Brian: Coach Spaziani has been quoted as saying he feels the Eagles have made progress in every game this season:
"We made progress every week and we certainly couldn’t have had the success later on in the year if we played like we did early in the year," he said. "We got better. And we learned, too. We were able to manage our way through it. We learned more about our players, and what we had to do, and what they were good at, what they weren’t good at it, what we were asking them to do, why we were asking them to do it. It was just a whole process. And we kept getting better for the most part -- as a team we did."
Do you agree? And do you expect any Eagles’ progress in the game on Saturday to propel BC over ‘SC? Your thoughts?
Jeff: You can certainly say that certain players or groups improved every week this season but I don't know how you could've watched the North Carolina game and thought that we improved as a whole that week from the week before. Beating Virginia was a nice win on the road but we followed that up with a terrible loss at home against North Carolina. UNC was not one of the best teams in the conference and it was at home. I do anticipate us seeing progress being made leading in the bowl game just as the Eagles' showed in the Tom O'Brien years. There is no possible reason for a letdown against USC and BC has shown in recent history that it uses the extra weeks of practice wisely.
Brian: BC certainly regressed in the North Carolina game and didn't exactly show much progress down the stretch in their final three games. I hope that the Eagles will show improvement from those final three games, but I'm not sure that will be enough to beat the Trojans. The USC defense will likely focus on Montel Harris and make Shinskie beat them through the air. Hopefully Rich Gunnell, Justin Jarvis and Clarence Megwa can end their career on a high note and help the Eagles get the win.
Big Finish
Brian: How much worse would the ACC be if Clemson bolted to the SEC and they dropped BC in favor of ECU and Navy. This is a joke, right?
Jeff: It is a joke. Don't believe everything you read.
Jeff: Forbes released its list of college football’s most valuable teams for 2009 and not one ACC program makes the list. Your thoughts?
Brian: No wonder no one pays any attention to ACC football.
Brian: ACCSports.com’s Jim Young has the Eagles penciled in as the Atlantic Division favorites in 2010. Is this a good thing, or should we be concerned given his preseason prediction track record?
Jeff: Let's be happy and take any recognition we can get. It can't hurt recruiting.
Jeff: BC basketball beat UMass by 12 last night. Feeling better about the basketball team now?
Brian: Nope. Still a long way to go for BC.
Brian: Destination: Omaha named the NCAA Regional game between BC and Texas the No. 1 collegiate baseball game to remember this decade. Big deal? Or just a recency bias?
Jeff: Big deal. That game put BC baseball on the map and continues to. Perfect time to break ground on a new stadium.
Jeff: There are over 1,000 tickets available on Stubhub right now for the Emerald Bowl. What are your expectations for attendance?
Brian: About the same number of people as attended when we went in 2003.
Brian: Last one, I’ve sold the rights to my prediction on this game to Conquest Chronicles. Who you got in this one? What’s the final score?
Jeff: What's USC gonna bring? Let's hope not their A-game. Boston College 30, USC 24.