Boston College Football

Boston College enters season two under head coach Frank Spaziani with hopes of returning to a third ACC Championship Game in four years.

To get a better look at the Eagles, I contacted Soaring to Glory to find out what we can expect from BC this season.

Q: BC is a program that has won at least eight games the last five seasons and had double-digit wins in two of those seasons. Do you think they get the respect they should in the ACC and nationally? If not, why?

A: No respect I tell ya, no respect at all.

On the ACC side, while I feel fans of many of the teams have accepted, over the course of the last few years, that we're a member of the conference now, there is still the perception of our school being too far away from the center of the ACC and therefore we're less relevant.

Nationally, I think all you have to do is read Heather Dinich on ESPN to find out what is thought of us. If it weren't for basketball guys like Andy Katz and Jeff Goodman, I don't think we'd get much respect at all. We're just not part of that college sports "in" crowd, though honestly, it doesn't keep me up at night.

We've got a consistent program that tends to outperform expectations on a yearly basis (partially because the talking heads in the media set the bar pretty damn low). Andre Ware (another ESPN know-it-all) predicted BC would win two or three games last year and other columnists and bloggers didn't think too much better.

I think we're perceived as usually being good but not good enough and we're not one of "those" schools that people instantly recognize as a college football power.

Respect must be earned, I understand that, but BC has had nine straight years of at least eight wins—winning seven bowl games in that time—and no losing seasons since 1998. You'd think we'd be a little more than an underdog every year or the pesky team that doesn't go away.

This is a good program that brings in talented players.

Q: What does Mark Herzlich's return from a battle with cancer mean to this team on and off the field?

A: Mark means a tremendous amount to the football team, the program, and Boston College.

As I've said on my own site, he is the embodiment of the kind of character we like at BC: He held his head up high and didn't quit even when the odds were long. How he has fought and defeated that disease is truly an inspiration to us all.

Last season, he was on the sidelines with the team every week, motivating the guys and wearing Coach Spaziani's towel (when Spaziani was the DC, he would always be seen wearing a towel around his neck—last year, he bestowed it upon Herzlich as a sign of honor).

I don't pretend to know anyone on the football team, but I can only guess that his being there was a big morale boost, not to mention, he was still of help as a de facto member of the coaching staff.

Now, we simply don't know what we're going to get when he steps back on the field. We want him to succeed and have things be like old times, but we have to keep in mind what he's been through. Optimistically, however, I'd like to think that if Herzlich can stare down cancer and win, then surely he can make an impact on the field once more.

Q: QB Dave Shinskie had his ups and down in his first year. Does he have the job locked down? And if not, who is pushing him?

A: It depends on who you ask; I am of the opinion that he does not. Shinskie was quite inconsistent last year but we put up with it because it was his freshman year.

Now we expect to see some improvement—but in what little we've seen this year, the spring game, he was terrible. I know it's a small sample size and we've still got a long way to go until the season starts, but nobody was impressed with what they saw of him in April. He was making the same old mistakes and had poor body language, and if that's how he looks in the fall, he will not be the starter for long.

Keep in mind, however, that unlike most college sophomores, he's 26. He's closing in on his developmental peak already so he may not improve much more on top of where he already is.

His most likely replacement would be Mike Marscovetra. Mike is also a sophomore but has had limited playing time. Almost everybody liked what they saw of him in the spring game, however. He just seemed to manage the game better and not make the stupid repetitive mistakes that Shinskie does.

Of course we don't how things would play out in a real game situation, but if Shinskie crumbles again, I would be comfortable with going to the bench for Marscovetra.

Q: Is it safe to say as goes RB Montel Harris, so goes BC's offense?

A: Yes, to an extent. Montel is certainly one of the most important parts of the offense but, of course, there are so many other components to make things work.

I need to go back to another topic for a moment: last year, in BC's losses, a common thread was lousy QB play, though Montel did not shine in a few of those, either. If Montel has another solid season that will surely make the offense that much better, but at the same time, I know that we're only going as far as Uncle Dave (or Marscovetra) takes us offensively, and by that I mean not making a lot of back-breaking mistakes.

Montel is the star, no doubt, but the quarterback also wields quite a lot of influence on BC's offensive fate. I would, then, amend your statement to say that "as go Montel Harris and Dave Shinskie, so goes BC's offense."

Q: The Eagles line has had 12 NFL draft picks over the last 14 years and return nine of their top 10 from a year ago. Where does this line compare with recent ones?

A: The offensive line is still a strength this year, despite losing Matt Tennant, and on par with some of our recent successful lines. Despite not being one of the top of the top schools like USC or Texas that produces gobs of NFL talent every year, we know that at BC, we'll always turn out solid pro offensive linemen.

This year, the guy everyone is looking at is LT Anthony Castonzo. He has proven himself already (All-ACC first team) and, with a solid 2010, will have his name called at Radio City next April.

Our other starting linemen are Rich Lapham, Thomas Claiborne, Emmett Cleary, and Nathan Richman, who is the center replacing Tennant. All of these guys are veterans, but Richman is sliding over one spot from left guard (and Cleary, formerly a tackle, will be the new LG).

