15. Northwestern at Boston College, Sept. 3. An intriguing game, one that would be made far less intriguing should Northwestern’s Dan Persa still be sidelined by last season’s Achilles tear. He should be ready to go by September: modern medicine at work. Yet he won’t be the dynamic dual-threat quarterback he was in 2010, at least not at first, one would think. That’s a big bonus for Boston College, which has the defense to slow down Northwestern but maintains those pesky questions on offense – a healthy Persa might provide too much spark for B.C. to overcome with its own offensive attack. Of course, B.C. can avoid any questions on offense by getting more consistent quarterback play. Easier said than done: sophomore Chase Rettig has a bright future, but he needs to produce today, not next fall, to make the offense more balanced, less one-dimensional. Non-Conference to Watch: 8-15 (Pre-Snap Read)