Headlines: The Rest of the ACC Is Not Scared of You, Spaz

Brian: About a month ago I picked up Athlon’s College Football preview. While a lot of what was predicted for the Eagles has undoubtedly changed already this offseason, one article towards the front of the magazine also caught my eye. In this article entitled “Hello my name is … Welcome to the 2009 Coaching Carousel” was an evaluation of the newest FBS head coaches. Here is Athlon’s final analysis of BC’s head coaching hire (emphasis mine):

"Final Analysis: With DeFilippo so adamant about hiring someone who will remain at Boston College "for the length of his contract," you have to wonder if the school settled for Spaziani because he professed his love for the maroon and gold. He is an outstanding defensive coordinator with a strong pedigree, but you can be sure that this hire won’t have opposing ACC coaching staffs overly concerned."

Athlon seems to come down fairly hard on the hire of Spaz. While I hadn’t really thought of this question earlier, the article did raise a red flag or two in my mind. Will ACC coaching staffs be overly concerned when it comes to playing against Spaziani and Boston College?

Jeff: Will opposing teams be concerned with playing Boston College this year (who happens to be coached by Frank Spaziani)? Absolutely. No one in the conference is going to take the two-time defending Atlantic Division champs lightly.

Are they more concerned now that Spaziani is the coach than they would've been anyways? Probably not.

Remember, Spaziani was passed up for this job just two years prior and Spaz was already a member of the staff. Not only was he a member of the staff but he coordinated our defense which has been dominant in our run to two ACC Championship Game appearances. Therefore you have to wonder if the defense might even take a step back (since improving is hardly even an option) now that Spaz has to devote plenty of time to other duties as head coach.

In the long run we might find out that this coaching change was a good or great thing for BC but in the short term there is no reason to be intimidated as an opponent. Compare the Eagles opponents' situation to opponents of Georgia Tech. The Jackets brought in Paul Johnson and a completely new offensive scheme and philosophy last year. Opponents should be much more fearful of playing Georgia Tech over BC.

Brian: I agree that Paul Johnson should give ACC coaches more pause than Frank Spaziani since Johnson brought in a completely new offensive system. But I was still a bit concerned over how down Athlon was on the Spaz hire. Compare Athlon's reaction to their reaction over the hire of Clemson's Dabo Swinney. Swinney - a first time head coach - is seen as a rising star in the eyes of AD Terry Don Phillips, and Athlon wasn't nearly as negative on the hire as they were with Spaz. Maybe this has something to do with Swinney's youth or the success (or lack thereof) of his predecessor. I don't know.

Only time will tell whether the Spaziani hire was good for BC football in the long run. But in the short term, this analysis of BC's Spaz hire gives me some pause. Most rationale Eagles fans will likely give Spaziani a pass this year, but I'm not sure how long we will continue to give Spaz passes if improvement isn't shown. Especially with a fan base that has become quite comfortable with successful football programs the last 10 years.

Headlines: Eagles vs. Hokies Top Ten Hottest Rivalry Games of 2009?

Brian: Last Friday, ESPN’s Pat Forde ran down the list of the ten hottest college football rivalries. This is his OK attempt at listing the hottest college football rivalry games in 2009 – no treading on past glory, Army vs. Navy.

Forde has Virginia Tech vs. Boston College rounding out his Top 10, and it’s the only game on his list that features an ACC team. BC vs. Virginia Tech beats out Miami vs. Florida State, Florida State vs. Clemson, and Clemson vs. Georgia Tech:

Why It's Hot Now: The former Big East opponents have upgraded their rivalry in the ACC, facing off four times in the past two years -- twice in the regular season and twice in the ACC title game. In those meetings the regular season has belonged to the Eagles and the postseason has belonged to the Hokies. With BC's moving on to its third head coach in the last four years, there's no telling how that might affect the rivalry.

Upper Hand Today: Tech has the league hardware and BCS bowl appearances on its side, which more than offsets losing three of the last five in the series.

Upper Hand Historically: The Hokies own an 11-6 all-time series lead, including seven straight from 1996 to 2002.

Baldwin the Eagle to HokieBird: Which former Atlanta Falcons No. 1 draft pick would you rather be, Michael Vick or Matt Ryan?

HokieBird to Baldwin the Eagle: What's it like to have head coaches walk out on you more often than John Daly's wives?

First, tell me why BC vs. Virginia Tech is one of the 10 hottest rivalries in college football.


Jeff: Boston College vs. Virginia Tech is an easy pick for his list since he tried to not just pick historical rivalries, he tried to pick rivalries that have extra meaning this year. With BC beating Virginia Tech in the regular season two years running and VT still going on to win the conference and head to the Orange Bowl, the rivalry is as strong as it will ever be.