Richman, I think, is the key. If he can succeed at center, I think this offensive line will once again be very good. What I've heard and seen about his performance so far has been good, so I have some confidence that he will.

Q: BC has had a very stout rush defense the last few years. But can this unit generate a pass rush to improve on the 10th rated pass defense in the ACC?

A: I can see the pass rush (or lack thereof) being a problem once again in 2010 without certain key players stepping up.

The primary defensive ends, Brad Newman and Alex Albright, have got to do a better job than they did last year. Ifeanyi Momah, a former offensive player, will also be plugged into the defense for just this reason, but he could contribute if he gets settled in.

I want to believe in this group but I do have my doubts. Let it be said, however, that BC's defense two years ago (and these guys were here at that time) did, in fact, generate pressure on the QB. I guess we'll find out in the fall if 2009 was a fluke.

On run defense, I see it continuing to be very good. BC will have some nice players up the middle, particularly Damik Scafe and Dillon Quinn.

Scafe is the kind of guy who might get drafted in April 2011 with a good season and I've heard nothing but great things about Quinn, who is a redshirt freshman. Both are big, explosive, and fast.

Teams won't be able to run on this unit very well, which makes an improved pass defense all the more important.

Q: How did Luke Kuechly, the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, do in his move to MLB in the Spring?

A: Kuechly was, as expected, still a force to be reckoned with. In watching the spring game, two things I heard an awful lot were "tackle made by Kuechly" and "tackle made by Pierre-Louis." It would seem to me that he hasn't missed a beat.

Now it would be hard for him to top his breakout freshman year, and I want to temper my expectations a little bit, but I think he's the real deal.

Q: Boston College lost both returners and their placekicker. How do the replacements look for special teams?

A: The new faces are old faces so to speak. The new apparent kick returner is DeLeon Gause and the kicker is Ryan Quigley, the punter. Quigley has made some steady progress as a punter, but as a kicker, apparently he hasn't tried putting one through the uprights since high school.

Our last kicker wasn't even a football player when he got the job, so that doesn't worry me too much. If he's not careful, however, RS freshman Nate Freese could take over the kicking duties, which I could see happening down the road anyway.

Gause only got his feet wet as a returner in the past but he does have speed. I think the replacements will end up being alright.

Q: What freshman could see significant playing time this season?

A: A freshman you will start hearing a lot about is Kevin Pierre-Louis on defense. As a true freshman, he made the two-deep spring roster and many feel that he's an impressive young player. He may or may not start, but he will get on the field.

The aforementioned Dillon Quinn is another name to look at. He is a defensive tackle who came to BC with high regard. He is going to start this year and could have a breakout season.

Freshman WR Shakim Phillips is not at the top of the depth chart, but he was a solid recruit who, in time, will see significant playing time and could probably contribute in some way right off the bat if given the chance. We'll see.

Q: Despite not being a conference affair, is Notre Dame the most important game on BC's schedule? And why is the series not continuing after this year?

A: I won't flatter Notre Dame by saying that it is. Honestly, despite all the hype and the obviously rich rivalry between these two schools, it's not the most important game.

Last year I called it the most meaningful meaningless game on the schedule, and it's true—our conference games are far more important to us now than an out-of-conference matchup.

BC/ND is big for the fans and the boosters, perhaps more so than any other game on the schedule, but in terms of the impact it has on BC's season, it's basically just for bragging rights. If you ask me, the game against Florida State looks far more crucial.

The series was very recently extended until 2019, so there will be more BC-ND games to come.

Q: Describe a successful year in Chestnut Hill. Describe a disappointing one.

A: A successful year is getting to a bowl game and winning it, however I should say that BC has been close to making the BCS several times in the last few years but never getting over the hump.

Getting into a BCS bowl (via winning the ACC) would also definitely be considered a successful season, win or lose. Winning the Atlantic Division but losing in the title game for the third time out of three would piss a lot of fans off.

A disappointing one would be having a year as bad as the national media typically thinks we'll have. Considering our schedule, I think 6-6 would itself be very disappointing, and anything worse than that would be a complete disaster.

Q: What is your prediction for the season?

A: Many have suggested that this is BC's easiest schedule in years and I don't disagree. So long as they don't have regular meltdowns from the QB position like last year, right now I would put them at a 9-3 regular season.

I don't think they'll do any worse than 8-4 and probably no better than 10-2. I believe BC will finish either first or second in the ACC Atlantic, though there are three legitimate contenders for the division (the others being Clemson and FSU).

I'm not bold enough to predict individual games except to say that Weber State and Kent State will be in the win column.

My take on Boston College…

I was very interested in what the answer to the first question would be on the respect the BC program gets. The amount of success they have had over the last five years despite all the coaching changes is remarkable in my opinion.

I think many fans look at BC and don’t see the four and five-star recruits and think they can outrun them. But where BC is so strong has been on the line of scrimmage, where games are won and lost (and where people don’t pay attention to recruiting).

You wouldn’t ever think it by their crowds, but statistically, Boston College has one of the best home field advantages in the ACC.

