coaching staff and have uncertainties around the quarterback position. Florida State has to fill the hole on the defensive line left by Everette Brown. NC State is injury prone, and keeps losing players early. Wake Forest loses even more talent on the defensive side of the ball than BC does. And Maryland loses loads of experience on their offensive line.

We all have the same question marks and the Atlantic Division race will likely be as wild a race as it was a year ago. Again, is the skepticism warranted? Sure. Someone has to be picked last. But it will be that more satisfying for Eagles fans if we again crush expectations in 2009.

Are we going to see a run dominated offense with four o-line starters returning as well as the top two backs?

Jeff: Look for this year's team to run the ball a lot more for two reasons. First, the obvious, which is the big question as to who might be under center and whether or not they will be capable of much more than simply handing the ball off. But second, and probably more important, is the coaching change this year.

The Jags/Logan combo last year already took Davis and threw the ball 75 percent (or more) times during parts of games with him even though his completion percentage was awful and there were little signs of improvement. But the coaching staff this year, led by Spaziani, will more closely resemble the Tom O’Brien days where the Eagles will run the ball every possession just to show they can and to let the offensive line do their thing.

Who is the favorite in the QB battle and do you think this QB will be the starter by seasons end?

Brian: The general consensus is that Justin Tuggle will emerge as the starter, although I wouldn’t be surprised if we see multiple QBs under center in 2009. Tuggle had an opportunity to emerge from spring ball as the starter and he simply didn’t take advantage. This makes me doubt whether Tuggle, up against David Shinskie, can truly emerge as the clear cut favorite.

Still, I think the experience that Tuggle gained running the practice squad last season as a redshirt will be the difference in the quarterback competition, at least initially. I think it’s unreasonable to expect Shinskie to come in, pick up the entire offensive playbook and get in starting QB shape for the start of the season.

After the first two games, Tuggle will be tested early with three straight Atlantic Division matchups against Clemson, Wake Forest and Florida State. If Tuggle struggles, it won’t take Spaziani and offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill long to make a change and throw Shinskie to the fire. For BC, the Atlantic Division will be won or lost very early, and the coaching staff doesn’t have the luxury of time to ride out one option at quarterback if it’s not working.

What will the impact be of losing two mammoth DTs from a defense that ranked first in rushing yards per game allowed in ACC games?

Jeff: 6’3”, 293 pound junior Damik Scafe is a worthy replacement of B.J. Raji and Ron Brace but the problem is that we only have one of him. The biggest difference you'll see this year is fewer interceptions by the Eagles because opposing quarterbacks won't be feeling the big push up the middle forcing an early release of the ball as they did last year.

The rush defense will naturally be hurt also, but Raji and Brace were such a good defensive tackle combo that they could have a huge effect on our pass defense that average DTs just don't have.

Who is the top candidate to fill Herzlich's shoes at LB?

Brian: The Eagles linebacking corps will receive a much needed boost when Mike McLaughlin returns to the field after recovering from a torn Achilles. If McLaughlin can’t go, the Eagles will look to sophomores Dominick LeGrande and Will Thompson to fill the holes left by Herzlich and McLaughlin. Spaz will likely also rotate in redshirt freshmen Alex DiSanzo and Nick Clancy as well as senior Kevin Distaso. Of that group, however, only Will Thompson has significant experience playing behind Robert Francois.

Boston College never seems to have highly touted recruits, but are great developers of talent as evidenced by their NFL pedigree. Who are the freshman that could surprise this year?

Jeff: For several reasons, but mainly the timing and the way in which Jeff Jagodzinski left the team, our recruiting class this year is not impressive at all. But at quarterback, we will either be playing a true freshman, a redshirt freshman, or both. We are hoping Justin Tuggle or Dave Shinskie surprise us this year.

Please tell me the Eagles will continue their dominance of Notre Dame on October 24?

Brian: Eagles vs. Irish will definitely be a closer game than it has been in the last two seasons after the series was renewed. I predict that Notre Dame will be 5-0 heading into their BYE week and will spend most of their time preparing for their home game against 5-0 Southern Cal on October 17.

After the Trojans end any Irish hopes of an undefeated, BCS National Championship Game appearance, BC comes in a week later and knocks off the Irish for the second straight week. Besides, BC is known for getting up to play Notre Dame in South Bend.

What is your prediction for BC this season (record) and will they go to a bowl game?

Jeff: It's hard to imagine the Eagles will not go at least 6-6 and head to a bowl. Consider that Boston College should win at least three non-conference games and the ACC has many decent, but not great teams that even a struggling BC could knock off any given week. In addition, the offense should show improvement since most players return aside from the quarterback (who was the Achilles Heel of the offense last year on a team that still managed to win the division).

The defense will not be quite as good, but still a solid unit. I’ll go with 8-4 in a year where neither Clemson nor Florida State are expected to anything great and Wake Forest and Maryland are also considered teams that will struggle to make a bowl. If you don't like that logic, just go with adding 2 wins to whatever the consensus mainstream media pick is for BC which is a formula that has worked pretty well since BC joined the ACC.