Brian: BC has indeed been a thorn in the Hokies side the last two regular season meetings. Familiarity certainly can breed hatred, and the Eagles and Hokies haven't seen each other 4 times in the last two seasons can certainly fuel a growing ACC rivalry.

Now tell me why Eagles vs. Hokies shouldn’t be listed as one of the hottest rivalries in college football.

Jeff: I wish these were the kinds of questions you were getting in your MBA class exams. This is too easy. BC-VT doesn't deserve to be on the list of all games around the nation this year because it isn't even the biggest game on BC's schedule.

Every fan would say Notre Dame is the #1 rivalry game this season and possibly list Florida State and Clemson as #2 and #3 because these games have ACC Atlantic division title implications. The rivalry is on the list because it is a matchup that has taken place in the last 2 regular seasons and been repeated in the ACC Championship Game. But it doesn't deserve to be on the list because the regular season result the last two has had no bearing on whether or not the team wins the ACC Football Championship, which is the big prize.

Brian: I'm going to disagree with you here. I wouldn't have BC vs. Notre Dame anywhere near this list of hot college football rivalries. I wouldn't put Eagles-Irish on this list for the same reason that USC vs. Notre Dame or Army vs. Navy doesn't make the list. The recent history of these series has been far too lopsided to even consider these games of any importance. Sure, Notre Dame may lead their cross-sectional rivalry with USC 42-33-5 all-time, but they haven't beat the Trojans in 7 tries. Same with the Army-Navy game, where the Cadets haven't beat the Midshipmen since 2001. Maybe Notre Dame will give us a game this year, but when one team beats the other for 6 or more consecutive games, I wouldn't put those games on any sort of "hot" rivalry list.

I could apply the same rationale to Boston College vs. Virginia Tech. As you mentioned, BC's last two regular season wins over the Hokies didn't have any effect on who ultimately won the conference. With the exception of the 2007 game where Ryan-to-Callendar possibly knocked the Hokies out of BCS National Championship Game consideration, the games the Eagles have taken out the Hokies didn't really have much effect on the other team's season. Before our ACC days, this rivalry didn't mean much, with Virginia Tech winning 8 of our first 11 matchups. It's only recently with the ACC's artificial rivalry games has this game taken on much more meaning.

Here is Forde's top 10 football rivalries for 2009:

10. Boston College at Virginia Tech (October 10)
9. Arkansas at Mississippi (October 24)
8. Washington State at Washington (November 28)
7. Ohio State at Michigan (November 21)
6. Texas A&M at Texas Tech (October 24)
5. LSU at Alabama (November 7)
4. UCLA vs. USC (November 28 at the L.A. Coliseum)
3. Florida vs. Georgia (October 31 in Jacksonville)
2. Tennessee at Florida (September 19)
1. Oklahoma vs. Texas (October 17 at the Cotton Bowl)

Your thoughts overall on Forde’s list? Did he get it right? Your top ten?

Jeff: I do not think he got it right. I think Penn State-Ohio State is now the game in the Big Ten for the next few years rather than OSU-Michigan. I also think that the USC-Notre Dame game deserves a nod because of the BCS bowl talk for Notre Dmae this year. Another game that I'd take off the list is Georgia vs. Florida because there was a lot of hype entering the season for that game last year but this year is expected to be a down year for Georgia. Florida should steamroll their schedule en route to another national championship.

Brian: I would say that Forde got the #1 game correct. Last season's Red River Shootout was one of the best games in the entire season and was one of the games that determined one of the two BCS National Championship Game participants (with that game making it a three-way dead-heat atop the Big XII South regular season standings). That game this year could again determine who goes to the BCSNCG. Other than that though, Forde seems to focus on select off-the-field events to determine hot rivalries. In my opinion, UCLA taking out ads in the LA Times declaring that the football monopoly in L.A. is over, Lane Kiffin's whining about Urban Meyer or the war of words between A&M's Coach Sherman and Tech's Coach Leach seem petty and uninteresting. Ultimately, hot rivalries are developed on the field and not artificially manufactured by the press or by the coaching staffs. UCLA, Tennessee and Georgia (like you said) will ultimately get steamrolled yet again this season which renders these games irrelevant, and who cares about the pillow fight that is the Apple Cup outside of the state of Washington?

That being said, I present to you my list of the ten hottest rivalries for 2009. Spoiler alert: I do think BC vs. Virginia Tech should be on this list given how many times we've run into one another the past few years.