Their four conference home games are all winnable, including Va Tech whom they have beaten in the regular season before. The away games are against NC State, Wake, Duke, and FSU, so three road wins here is attainable.

If Shinskie can just play Trent Dilfer and not screw up that game, BC has a good chance at eight or nine wins and an Atlantic Division title.

Prediction:

8-4, Second in Atlantic Division

Thanks again to Soaring to Glory for their insight.

What are your thoughts on Boston College this year?

UConn's first commitment for the Class of 2011 is Michael Nebrich. The 6'1" 190 pound quarterback out of Virginia was contacted by email from a Boston College coach.  The email ended from a coach with an email address BC.Edu.

The biggest question mark this leaves is that this coach for the Eagles made reference that Edsall and company aren't going to be around come January, when Nebrich plans to enroll at UConn to get a head start on classes.

They were attempting to get him to attend a one day skills camp up at Boston College, but Nebrich is committed to playing football for the UConn Huskies.

He called Coach Edsall and his staff to clarify what the BC coach was talking about and Edsall completely dismissed the claims made by Boston College.  Right now this is a big period in recruiting.

Before the season starts, colleges are trying to line up potential athletes for visits and tours of the campus.  This news is not what either school needs.  What a move on the part of Boston College to go after a UConn recruit like that.

It can't bode well for them.  It puts an interesting twist on linebacker Graham Stewart from Middletown, CT who attends Xavier High School.

Initially, his first choice was UConn.  Since he has attended skills camps and schools have seen him on film, his stock is through the roof.

Right now, Syracuse and Boston College are his leading schools, but that could change in an instance if Florida comes along and offers a scholarship.

Just like they did when Aaron Hernandez was entering his senior year at Bristol Central.

This contact with a UConn commitment is even more bizarre because he is from Virginia and has already given an Oral Commitment.  Does Boston College need a quarterback that bad?

Or maybe they see his potential and don't want him attending UConn.  Then again, even that makes little sense because BC is part of the ACC and UConn is part of the Big East.

It is all part of the recruiting game and there are all sorts of tactics being used these days.  This is far from the end of it.

Colleges will do whatever it takes to get the best players in the country to go to their universities.  That is quite clear in reference to this behind the back attempt of stealing a recruit away from another school.

This was easily the most difficult set of position rankings I've had to do so far.

The linebacker position in the Atlantic Coastal Conference this year is as deep as I can remember.

Getting the list down to just five players, was tougher than I expected, but here goes my rankings.

Completed Rankings at All About Sports.

Running Backs | Quarterbacks  | Wide Receivers  | Offensive Line   | Tight Ends  | Defensive Line | Cornerbacks | Safeties | Special Teams | Team Predictions

1) Luke Kuechly, Boston College  

As we go through these position rankings, I'm finding a lot of BC players being sprinkled around. You can't sleep on the Eagles.

Luke Kuechly should be on any short list of the ACC's best linebackers. With Mark Herzlich out last season, freshman Kuechly was inserted and he was outstanding.

He had 158 tackles, was ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, and was named first-team All-ACC. Kuechly might not be the fastest or strongest linebacker in the ACC, but no one at his position sheds and avoids blockers better.

2) Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina

When you are the leading tackler on a team loaded with defensive stars like UNC's roster has, that's saying something.

Sturdivant has been that guy on the Heels' defense for two consecutive years. Sturdivant's strength is his versatility.

He is athletic enough to help on pass coverage and physical enough to be a solid run stopper.

He can also play the middle or outside linebacker position. NFL mock drafts have him going in the late first round or early in the second round.

3) Bruce Carter, North Carolina

North Carolina's Bruce Carter is an athletic freak. He's been timed at running a 4.39-second, 40-yard dash, and bench presses 440 lbs.

Some NFL scouts consider him to be a better prospect than his teammate Quan Sturdivant. He's a near certain first- or second-rounder. He led the nation with five blocked kicks last season.

Carter's biggest issue may be to not get lost on a defensive unit full of NFL prospects.

4) Alex Wujciak, Maryland

Alex Wujciak was the best player on a defense that struggled last season.

The Terrapins ranked 11th in defense in the ACC last year, but don't blame Wujciak.

In 2009, he was a first-team All-ACC player with 131 tackles. He is the unquestioned leader of the Terrapin defense. Wujciak is projected to be a third or fourth round NFL pick.

At 6'3', 245 lbs, he's a rangy player with a good nose for the ball even if he lacks blinding speed.

5) Mark Herzlich , Boston College

I'm going to go out on limb here and put Mark Herzlich fifth on this list.

I'm putting Herzlich ahead of some other linebackers I think have the potential to be very good, like Florida State's Nigel Bradham and Miami's Sean Spence.

Here is why.

In 2008, Mark Herzlich wasn't just the best linebacker in the ACC, he was the best defensive player in the conference. He was also a 2008 All-American and Butkus Award finalist.

Even if he's 80 percent of the player he was before his cancer diagnosis, he's still an All-ACC level player.

I wouldn't bet against him.

Luke Kuechly and Mark Herzlich of Boston College have never played a game together but they could very well be the best linebacker duo in the Atlantic Coast Conference this fall. Kuechly is a sophomore that was recently named to The Sporting News' preseason All-American team while Herzlich is cancer survivor that was red shirted in 2009 and has a reputation as an extremely productive outside linebacker.