Brian: I’ll go with the slightly more conservative 7-5 (3-5 ACC). Regardless, I wouldn’t count on the Eagles staying home in December this season. We’ll get some wins and go bowling.

My thoughts on Boston College

The Eagles always seem to do better than most people think, but this may be the year BC finally falls in line. They do not have a QB with meaningful FBS experience, so expect new head coach Frank Spaziani to use a run heavy offense with the top two running backs and most of the o-line back.

Defensively, BC likely will not be as good stopping the run having lost their two mammoth DTs and DPOY Herzlich. Like the guys mentioned, the lack of pass rush up the middle may hurt the pass defense too.

Many people are down on BC again this year despite having won two straight ACC Championship Game appearances. I was touting BC as a serious contender until the loss of ACC DPOY Herzlich from an already depleted defense. I think Spaziani will have his crew in the mix for a division until late November when another team emerges in a wild ACC Atlantic.

My Prediction:
7-5, 4-4 ACC, Bowl Game

Vegas Odds:
Win ACC 30/1
Win BCS Championship 150/1
No win total given

Thanks again to the guys at BC Interruption.

What are your thoughts on the Boston College Eagles in 2009? Can they win the Atlantic Division again?

After a 9-5 season under coach Jeff Jagodzinski, the BC Eagles are looking at a season of uncertainty and change as former Defensive Coordinator Frank Spaziani steps up to fill the vacancy left by the firing of Jagodzinski in January.

While all eyes will be directed towards Spaziani in his first outing as head coach on Sep. 5 against Northeastern, much of the pressure will fall on the veterans of this dominant ACC team. Players like offensive lineman Matt Tennant and wide receiver Justin Jarvis will have to help protect and nurture a group of young quarterbacks that including David Shinskie, Mike Marscovetra, and Junior Codi Boek.

On defense, veterans like Senior defensive end Austin Giles and Junior defensive tackle Damik Scafe will be leading forces into battle for BC. The best chance BC has to control games will come from the defense as Spaziani not only knows the art of shutting down offenses, but will be able to perfect it as head coach of the Eagles this year.

Early season games against Northeastern, Kent State and Clemson will help to determine the abilities of both coaching staff and the players. In 2008, BC defeated Kent State with a 21-0 shutout but was trounced by Clemson in an early November heartbreaking 21-27 loss. While Clemson is coming off of a 4-4 record in the ACC from last year, there is still the chance for a repeated beating and looks to be as close of a game as last year.

Florida State and Maryland will look to usurp power from the Eagles in the Atlantic Division. Recently the 'Noles were ranked 18 in a Lindy's preseason ranking and look to take the place of the Eagles at the top of the division this year. Maryland, if all goes according to plan, could rack up multiple OOC wins in the early season and end up a contender towards the end of the season when the Eagles meet them on Nov. 28.

Of course, BC will also have to look out for fights against Virginia Tech and North Carolina towards the end of the season. Virginia Tech was ranked fifth overall in the Lindy's Magazine and North Carolina was ranked below FSU at 19 this year. While at the top of the Atlantic Division last year, the Eagles were still bested by the Tarheels at the end of the season and the Hokies in the ACC Championship game 12-30; there is no doubt that both sides are looking for a rematch against the birds from Boston come the end of November.

Not only would a return to the ACC Championship game help to solidify Spaziani's coaching ability, but it would also remind the rest of the Atlantic Division that BC is still a contender during this year of transition.

Originally Posted on SportInformant.com

Previously, I stated that the Eagles have had a very tough offseason.  It has been one of the more trying and tumultuous springs and summers in recent memory for any one program. If it was not for the likes of Lane Kiffin, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and the SEC as a whole garnering most of the offseason ink, then the news at BC would be focused on pretty intently.

And yet, with all the bad news, there is some good news and some hope for the season.

Boston College has had a decade-long tradition of producing NFL-quality linemen.  I will not make the dubious claim that BC is "O-Line U," as there are many schools like BC that have produced a long line of solid offensive lines.  That being said, however, if you ask any of the "paid experts" a strength of the Eagles, the offensive line comes to mind.

The projected 2009 starters already have a combined 80 starts between them. In the ACC that is only behind Virginia Tech (100), Wake Forest (95), and Florida State (86).  However, last season the BC offensive line gave up only 18 sacks in ACC play with only Virginia's offensive line giving up fewer (16). 

BC gave up 21 total sacks on the year, or 1.69 sacks a game while starting two first-year starting quarterbacks.  Both of those signal-callers are gone now, but while their performance was questionable last season, it was hardly the offensive line's fault, they provided the protection that allowed the Eagle QBs to hang themselves.

the Eagle offensive line only gave up 4.77 tackles for loss a game, good enough to put them in the top-25 in that category. 

Anchoring the BC offensive line is junior Anthony Castonzo.  At 6'7" 288 pounds, he started at right tackle as a true freshman—the first to do so in almost a decade at Boston College, and he was moved to the left tackle position last season with the departure of Gosder Cherilus to the Detroit Lions. 