10. Pittsburgh at West Virginia (November 27) - shame on the Big East league office for not leaving the Backyard Brawl as the last Big East game of the season
9. Boston College at Virginia Tech (October 10) - Because two years ago Matt Ryan made Hokie fans question their believe in God. Also, this is a potential trap game for the Hokies as they look ahead to their trip to Atlanta the following week for what may ultimately decide who wins the ACC Coastal?
8. Texas Tech at Texas (September 19) - Harrell-to-Crabtree was THE play of the 2008 season. Tech no longer has the playmakers they had from a year ago, but can they once again derail the National Title hopes of Mack Brown & co.?
7. Oklahoma State at Oklahoma (November 28) - I'll make exception to my rule that the recent history between the two teams has to be competitive just once here, given that an already intense rivalry should be enhanced this year given the expectations around the 2009 Oklahoma State football team.
6. Penn State at Michigan State (November 21) - Last season, this was a matchup of ranked teams that saw PSU spank the Spartans. This year the game is in East Lansing and the winner of the Land Grant Trophy could also walk away with a share of the Big Ten crown, assuming Penn State can make up for the lack of an experienced offensive line.
5. Ohio State at Penn State (November 7) - This game has determined the Big Ten champ in each of the last two seasons. The all-time series is tied at 12.
4. Oregon State at Oregon (December 3) - Why would Forde pick an in-state Pac-10 rivalry that ultimately will have no meaning on the postseason? Why not instead put the Civil War on your list? All the Beavers needed to do was beat a hapless Oregon Ducks team at home to make their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1965. Instead, they got blugeoned 65-38. This game could again have Rose Bowl implications. This series has been as close as it can get the last 9 seasons, with OSU holding a slight 5-4 advantage.
3. Utah at BYU (November 28) - The Holy War may again determine whether a MWC team is another BCS Crasher.
2. LSU at Mississippi (November 21) - The Rebels 31-13 win over LSU last season was the first win in the series in 6 tries. This game should have SEC West title implications.
1. Oklahoma vs. Texas (October 17) - the stakes for this year's Red River Rivalry will be as high as ever.

I'm selling Miami (FL) at Florida State until one of these teams is, you know, good again.

Your thoughts?

Out BBQing and the Big Finish

Brian: Happy 4th of July ... err ... 3rd of July. If you are reading this, you should already be out BBQing and downing a 12 ounce - or six - of your favorite American beer. Imports are for traitors and Redcoats this weekend. Your US beer of choice in the comments section below, please. I nominate Yuengling, although sadly you can't get that out here in Chicago.


We out early for the holiday weekend. Have a great weekend with friends and family. Back Monday with more headlines. Go Eagles!

Over/Under: 09 College Football Preview of Pac-10

Brian: Today - since we are in the dead of summer with not much BC news to be had - we start in on previewing the upcoming college football season (66 days and counting!) in a game of Over/Under.

Borrowing from the Florida State blog Tomahawk Nation's For Entertainment Purposes Only series of posts, we take a look at one site's futures odds for regular season wins (regular season wins do not include conference championship games or bowl games). We will preview each of the 6 BCS conferences over the next 6 weeks to gear you up for college football (I keep telling myself it's right around the corner!)

First up of the 6 BCS conference, the Pac 10 - less Washington, Washington State and Stanford, where future odds for regular season wins are currently unlisted. We'll work our way west to east, finishing up with the ACC. We'll check back at the end of the year to see how we stacked up to with the results from the 2009 season.

Finally, a disclaimer. This exercise is for fun only. BC Interruption in no way endorses gambling.


First up, Over/Under - 6 1/2 regular season wins for Arizona

Brian: The big question with the Wildcats this year will be who is starting under center. Sounds a bit familiar. Arizona will have to replace Senior Willie Tuitama who threw 67 touchdown passes in his four years on campus. Still, except for questions about the QB and the offensive line, Arizona returns much of the talent that took down BYU 31-21 in last year's Las Vegas Bowl. That team finished 7-5, 5-4 Pac 10, and it is hard to imagine Arizona losing more than one game from a year ago. So I'll take the slightly pessimistic outlook on Arizona's season, go under (-120) on this one and give 'Zona 6 wins on the year, which should be good enough for another bowl berth. Specifically, the Cats will win vs. Central Michigan, Northern Arizona, at Washington, Stanford, UCLA, and Washington State.

Jeff: Arizona will not make it through their non-conference schedule without a loss. The questions is will they lose one or both of the games between Central Michigan and Iowa. If Arizona does lose to Central Michigan, this might be bad news for Eagles fans as the Chippewas will already have a win at a BCS conference opponent going into their matchup against the Eagles. But as for over/under, I like the under (-120) here without much hesitation as a 6 win season is good for the Wildcats. Washington and Washington State can't be the gimmes they were last year.