After Mark Herzlich was forced to the sidelines, the BC defense was looking for an identity and a leader. Little did they know, it would be a freshman from Ohio that received little praise as a recruit (44th best LB on Rivals.com). At St. Xavier, Luke Kuechly's high school, his teammates and coaches called him the "Quiet Assassin". There was nothing quiet about him last season.

Luke was only a freshman in 2009 and after injuries forced him into the starting lineup, he never looked back. He was named the 2009 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year after posting up 158 tackles (2nd in the nation), 13 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, one sack, one interception and one fumble recovery. These are impressive numbers but they don't even begin to tell the whole story. Kuechly is on pace to absolutely shatter the team record for career tackles (524, Steven Boyd).

Anytime his team needed a big play, Kuechly was there. He even racked up 14 tackles in the team's biggest game of the year against USC in the Emerald Bowl. With better play at the quarterback position, BC wins that game and Kuechly is the MVP. In fact, despite the loss he still won defensive MVP. He was that good. The scary thing? This kid hasn't even scratched the surface of his potential.

"He's a coach's dream," BC head coach Frank Spaziani said. "The guy works hard, plays hard. He loves football. He wants to get better. And he has instincts. He does a lot of good things."

Kuechly isn't the only linebacker at Boston College who has garnered a lot of national attention. Mark Herzlich is probably the most well known BC player, not only for his toughness on the field but off it. Herzlich without question wants to put the cancer behind him but he's always going to hear about it because it's a good story. It won't matter though when he steps on the field in September to play his first game in more than a full calender year.  This 6'4'', 240 lb monster is all about taking care of business on the field.

In 2008, Herzlich capped off an incredible year by winning the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. This was a year in which Herzlich was absolutely dominant in all facets of the game. Herzlich had 110 tackles, 6 interceptions, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 defensive touchdowns. He hasn't played a game since but if he can even return to 75% of his 2008 form in 2010, coach Spaziani will be delighted.

The question that many fans and observers want to know is: Will Mark Herzlich be the same? Even if he isn't the same, it doesn't matter. Give him credit for how much adversity he's fought through and still maintaining a positive attitude. Despite not being able to play last year, he volunteered and took on an unofficial role as an assistant coach on the sidelines. Herzlich is a leader in many ways on and off the field. He probably was a big reason for Kuechly's success last year, with all the knowledge and experience he has.

This dynamic duo may or may not be the best 1-2 punch in the ACC at linebacker. Sure, there may be some other teams who have big names and players that have played together. However, it would take a whole lot of convincing to make this guy believe that two warriors of Kuechly and Herzlich's caliber can't dominate the ACC. These two guys could be the reason that BC wins 10 games. Two players don't make a team and there are still many question marks surrounding BC but it's time to finally give these guys credit where credit is due. They have gone under the radar for way too long and maybe playing on the field together will create some magic BC fans haven't seen since Matt "Matty Ice" Ryan.

What's next for the Big Ten's powerful commissioner Jim Delany? He's brought Penn State into the conference, masterminded the Big Ten Network, and is on the verge of another expansion which could establish the first "Super Conference," in college football.

While he and the Big Ten's 11 athletic directors hash out the pluses and minuses of his latest project; it should be mentioned that John Swofford, the athletic director of the Atlantic Coast Conference, has to be given credit. 

If the Big Ten decides to add more teams, Swofford could be considered the "Forerunner of Big Ten Expansion."

In 2003, John Swafford, with some help from the University of Miami's president Donna Shelala, introduced the country to a new phenomenon—"Raiding your neighbors conference."

It could be said that everything the Big Ten is presently talking about, was precipitated by the ACC's raid on the Big East in 2003. Swafford's ACC made it fashionable and has paved the way for the Big Ten to conduct a raid of their own. 

He is truly the pioneer in raiding one's fellow conference.

Back in the 1990's, Arkansas left the Southwest Conference for the SEC. It was an isolated incident and only involved one school.  The Southwest Conference had self-destructed from scandals and a death penalty to SMU—Arkansas had every right to move on.

But is was Swafford, who took us to a whole new level of undercutting, as he made a clear effort to bring the Big East Conference to its knees.

Seven Years Later: Money

Seven years later, one can look at the ACC and see that the big television money Swafford promised, has never materialized. 

The following is a list from ESPN of the leading conferences for television money in 2009: 

Big Ten — $242 Million

SEC — $205 million

Big 12 — $78 million

ACC — $67 million

Pac Ten — $58 million

The Big East — $33 million

When one divides the ACC's $58 million by its 12 teams, it comes out to slightly less than Five Million Dollars.  Big East football schools make at least that much.

Seven Years Later: Football and Basketball

Can we all agree that the Big East has clearly passed the ACC as the nations no. 1 basketball conference?

You may argue that North Carolina and Duke have won the last two NCAA National Championships, and I agree, it's a two deep conference. The Big East goes 10 deep.