Castonzo's length is his greatest asset. While not recognized as someone who will "pave the way" in the running game, his agility and long arms make him a great pass-protecting tackle, and he did an admirable job protecting the blind side of the quarterbacks last season. 

As a two-year starter, one can only surmise that this season he will be even better improving upon his 2nd Team All-ACC Selection last season.

Senior Matt Tennant is on the Rimmington watch list, and this will be his third year starting at center.  A few "draft gurus" have him on top-5 NFL C prospects for the upcoming draft.  As the lone senior starting on the line, he has the most experience and has done a good job leading the line despite the revolving door at quarterback since Matt Ryan was drafted.  Tennant received ACC Honorable Mention honors last season.

Juniors Thomas Claiborne and Richard Lapham both started for the Eagles last season.  Claibone was an ACC Honorable Mention like Tennant last season and steadies the middle of the line. Claiborne is also the "immovable object" of the line, weighing close to 325 pounds, and providing a solid push for the Eagle running backs. 

Lapham is actually taller than Castonzo, and heavier at around 320 pounds, but he is not as agile as the lighter Castonzo.  In the passing game, Lapham would occasionally be beaten by some of the better pass-rushers in the ACC, but with his size at right tackle he did an excellent job in the zone blocking scheme in kicking out the defensive end and getting to linebackers to help the young running game amass quite a few yards.

Gone from last year was All-ACC Selection Cliff Ramsey.  Looking to fill the gap left by the one starter will be either senior Nick Rossi, or sophomore Mark Spinney, both players were listed as backup guards on the Eagles depth-chart last season, but saw limited playing time as the BC offensive line remained healthy.

The Eagles return one of the top offensive lines in the ACC to Chestnut Hill this season.  While the new quarterback, whomever he is, will inexperienced he will feel confident knowing that the line that protects him and the running back tandem of Josh Haden and Montel Harris, shall be one of the top units in the ACC with the potential to once again be one of the best in the country.

A movie I enjoy is Charlie Wilson's War.  There is a scene near the end of the movie when the CIA analyst played by Philip Seymour Hoffman tells Tom Hanks' Charlie Wilson the story of the Zen Master and the young boy.  As the young boy goes through life's trials one consequence builds on another—some positive, and some negative—and while the unnamed village in the story proclaims how wonderful or horrible the outcome of each action, the Zen Master's terse response is: "We'll see."

I bring that up now, because the offseason for Boston College has been tumultuous.  It began with the high-profile young coach named Jeff Jagodzinski cast lustful eyes back to the NFL where he had worked previously, which in turn upset his boss AD Gene DeFilippio so much that he canned the up-and-coming coach with the high winning percentage and two ACC Title Game appearances.  His replacement was the once-passed-over Defensive Coordinator Frank Spaziani.

Soon after the Spring Game, the Eagles lost their best player, Butkus Watch-Lister and reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year Mark Herzlich, to a rare cancer known as Ewing's sarcoma.

And just a few days ago, the only quarterback with any experience — Dominique Davis — was pronounced academically ineligible, and he has decided to transfer from the program, leaving an even larger mystery as to who will win the job during the summer practices.

I bring up the anecdote of the Zen Master from a movie for a good reason.  For while this offseason has been troublesome, and while it looks like the BC football program is a ship without a rudder, there are a few things to think about.

Many of the doubts BC fans have heard before.  When former coach Tom O'Brien left the Heights to move to intradivisional rival NC State, many of the experts predicted the fall of a consistent BC program, and in many predictive magazines, BC was picked to finish last in the ACC's Atlantic Division.

"We'll see," said the Eagle fans to the doubters, knowing that there was a very underrated (at the time) quarterback under center for that 2007 season.  Under a new coach and a quarterback who is now the reigning NFL rookie of the year, the Eagles won 11 games for only the second time in program history.

The following year, once again the experts and detractors of the private school in the New England backwater of college football predicted failure for the BC program.  "The all-everything quarterback is gone, without him BC will have a losing season."  Once again, in a few pre-season publications BC was predicted to finish last in the Atlantic.

"We'll see," said the Eagle fans again, knowing that while everyone focused on Matt Ryan, people had missed the fact that the BC defense returned most of the letterwinners from a top-20 defense.  Once again, the Eagles won an unexpected 9 games and another berth in the ACC Championship Game—despite the loss of the starting quarterback late in the season.

And now, BC has to deal with both the loss of a coach and the loss of not one quarterback but two.  The turnover from the previous year's defense has also left holes on this side of the ball.  Many longtime starters are gone:  B.J. Raji, Ron Brace, Mark Herzlich, Brian Toal, Mike McLaughlin (a question mark after tearing an achilles), Kevin Akins, Robert Francois.  These names were familiar starters in Chestnut Hill, and now many fresh faces must fill in.

Quarterback is a question mark, the coach is unproven, and much of the front seven on the defense is young.  So of course, THIS is finally the year that the Eagles go down to that long-overdue basement trip.

"We'll see," say the Eagle fans again, but what is it that they know this time around? Keep reading in the days to come.  Perhaps you too might see something you do not expect.