Over/Under - 6 1/2 regular season wins for Arizona State

Jeff: Last year was full of disappointment for Arizona State. Despite winning four conference games, they only won five overall. This year the team will rebound and at least has 2 out of conference gimmes before heading to Georgia and getting their first loss of the season. Then conference play sets up that they will be favored in a least four games and should be able to get an upset victory in there somewhere to get them to 7 wins on the season. Over (-120).

Brian: If Arizona State doesn't get back above .500 this season, I have to think Dennis Erickson will be on the hot seat if he turns in another 5-7 or 6-6 season. Arizona State is a team that is very similar to Boston College - all defense, no offense. The defense should keep them in games, and its hard to imagine them winning less than 6 games with built-in wins against Idaho State, UL Monroe, at Washington State and Washington. I think Arizona State can find three more wins in there between at UCLA, Arizona, at Stanford and Oregon State at home so I will go over (-120). 7+ wins for the Sun Devils this season.


Over/Under - 9 regular season wins for Cal

Brian: Expectations are high in Berkeley as the Bears return Pac-10 rushing leader Jahvid Best, who rushed for over 1,500 yards last season. You may remember Best from his cameo as Slimer from Ghostbusters during last year's game at Maryland. The QB position is less cloudy than it was a year ago, too, as Kevin Riley looks to take the top spot on the depth chart. Cal should breeze through their non-conference slate of Maryland, Eastern Washington and at Minnesota, and to go over, I'd have to think that Cal is going to coast through the Pac 10 sched and go either 7-2 or 8-1. Even though Cal gets USC at home this season, I still count that as a loss as well as the late September trip to Autzen. My guess is Cal will drop another game that it shouldn't ... possibly getting tripped up in the desert at Arizona State or at Stanford in the Big Game. So I will go with the very unmanly push and say the Cal Bears win 9 games. I'm not touching this one.

Jeff: While the Bears will be favored in their three non-conference games, I do not expect them to defeat both Maryland and Minnesota. Then once conference play begins, you have to consider USC a loss as well as one or two games among games at Oregon, Oregon State, and at UCLA. Throw in another Pac-10 game upset and I'm taking the under (+125) confidently.


Over/Under - 8 regular season wins for Oregon

Jeff: Taking Oregon to go over here is THE pick of all the Pac-10 teams. Oregon looked good at times last year and especially in their bowl game against Oklahoma State. The Ducks' defense can't be any worse. They have a potentially tough out of conference schedule with Utah and Boise State but after they get past those two games, as I suspect they will, it's smooth sailing from there in. Over. Over. Over (+152).

Brian: The Ducks are highly ranked preseason, with some publications having them as high as #13. Still, in order to go over I would have to think that the Ducks could match their regular season win total from last season. I have to think that the transition from Coach Bellotti to Coach Chip Kelly will not go as smoothly as some people may think. The Ducks also didn't do themselves any favors with their out of conference schedule, having to play BCS Busters Utah and at Boise State on the Blue Turf. If Oregon can go 2-1 out of conference, I can see them going 7-2 or 8-1 in conference, but I have my reservations. Especially if the junior-laden Ducks get tripped up by both Utah and Boise State. I'll go over (+152), but just barely, and it certainly won't come as easy as Jeff is alluding to. I'll give the Ducks 9 wins this season.


Over/Under 7 1/2 regular season wins for Oregon State?

Brian: I am going to go under (-110) here. While the two-headed Rodgers offensive monster should be formidable (Jacquizz rushed for 1,253 last season and James caught 51 balls for 607 yards and 4 TDs), the Beavers will have to replace much of their defensive unit. The Pac-10 schedule doesn't cut Oregon State any breaks this year, with trips to Arizona State, California, USC and Oregon all potential losses. Throw one more loss in there - say, September 19 hosting Big East champion Cincinnati - and you've got your under. Oregon State will certainly be bowling, but I see 6-7 wins this season instead of 8-9.

Jeff: Oregon State had a major letdown at the end of last season by being embarrassed by Oregon when they had a chance to head to the Rose Bowl, but I am going to go against Brian and say that they will get through their non-conference games even though a road trip to Las Vegas worries me more than Cincinnati at home. From there I fully expect five conference wins and will take the over (-120), even though I'd be surprised if they cover by any more than a 1/2 game.


Over/Under 6 regular season wins for UCLA?

Jeff: If I were Brian here, I'd push because UCLA has 6 wins and a bottom level bowl written all over them but I'm not Brian so I will instead take the over (-180) and hope that Neuheisel's system and players start clicking a year earlier than expected and the Bruins get to 8 or 9 wins.