What about football? Virginia Teach has dominated the ACC.  Swafford's dream of sending two schools from the ACC to BCS games has never materialized.  And what happened to Miami and Florida State?

Football is where the money is and the ACC just hasn't gotten the job done!

Since the expansion, no ACC team has been in contention for a national championship, and the only reason they've played in BCS games was because they have an automatic berth.

Before the raid on the Big East, Swafford spoke about the benefits of an ACC Championship Game—that hasn't materialized either.

While the SEC Championship game is impossible to get tickets for, the 2007 ACC Championship game drew 27,000 people, and who knows how many tickets they gave away—nobody watched the game!

Boston College's Identification

Has Boston College ever developed an identification with the ACC? Former Boston College grad, and 1987 NFL Rookie of the Year, Troy Stratford says no.  On his WFTL daily radio show last month, Stradford said moving to the ACC was the "wrong move."

Has the city of Boston embraced the ACC or are they still fixed on long-term Northeast rivalries?

When Boston College Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo followed his friend Donna Shelala, like a lamb, right into the ACC, no one thought it would turn out like this.

Boston College fans can't drive to games, their great rivalries are gone, and in case you haven't looked at a map lately, they're located 400 miles north of the next closest ACC team—that would be Maryland.

Today

When Swafford talked-up long term stability as a reason for the 2003 expansion, I guess he didn't expect to reach for his newspaper on Friday, and read that reports were released that Florida State has been in conversations with the SEC.

When Swofford made clear in 2003 that Rutgers was not a good fit for the ACC, I guess he forgot to count the population in the greater New York area like the Big Ten has.

How fitting would it be for the SEC, either pro-actively or re-actively, to make a play Florida Sate and Miami? Maybe they'll add Clemson and Georgia Tech and make it a four-bagger?

And how fitting would it be for the ACC to have to recruit UConn when the dust settles from a possible Big Ten expansion.  UConn, the team who's state filed two law suits against Swofford and the ACC in 2003!

In August of 2009, the quarterback situation at Boston College was very much, well, a situation.

And we’re not talking about Jersey Shore.

The incumbent starter, Dominique Davis, had been suspended due to grade issues and then transferred. The depth chart consisted of redshirt freshman Justin Tuggle, Dave Shinskie, a 25-year-old former baseball player, and true freshman Mike Marscovetra, who had been offered by BC and the powerhouse that is Bryant College.

The aforementioned situation most definitely remains a fluid one and Saturday’s Jay McGillis Memorial spring game gave us some insight as to where the Eagles are headed in the fall of 2010.

Marscovetra opened everyone’s eyes by leading the Eagles’ gold-jersey offense to consecutive scores, including the game’s lone touchdown against the maroon-clad defense.

His units—he saw time with the first and second team, as did other players making that distinction slightly murky—were clearly the sharpest and showed a greater sense of urgency with him in command of the offense.

Overcoming two false start penalties on the touchdown drive, he hit wide receiver Ryan Lindsey downfield in coverage for a 40-yard gain. The touchdown pass to TE Jordan McMichael out of the shotgun formation was the play of the day. Marscovetra had to reach near his feet on a bad snap and then abruptly stood up to fire a 15-yard bullet in traffic for the score.

Marscovetra (13-for-16 through the air for 146 yards and one touchdown) was rewarded by getting the ball right back. He delivered by leading the offense to another score, a 37-yard field goal by Michael Sodic.

The only real negative for him on the day was his overthrow to an open Chris Pantale in the end zone; Marscovetra immediately knew he had missed a golden opportunity and reacted in disgust. The coaches had seen enough and gave him the second half off, presumably to see more of freshmen Chase Rettig and Josh Bordner.

While Dave Shinskie wrested control of the starting job early last season, there were many moments of apprehension as well as frustration from coaches, players, and fans alike as he struggled to protect the football.

His performance on Saturday likely opened the door a bit for Marscovetra as Shinskie’s four drives resulted in four punts, three sacks, and two second half three-and-outs. He missed other targets and left the few thousand in attendance on a gorgeous spring afternoon generally uninspired, going 6-of-12 for 50 yards in the air.

No one would say that Shinskie’s spot was riding on a good performance here, but his inability to lock up the job is as big a concern as any on the entire team.

Chase Retting, the highly-touted California recruit who has been on campus since January, flashed a little of that arm that earned him the scholarship. He threw a brilliant 25-yd pass that was dropped by Donte Elliott, but came back two plays later to complete a similar pass.

Unfortunately, his youth showed as he stared down receivers and threw two INTs, both at the hands of AJ Currelley. He finished the day 4-of-12 for 48 yards.

Josh Bordner, who came in along with Rettig, also saw a lot of time in the second half and was able to lead his unit to a field-goal, despite being sacked five times on the afternoon.

Both freshmen will need plenty of reps in fall camp before determining who, if anyone, receives a redshirt—at this point the smart money would be on Bordner (7-12, 83 yds) to take the year to learn some more and adapt to the speed at this level.

Head coach Frank Spaziani and offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill will have a huge decision to make in August that could affect the entire outlook of the team and ultimately, the 2010 season.

