Brian: The Eagles and Hokies have met 18 times in the last 17 seasons, and every year since 1993 except for 2004 -- the year that the Hokies, along with the Hurricanes joined the ACC as the conference's tenth and eleventh members. The series was pretty lopsided while both programs were members of the Big East, with the Hokies winning eight of their first 11 meetings with the Eagles. Since both programs joined the ACC, however, the Eagles have gotten the better of the Hokies in the regular season, holding a slim 3-2 edge over Tech in the regular season.
Given that the Eagles have made the series more competitive while in the ACC, David Teel writes that BC and Virginia Tech is a perfect example of how the ACC got the cross-over rivalries right. Hindsight is of course 20/20, but would you agree? Do you think that Virginia Tech was the correct choice to serve as the Eagles cross-division rival?
Jeff: Absolutely. This was probably one of the easiest choices for the league. Miami and Florida State were going to be rivals so that left BC and Virginia Tech as the two remaining former Big East members. Putting them against each other rather than putting Virginia Tech and Virginia in separate divisions and making them rivals then searching for BC's new rival was the best choice for BC.
Brian: This year will be the earliest the Eagles have faced the Hokies on the schedule. Over the past five years as a member of the ACC, BC has always faced the Hokies during the regular season in the month of October -- as early as October 10 (last season) and as late as October 27 (in 2005). And of course, there are those two meetings in December which we will not speak of.
With many other college football rivalries, there is a set weekend where every year, you can look forward to a matchup between two rival programs. There are your annual rivalry games played at the end of the regular season (Florida State-Florida, Georgia Tech-Georgia, Clemson-South Carolina, Alabama-Auburn, Michigan-Ohio State, Virginia-Virginia Tech, etc.). But there are also your scheduled mid-season rivalry games, played on the same weekend year in and year out. There's the Third Saturday in September (Florida-Tennessee), the Third Saturday in October (Tennessee-Alabama) and the Red River Shootout, which coincides with the Texas State Fair during the second weekend of October.
How about moving BC-Virginia Tech to a set weekend on the schedule? What do you think of this idea? Or do you like the fact that the game with the Hokies moves around annually on the schedule? Your thoughts?
Jeff: I actually like that they have moved this game to the front of the schedule. If Eagles-Hokies were going to be a set Saturday every year, the fourth week of the season sounds good to me. Boston College vs. Virginia Tech is the only repeat matchup in the ACC Championship Game so I would prefer to have their two meetings in the same season as far apart as possible should this occur again.
Big Finish
Brian: If BC football ever went back to Ireland, who would you like to see the Eagles up against? Notre Dame? Navy? Someone else?
Jeff: If they went back to Ireland, I would prefer a non-Notre Dame game because I enjoy attending the Notre Dame game myself and would not make the trip.
Jeff: Who was the better pickup this week for Coach Donahue -- 6-3 Lonnie Jackson or 6-8 Ryan Anderson?
Brian: Time will tell but you gotta like Donahue bringing in some height, no?
Brian: BC kicker Nate Freese is a perfect 5-for-5 on field goal attempts this season, including 4 in the Kent State game. Does he stay perfect after this weekend? #Freese4Groza
Jeff: You don't talk about a perfect game in the middle of it!
Jeff: How much does Claiborne being out hurt us tomorrow?
Brian: I expect you'll see Claiborne still play tomorrow. I don't think it will have that big of an impact on the game though.
Brian: BC is now 0-6 against the spread in their last six games. I thought Eagles football traditionally flies under the radar. What's up with that?
Jeff: BC is 13-13 in their last 26 games. I guess Vegas caught up with us.
Jeff: If we lose tomorrow, it will be because of Virginia Tech's #5 converting on third down. Correct?
Brian: I think BC loses if they can't apply pressure to Tyrod Taylor. Make him uncomfotable early, exposing one of Virginia Tech's point of weaknesses thus far -- the Tech O line.
Brian: Last one. HD is predicting a 14-10 Eagles victory. Reverse jinx? Who you got in this one? What's the final score?
Jeff: I think that prediction is a little low scoring and since everyone is expecting a close game, it will probably be lopsided.
Pick 5
Last week, Brian went 4-1 while Jeff went 2-3 to narrow Jeff's three game lead back down to one. On the year, Jeff is 8-7 while Brian is 7-8. ATL's Lock of the Week is 2-0, though he "conveniently" didn't get a pick in in week 1.
Brian:
Virginia Tech at Boston College +4
N.C. State at Georgia Tech -8
Army at Duke -6.5
Wake Forest at Florida State -19
Oregon -11.5 at Arizona State
Jeff:
Alabama -7 at Arkansas
Stanford at Notre Dame +4.5
North Carolina -2 at Rutgers
Kentucky at Florida -14
West Virginia at LSU -10
Brian is on campus this weekend for the game. Follow us @bcinterruption. Go Eagles!