Brian: Is the football monopoly over in Southern California? Probably not, as Neuheisel stares down another year of rebuilding in Westwood. Six wins on the season would be an improvement of two wins after last year's pathetic 4-8 season. However, I, too, will go out on a limb on this one and go over (-180). The Bruins have a VERY favorable 2009 schedule with home games against San Diego State, Kansas State, and Washington, and road trips to Tennessee, Arizona and Washington State. I'm banking on the fact that there's a seventh win in there somewhere. Can the Bruins shock the Pac-10 and take down USC, Oregon or Oregon State? Probably not. But more likely, Neuheisel and UCLA could grab their 7th win at Stanford, at Oregon State or vs. California. Don't disappoint me, Neuheisel. If you do, I'll recoup my losses by winning your NCAA Tournament Pool next season.


Last one, Over/Under 10 1/2 regular season wins for USC?

Brian: Last, but certainly not least, the USC Trojans. An over here would basically have me pegging the Trojans as another BCS National Championship Game contender with an 11-1 or 12-0 perfect regular season. Pete Carroll has gotten the Trojans to 11+ wins (including bowl games) in each of the last 7 seasons, but I foresee them only getting to 10 regular seasons wins this year. I'm taking the under here. The Trojans always seem to find a way to lose to a Pac-10 opponent they have no business losing to (Oregon State 2008, Stanford 2007), which knocks them out of the BCSNCG. I imagine this trend will continue. Either that, or the Trojans could very well drop their game at Autzen on October 31. Their early season trip to Columbus looms large. The talent is of course always there, but Carroll and the Trojans will be breaking in a new QB under center. I'm giving USC a 10-2 regular season record - which of course a disappointment in LA - and going with the under (-140).

Jeff: The big game for USC is at Ohio State the second week of the season and I expect them to dominate Big Ten competition once again, new quarterback aside. When it comes to USC, take the over (+110) until they prove otherwise. It's money in the bank.


What did we screw up, Left Coast Eagles and Pac 10 prognosticators? Your thoughts?

Headlines: 'Eagles in the NHL' Entry Draft

Brian: Not much BC-related news over the weekend, other than the NHL Entry Draft. Here is the list of Boston College recruits selected:

Chris Kreider: 19th overall pick (Round 1) to New York Rangers
First up, the bad news. Kreider becomes only the 12th Eagle to get drafted in the first round of the NHL Entry draft. Of the Eagles 11 other first-round selections, they averaged only 2.4 years in school, with only Brian Boyle (26th overall to the Kings in the '03 draft) staying in school all 4 years. Hopefully York gets in Kreider's ear early about staying in school and BC can retain his services for more than 1 season. Surprisingly though, the Rangers have one of the youngest rosters in the league, so hopefully that can persuade Kreider to stay in school a bit longer. Flight risk here is pretty high for a first-rounder.

Player	Pick	Team	Draft Year	Yrs at BC
Bill Guerin	5th	New Jersey Devils	1989	2
Brian Leetch	9th	New York Rangers	1986	1
Craig Janney	13th	Boston Bruins	1986	2
Chuck Kobasew	14th	Calgary Flames	2001	1
Marty Reasoner	14th	St. Louis Blues	1996	3
Brooks Orpik	18th	Pittsburgh Penguins	2000	3
Krys Kolanos	19th	Phoenix Coyotes	2000	2
Chris Kreider	19th	New York Rangers	2009	??
Brian Boyle	26th	Los Angeles Kings	2003	4
Cory Schneider	26th	Vancouver Canucks	2004	3
Nick Petrecki	28th	San Jose Sharks	2007	2
Patrick Eaves	29th	Ottawa Senators	2003	3

Kenny Ryan: 50th overall pick (Round 2) to Toronto
Ryan is a 6'0" 204 pound forward from Franklin Village, Michigan. Aside from having a good Eagles last name, Ryan has been compared to the NHL's Jere Lehtinen. Ryan was previously playing for the U.S. National U-18 Team Development Program, registering 20 goals and 16 assists in 49 games.

Brian Dumoulin: 51st overall pick (Round 2) to Carolina
Dumoulin, a defenseman from Biddeford, Maine, was previously playing for the NH Jr. Monarchs of the ECHL. Dumoulin joins former Eagle Patrick Eaves in the Carolina organization.

Philip Samuelsson: 61st overall pick (Round 2) to Pittsburgh
Samuelsson joins the ever-expanding list of Boston College Eagles congregating in Pittsburgh - Orpik, Scuderi, Lovejoy and Guerin (resigned for another year). The Penguins organization also owns the rights to current Eagles defensemen Carl Sneep. Samuelsson, a defensemen, played for the Chicago Steel of the USHL last season, tallying 22 assists in 54 games.