A battle at QB can often divide a team, and no one—except Steve Spurrier—wants a revolving platoon at the most important position on the field. But, this has the potential to be a motivator that will get the best out of both players and improve the play at a position that has been weak since Matt Ryan left campus.

The spring game is not the only determining factor of a positional battle, but it IS a factor.

On Saturday, Mike Marscovetra threw down the gauntlet putting everyone on notice—that means you, Dave Shinskie—he did not come to Chestnut Hill last year to be a backup.

Seven years after Boston College AD Gene DeFilippo brashly announced the Eagles would abandon the Big East and move to the ACC, BC has failed to establish an identity in the Southern league, failed to achieve excellence in football or basketball, and failed to win over the Boston marketplace.

ACC Commissioner John Swofford had grand visions of TV sets across New England popping on to ACC football and basketball. It hasn't happened.

DeFilippo has three styles of addressing the public: He cheerleads to bring his audience to his way of thinking; he blusters and blows his opinion as law; he doesn't respond at all. In handling the diminishing footprint of BC athletics under his watch, he has demonstrated all three.

Derision of the Eagles by bloggers on Boston.com's web site is shocking even to those who are indifferent to BC and the ACC.

For example, when DeFilippo announced the BC band was not allowed to accompany the team to the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco this past season, 90-plus bloggers wrote scathing comments about DeFilippo. If DeFilippo was sincere about winning over hometown fans, he made a horrible decision.

Then he dispensed Jack Dunn to spin the truth that the school just couldn't afford the trip by saying the BC administration did not want to impose upon band members' holiday. How embarrassing for an AD and school planning to reap big financial awards from the 12-team ACC to lack the resources to bring the whole package to the Emerald! 

Fans saw right through his subterfuge and lambasted the AD. 

The word is out in coaching circles too: treat DeFilippo with deference bordering on servility. Football coaches by nature just aren't deferential people.

In an unparalleled display of pomposity and egoism, DeFilippo fired popular coach Jeff Jagodzinski for interviewing with the Jets. Of course DeFilippo had to make BC pay for his arrogance to the tune of $3 million. Is this how a Jesuit college plays?

The incident played so poorly in the press that DeFilippo bashing became a new sport in Boston far more popular than the Eagles' athletic teams.

Derision is not limited to Boston.com.

Statesnation, North Carolina State's athletic blogsite, devoted an entire article to the "BC rule," engendered to compensate for the Eagles' lack of traveling fan sport. The site blasted the Eagles for causing the ACC to lose the Gator Bowl and questioned why they ever were admitted to the ACC.

BC left the Big East for financial security, better TV payouts, and increased fan support. The Eagles have benefited from the TV contract, and the payout of $11 million per team is much better than the Big East's $5.5 million.

However, the ACC is negotiating a new television contract hampered by several prominent negatives, including poor bowl performances, a dearth of intersectional victories, and lack of dominating teams. BC's dwindling home attendance in football and basketball is not helping the conference.  

In Boston, BC football and basketball are putting fewer fans in seats. This past season BC averaged 35,716 per home game, ranking 62nd out of 119 FBS schools. In 2003, BC's final year in the Big East before announcing ACC membership, the Eagles averaged 42,604 per home game and ranked 51st out of 115 Division I-A schools.

Conte Forum used to rock with 6,000 to 7,000 fans for Big East games. This year 3,000 to 5,000 fans were the norm.

So where is the big bump in attendance membership in the ACC was supposed to provide? 

BC fans travel in a small pod to away games, championship games, and bowls. DeFilippo has not inspired crowds to fly away with the Eagles. Instead, they are flying away from them. Not only are the fans not traveling, they are not turning on TV sets in Boston to watch them either.

Even with yesterday's cheerleading to introduce Steve Donahue as the Eagles' new hoops coach, DeFilippo did not quell the unhappiness this hire has generated in fans. Will he ever address why Boston has not become an ACC basketball town as promised?

DeFilippo has steered BC to what most likely will be its final home. There is no turning back—he is too stubborn to ever admit the ACC move was a blunder, and the Big East really doesn't want the Eagles back—if there is to be a Big East football conference in the future.

BC is not mentioned in any Big Ten expansion plans, and it is too far from the Big 12 and Pac-10 to become part of their expansion plans.

If DeFilippo were a good AD, he would put his ear on ground level and listen to fans who want a less restrictive tailgating experience and better home football schedules. He should be smart enough to reason that building a larger fanbase will only occur when he takes fan-friendly actions and begins to listen.

Observing DeFilippo is tantamount to watching a runaway train. 

No more compelling evidence demonstrates the cultural disharmony between Boston and ACC destinations like Virginia and Virginia Tech in Virginia, Clemson in South Carolina, and Georgia Tech in Georgia than these states proudly announcing Confederate History Month celebrations.

BC engages four universities housed in states celebrating the war for slavery. Boston's cadre of abolitionists and underground railroaders must roil in their graves.

Did DeFilippo naively believe there are no differences between the North and the South? Did he believe the two regions' cultures easily intermix?

If he has ever driven through Virginia, Georgia, and South Carolina, he would see Confederate flags for sale along the highways. That would be his first sign.

If Father Leahy is too detached or too weak to make it happen, BC fans need to demand it. Those who write about his mistakes and have cancelled season tickets or limited donations must speak. Boston College deserves an AD commensurate with its academic excellence, athletic legacies, and beacon of enlightenment in the Northeast USA.    

Chestnut Hill, Mass., spring 2009: Of course there were questions about stability. Coach Jagodzinski had been fired only two months before, and a career assistant subsequently headed the Boston College program.

With the whirlwind surrounding the coaching situation as well as a serious offensive quarterback situation (Only four games of starting experience at the college level between three candidates) had yet to subside, but Boston College and new head coach Frank Spaziani felt that there was a least one constant in their football program; their defense.

As stars like Mike McLaughlin (Achilles) and Mark Herzlich (Cancer) started to fall out of starting positions, chaos ensued in and around Alumni Stadium.

2009 ended for the Eagles with an eight-win season. The fall was filled with multiple cases of surprising underclassmen who stepped into key leadership roles during the 2009 campaign. The Eagles head into 2010 with eight returning starters on both sides of the ball, and look to build off of what many analysts call a comeback season for the ages.

By March 15, the Eagles will begin their 2010 spring practices. As many would expect, the spotlight is on Mark Herzlich.

Mark is coming back from a seemingly impossible journey from a cancer patient, to a cancer survivor. If he is able to return to the form he possessed in 2008, the Eagles should have high expectations once again for their defense.

Mark provides strength to every player on Boston College and has given them motivation to work as hard as he has worked for the past year.

Ambition and courage are just two characteristics mark brings to the table, and as he hopes, out onto the field. If that occurs, Mark’s starting position at linebacker is all but secure.

But for many other players vying for a starting spot on the team, the battle has only just begun. Here are some position battles that I believe will make some waves with BC coaches and fans alike.

Quarterback: Dave Shinskie vs. Chase Rettig

The battle of the 26-year-old sophomore vs. the 18-year-old freshman. Landing the starting job after a strong performance against Wake Forest last year, Dave Shinskie had a season similar to the Superman rollercoaster at Six Flags.

Shinskie and the Eagle have soared in great performances against Florida State and Central Michigan, but had their wings clipped in games against Clemson and USC. The USC game left a bad taste in a BC fan’s mouth, and many are looking for change.

That change could very well come in the form of freshman Chase Rettig. Arriving here in January and having a great showing at the Under Armour All-American game catapulted Rettig from a contender to a favorite for the job as field general.

Strong Safety: Okechukwu Okoroha vs. Jim Noel

In the 2009 season, BC had a rock in their secondary named Marcellus Bowman. Marcellus delivered mind-blowing hits every single Saturday (including one on Kent State’s Eugene Jarvis). Bowman has now graduated, and it is time for another safety to step up in his place.

Jim Noel will be a true sophomore next season and received more playing time than Okoroha did. With Noel’s lanky yet athletic 6’5” frame, I believe he has the upper hand on Okoroha at this point.

Okechukwu did come to the Heights with what many thought to be a huge ceiling. It will be very interesting to see how these common interest stories and position battles shake out for the next few weeks.

Any college football recruiter will tell you right off the bat that there is no tougher position to recognize talent at than cornerback. Let’s be honest, when will a cornerback’s performance be highlighted on a film? College coaches may even spend days contemplating which player on their team would fit best at cornerback.

The skill of a cornerback has become so specific in the ever-changing world of college football. Albert Louis-Jean of Brockton, Mass. is an exceptional athlete who may very well posses the skills necessary to become a premier corner at the collegiate level.

The Brockton Boxers are consistently a team favored to win the Big Three Conference title in Massachusetts nearly every year. Last year was no different, as Louis-Jean and other stars spearheaded an attempt at recapturing championship glory. After beginning the 2009 season extremely well (5-0), the Boxers hit a rut at the end of the season and lost three of their last four games.

Despite missing the playoffs, Louis-Jean still received a great amount of interest from Division One colleges around the nation. “Obviously I did well enough to get some attention, but I could’ve done better both individually and with my team,” he said.

On the first day where it is permissible for college programs to offer 2011 recruits, Albert received a call from Boston College. Trying desperately not to let home-grown talent abscond from the bay state, coach Frank Spaziani offered a scholarship to Albert.

Albert made it clear to me that it is still early in the process; he does not have a favorite school quite yet. The decision has not paid off yet for coach Spaziani, but it seems that the Eagles are in the lead for Louis-Jean’s services.

A few weeks later, Miami follow suit with an offer the corner back as well. When a national powerhouse like Miami offers a recruit, lesser programs tend to imitate their actions. Soon enough, Louis-Jean was receiving offers from schools like Connecticut and Alabama.

With interest coming from so many prestigious college football programs, it would be easy for Albert to get lost in the hype and possibly see a downturn in school grades. Staying true to form, though, Albert has maintained a B-average all year, good enough for a spot on the honor roll as well.

With the stresses of high school and the recruitment for his football services becoming a constant every day, Albert went on a much deserved vacation (of sorts). He was able to travel down to San Antonio, where he participated in the Army All-American junior combine.