Patrick Wey: 115th overall pick (Round 4) to Washington
Patrick Wey is a 6'2", 200 defensemen from Pittsburgh, PA. Most recently, Wey was playing for the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL. Wey, Samuelsson and Dumoulin will look to fill the Eagles hole on the blueline left by the departure of Anthony Aiello, Tim Filangeri, and Tim Kunes.

Steven Whitney, Pat Mullane, Brooks Dyroff, Parker Milner, Patrick Alber: Undrafted
The best prospect of this bunch may very well be freshman forward Steve Whitney, according to York:

“I think the class will have an impact and probably the best prospect for us might be Steve Whitney of Wakefield, who didn’t get drafted because of his size (5-foot-7, 160 pounds). But if small kids can show they’re durable over four years it can make a difference.”

The QB Carousel and the Big Finish

Brian: Exhibit 154A as to why we don't get too emotionally invested in recruiting ...


The big news from Thursday was that Boston College's QB commit in the class of 2010 Joe Boisture decommitted from BC and signed with Michigan State. Apparently word isn't bond.

... The Spartans reportedly have added quarterback Joe Boisture to their 2010 recruiting class. According to Scout.com, Boisture switched his commitment from Boston College to Michigan State, giving head coach Mark Dantonio another solid in-state prospect

Boisture grew up in Saline, Mich., and his grandfather, Dan, coached at Michigan State under Duffy Daugherty.

An ESPNU 150 Watch List prospect, Boisture has excellent size (6-foot-6, 200) and polished mechanics."

This decommit comes after the Eagles signed Dave Shinskie and Maryland QB Josh Bordner. The Eagles now have Shinskie, Tuggle, Boek, Flutie, Marscovetra in the mix for 09 and Bordner in 10. Jeff, your thoughts?

Jeff: No offense to Flutie or Marscovetra but you are only even mentioning them to make a mockery of the situation. If you looked at any program any year that did not have a returning starter you could come up with a similar number of recruited QBs.

Brian: Maybe a little bit but I disagree that this situation is like any other year where we haven't named a starting quarterback going into the summer. The coaching staff is certainly taking the approach of throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks in terms of determining the QB of the future. Under Tom O'Brien and even Jags, I felt like the starting QB succession was much more well-defined.

Jeff: I'm not comparing the situation to BC in the last ten years, but other BCS programs who have not have a clear cut QB to replace a graduating or drafted one. USC has had three man races several times in the last few years, for example.

Boisture leaving before he ever came sucks but it is really not a very big deal. You and BCMike are very, very sad I'm sure since you were already planning his 2013 Heisman campaign and booking rooms for the Orange Bowl but the bottom line is that our program has been built on unheralded recruits and will continue to be built on these types of recruits. The Floridas, USCs, and LSUs of the world get big time recruits regularly that don't pan out. They just get enough of them such that if half of those recruits are busts, it's no big deal. The signing of Bordner may have changed things for Boisture but the coaches probably considered his potential reaction and decided to sign another QB anyway. Therefore, I think fans were much higher on Boisture as BC's future than the people in the know ever were.

Brian: There is a huge difference between recruits not panning out - e.g. transferring, getting suspended or kicked off the team - and recruits changing their verbal commitment from one program to another. I'm sorry, but how many 4 or 5* recruits switch their commitment from USC, Texas, Ohio State or Florida? My guess is not many. I don't really care about Joe Boisture specifically (although no hard feelings, wish him well, etc.). I think the larger issue is that a highly rated recruit switched his commitment from Boston College to go to another BCS program. Just when the program seems to be making strides forward in recruiting, this feels to be to be a step backwards.

From everything I read, the coaching staff was open with Boisture about the recruitment of Bordner and Shinskie, but you have to question why we are bringing on more and more quarterback recruits if you have an ESPNU Top 150 recruit locked down. I know Boisture explained that this wasn't a factor in decommitting but this had to have had some effect on the kid.

Jeff: Verbals changing is just the way of the world these days. No big deal. Finally, when do I get to say I told you so?

Brian: For what? Because Joe Boisture didn't pan out? That's a really tough position to take to say a QB recruit won't pan out there, buddy. Forgive me for getting excited for having signed a 4* quarterback that compared himself to Matt Ryan.

Jeff: I said he might not even ever come to the Heights.

Big Finish

Jeff: Earlier this week Eagle in Atlanta mentioned Clemson in a way to be considered an equal with Notre Dame as far as a game that will sell tickets at Alumni. Thoughts?

Brian: Clemson travels well but will never, ever come close to Notre Dame in terms of the number of visiting fans traveling, the premium tickets to the Notre Dame game will go for or the buzz around campus and around Boston.


Brian: Providence College's men's basketball coach Keno Davis announced via Twitter - your favorite - that BC and PC renewed their basketball rivalry for the next 10 years. You like the move?

Jeff: This was actually a good use of Twitter. Celebrities and coaches having Twitter accounts (instead of blogs) I have no problem with.

Brian: I was asking more whether you like the renewal of the Providence series, not for you to bash Twitter. It's a great series and a good move.

Jeff: Oh yeah, good move for sure. North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough went a little higher than expected in this week's NBA Draft (13th overall to the Pacers). Surprised?

Brian: No, not particularly given he was a dominant college player. Still I wonder how his skills will translate in the pros.


Brian: This comes as no surprise to you but Tyrese Rice went undrafted in Thursday's NBA Draft. Will he sign with an NBA team this season?

Jeff: I am guessing that he will at some point but not necessarily make a roster.


Jeff: 6'2", 18 year-old Chris Kreider of Phillips Academy-Andover (Mass.) is a BC men's hockey recruit taken 19th overall by your New York Rangers in this weekend's NHL Entry Draft. You excited?

Brian: Absolutely. I've always been jealous when looking across the Hudson and seeing Gionta and Clemmensen do great things for the Devils organization. I'm glad the Rangers grabbed a BC guy. I just hope York can keep him at school for a couple of years and he doesn't pull a Petrecki.


Brian: The New York Time's Quad blog has Wake Forest coming in at 69 in their preseason countdown. They predict a 6-6 season for the Deacons. Over/under 6 wins for Jim Grobe and Wake Forest?

Jeff: Smart money is on a push but I am actually going to say under since pushing is unmanly. Their out of conference schedule did lighten up slightly by not have Ole Miss again this year but a home tilt against Stanford and a road trip to Annapolis could be losses.


Jeff: Last one, the ACC & SEC blog has ten questions for the ACC in 2009. For BC, they ask "What will it take for BC to make it three straight ACC Championship Game appearances?" Your response?

Brian: Divine intervention.

Mail Time: U-S-A, U-S-A!

Behold! A soccer post.

We got this in the mailbox the other day from our good friend Raj ...

From: Raj
To: BCI

Subject: Ummm

How does Charlie Davies not get a shout out on BCI? For a goal in the amazing 3-0 victory over Egypt. Which capped an amazing/lucky string of games to have them in the semifinal of the Confederations Cup against Spain. I'm predicting a 4-1 Spain victory.

Here is our mea culpa. Big DAP to Charlie Davies for not only scoring a sick, first goal in the US's 3-0 win over Egypt, but also for setting up the game-winner against Spain in the Confederations Cup semifinal. Not so sure about that semifinal prediction though, Raj. Oops.

In case you missed Charlie Davies goal and the US's first goal ...

USA 1, Egypt 0

USA 1, Spain 0

Good luck to Davies and the rest of the US Men's National Team as they try to complete their improbable run in the Confederations Cup Sunday against the winner of Brazil / South Africa (in progress).

Toss Up: Offseason Football Musings, Outdoor Hockey and Rice's Draft Stock

Jeff and I tackle some of the offseason storylines and other random thoughts on our minds today in a game of Toss Up.


Toss Up - Which school will win more games in football this season - My old school or my new school?

Jeff: Your new school is going to go 5-2 at home and 2-3 on the road. Northwestern misses Ohio State but still has Penn State and Wisconsin at home with Purdue, Michigan State, Iowa and Illinois on the road. Northwestern is an improving program but I see them winning a few less games this year than last year. Your new school is just happy to go to a bowl. BC meanwhile should win 8 games this year.

Brian: Jeff, you have it all backwards. At the risk of instantly sounding like a homer (trust me, there is literally no Northwestern school spirit in the grad programs here so this isn't the case), Northwestern will win more games than BC this year. One team has a much easier schedule, plays in a weaker conference, and has a returning senior quarterback under center. The other team plays in a better conference, has a tougher schedule and has to play arguably the best program in the conference (Virginia Tech) as opposed to missing the best team in the Big Ten (Ohio State). Northwestern will breeze to a 4-0 record out of conference with wins over Towson, Eastern Michigan, at Syracuse, and Miami (OH). Then in conference, the Cats will beat Minnesota and Indiana at home and Purdue and Illinois on the road. They will likely lose to Penn State at home and Iowa and Michigan State on the road. I would chalk the home Wisconsin game up as a toss up. That gets Northwestern to 8-4 or 9-3 on the year.

While I am ever the BC optimist, I think there is just way too much offseason turmoil to overcome for the Eagles to get to 8 or 9 wins. I would be doing cartwheels if we get to 7-5 or 8-4, but I think that a 5-7 or 6-6 season is more in the cards for Boston College this season. Early prediction for wins? Let's say Northeastern, Kent State, Wake Forest, Central Michigan, at Virginia, at Maryland.