This combine pitted the best juniors across the nation against each other in rigorous drills. While this may not be a vacation to some, Albert loved the competition. “It was great going down to San Antonio because it gave me a chance to play with and against the cream of the crop from coast to coast,” he said.

Getting back to his college recruitment, even Louis-Jean admitted that it would be extremely tough to narrow down his college choices. “It’s going to be hard because all the schools I’m looking at during this point in time are all great schools," he said. "It’s just going to come down to what school I like the most.”

I later asked Albert about what exactly he is looking for in a school. He is savvy enough to know that the appearance of the school during a visit is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his criteria for selecting one lucky program. He said, “Every school has good academics, so I don’t even have to worry about that. I am trying to look for a good relationship with my position coach and also looking to see how many players have gone to the NFL from the school.”

While these points are still very important to him, Albert stressed that program stability is a monumental point in his selection procedure. “I am looking for a school with a coach that’s going to be there my whole career or at least for my first two years so I can get settled in," he said.

With such great success during his first three years in high school, winning has become second nature to Albert. Heading into his senior year, Louis-Jean would like to keep a winning tradition sustained. “It’s plain and simple," he stated. "If the team isn’t good, I don’t really want to play there.”

A cornerback with height like Albert’s comes around once every blue moon. A skill set to match his stature makes this Boxer even more intriguing, as well as arguably the best recruit to come out of Massachusetts this season.

That sort of hype and addicting intrigue has defensive coaches salivating with pure delight. With a player who models the likes of Darrelle Revis and Champ Bailey, the sky is the limit for Albert Louis-Jean.

Coming into the 2009 season, the Boston College Eagles were undergoing coaching changes while trying to deal with internal team losses.

Sophomore quarterback Dominique Davis had transferred out of Boston College due to grades and star linebackers were not projected to have a chance playing in 2009. The coaching staff scrambled to find another quarterback to add to the 2009 recruiting class.

They found that quarterback in 25 year old, ex minor league baseball player, Dave Shinskie. While many believed that he was far too displaced from the game, others thought he had all the tools to be successful for his whole career at the heights. Would Shinskie be a prominent ACC quarterback for years to come for the Eagles? Only time could tell.

Arguably the best thing Shinskie had going for him was BC’s experienced and talented wide receiving corps. With four seniors, including the much hyped Rich Gunnell, it was believed that Shinskie would receive as much help as he needed coming into the season.

The 2009 season came and went, and the Eagles went 8-5, including an Emerald Bowl loss to the USC Trojans. While many observers viewed their record as a success, the team as a whole was not satisfied with the final result.

Dave Shinskie had a mediocre season to most. He was known to use Gunnell as a crutch during many games while many other receivers seemed invisible on the field.

Coming into the offseason this was an immediate concern for Coach Spaziani because Rich Gunnell was graduating. While Colin Larmond Jr. had a breakout sophomore year and is projected to be a great deep threat this season, the depth and incoming talent on the roster was still an issue.

Enter Shakim Phillips. Once considered a long shot for the Eagles because of so many other offers from prominent programs (20 to count), he committed to the program in early September because of what he put as “a great balance of football tradition and education."

For Shakim, the stress had finally been lifted from trying to make a final decision of where to play football. He was an Eagle. After finishing his high school career at DePaul Catholic School in New Jersey where they went 7-3 which included a playoff run, he knew he needed to get ready for ACC football. He believed that his speed was the biggest void he needed to fill before coming to Chestnut Hill.

All off season he worked specifically on agility and speed drills in order to become a major threat on the team next year. While trying to stay away from directly recruiting players to join him up at BC, Shakim has become familiar with many incoming recruits as well as players currently on the roster.

Shakim said that when he met Colin Larmond Jr. on his official visit, the two hit it off immediately. They have spoken since then and Shakim said they have built a good friendship.

As for incoming freshmen, Shakim has become most familiar with C.J. Jones from Delaware who will vie for a spot on the Eagles secondary this year. Phillips said that he continues to remind C.J. which of the two was selected to play in the Army All-American game in San Antonio. While he joked about it often, Shakim said that it was “a privilege and an honor to be selected to play in this prestigious game.”

In San Antonio, he was able to work with great coaches as well as quarterback talent he was not usually accustomed to. He very well may be able to retain that sensation when he hits the field as an Eagle next year because prominent California product Chase Rettig is in the 2010 class as well.

As expected by any wide receiver, Shakim is extremely happy to have a quarterback with as much potential as Chase Rettig come to BC as well. As Shakim put it, “It’s great to have that type of player to put your faith into as a receiver. It just makes everything on the field easier for us [receivers]” With Chase already beginning his career at Boston College, Shakim has to wait until graduation before he can officially practice for the Eagles.

He’s counting down the days to National Signing day so he can finally put on his BC hat and end all stress accumulated his senior year. While he is still debatable whether or not BC’s 2010 class will reach its full potential, one thing definitely is for certain; Shakim Phillips is one player who won’t allow his talent and his promising future at Boston College to go to waste.

As Phillips stated “The doubters can speculate all they want, but at the end of the day, it’s going to be my work and passion for the game that will get me to where I want to be.” A determined player for a determined program.