Also, Northwestern's HC Pat Fitzgerald just got a contract extension through 2015. The short-term future in Evanston looks bright. And I would never bet against a QB named Kafka.


Toss Up - How do you like your BC vs. BU hockey games? Inside or outside?

Brian: I like the outdoors game as a novelty game to be held once every few years. But if this becomes a yearly event, I'm not too sold on that idea. I will say that I love the idea of an outdoor game for this season - since we've been calling for this for some time - but remember this likely would be a league game and would count in the final Hockey East standings. What would be cooler in my opinion is to have one of the Beanpot tournaments held outdoors since those games don't count towards the regular season Hockey East crown. Either that, or have the City of Boston host a winter tournament outdoors.

Jeff: Outside for sure. It looks like we are getting something that we wanted. BC is going to play at Fenway Park. The truly sad thing would be though is that now we are going to play this marquee hockey game maybe the football team will make a major bowl and Eagles have a conflict of interest and attendance at both the bowl and the hockey game are hurt as a result. You would consider making the trip to Fenway, right?

Brian: Of course.


Toss Up - 2009 Notre Dame Football - BCS bowl bound or Not?

Brian: Not this year for the Irish. Dr. Saturday nicely lays out the case for the Irish's BCS hopes, and I tend to agree with him. I see the Irish going 8-4 or 9-3 this year and missing out on a BCS at-large berth. With the schedule being as light as it is this year, I don't believe 9-3 gets them in. Quick glance at the schedule makes me think the Irish have 5 automatic wins (Nevada, at Michigan, at Purdue, Washington, Washington State), 2 sure losses (USC and Michigan State) and 5 toss up games, including the Eagles matchup with the Irish. Don't sleep on an improving Stanford team, who nearly knocked off the Irish in South Bend last season. I can see the Irish adding 3 more wins to the regular season win total from a season ago, but +4 in the win column will be too much for Irish fans to ask. The Irish will play in a very good bowl - perhaps the Gator Bowl - but will fall short of the BCS this season.

Jeff: Very very sadly, I have to say right now that ND is going to a BCS bowl this year. ND has such a weak schedule that they could lose to BC and USC and still go to a BCS game. BC has beaten the Irish before in years that they have gone to a BCS bowl. If ND beats BC this year I would say almost with certainty that they will be playing in a BCS Bowl and if BC beats Notre Dame, there is still a decent chance that they go on to a BCS Bowl.


Toss Up - Which do you prefer - Playing rivalry games or cupcakes after bye weeks?

Jeff: I hate BC's schedule as far as where the bye weeks fall this year. We know that we open with Northeastern which is probably a good thing considering the uncertainties that have developed with this team. Then our bye week falls after the Central Michigan game (on October 31) and before the Eagles' trip to Charlottesville. Central Michigan is not a bad team but it is still a game we should win and it is a meaningless out of conference game. Then Virginia is possibly the weakest ACC team we play and they are also a Coastal opponent which is far less important than an Atlantic Division game. I would much prefer at least one of our bye weeks lead up to the Florida State, Clemson, Notre Dame or the Virginia Tech games.

Brian: I'm not going to get too worked up about where the bye week falls this season as the college football season only has one bye week for most teams (12 games in a 13 week period). Northwestern doesn't even have the benefit of a bye week this season as they play their 12 regular season games in 12 weeks and end before Thanksgiving.

Going back to 2006, the Eagles have won every game while coming off the bye week. (In 2005, we lost to a nationally ranked Virginia Tech team on a Thursday night after having the previous Saturday off.) I would expect that trend to continue this season with a win at Virginia. If forced to pick though, I would say that I'd rather play a lesser opponent after a bye week rather than a rival or a strong opponent. The Eagles always seem to get up to play teams like Virginia Tech or Notre Dame, and the luxury of having a week off before playing these teams can I think be to the detriment of the team. The team starts to overthink the matchup, etc. In my opinion, I'm happy playing lesser opponents after the bye week instead of a strong opponent.


Last one, Toss Up - Will Rice get drafted tonight?

Brian: Yes. He'll be a mid-to-late second rounder. Even though the draft is heavy on point guard talent this season, Rice is a good enough pure shooter than he will get drafted tonight. The only mark against him is that it's unclear what position he'll play in the pros since he is a bit undersized as a shooting guard. Still, I think a team will take a chance on Rice.

Jeff: I am sticking by my prediction that he will not be drafted but I am hoping that he will or if he goes undrafted that he will be picked up by an NBA team.