Wrapping up Florida State week ...
Brian: The Florida St. Seminoles will start the 2011 season ranked in the top 5 of the USA Today Coaches poll. By the time Jimbo Fisher and the 'Noles hit the Heights, BC could still be facing a top 5 program. Florida State will beat Louisiana-Monroe and Charleston Southern. IF FSU can knock off top ranked Oklahoma at home on September 17, Florida State could conceivably be 8-0 (or 7-1) and still ranked in the top 5 in both polls heading into their big Thursday night game at BC.
The Eagles haven't hosted a top 5 opponent since #2 Miami came to campus for their 2003 game against the Eagles on September 20 (BC lost 33-14).
Here are a list of the last five home games against AP Top 5 opponents:
Sep. 20, 2003 -- Boston College vs. #2 Miami (33-14 L)
Oct. 10, 2002 -- Boston College vs. #4 Virginia Tech (28-23 L)
Nov. 10, 2001 -- Boston College vs. #1 Miami (18-7 L)
Sep. 30, 2000 -- Boston College vs. #4 Virginia Tech (48-34 L)
Nov. 26, 1993 -- #11 Boston College vs. #5 West Virginia (17-14 L)
So with the potential of a top 5 nationally ranked ACC Atlantic Division opponent hitting campus in early November, will this year's Florida State home game be the biggest BC home game of the last decade? Your thoughts?
Jeff: No, it is way to early to say this will be the biggest game at BC in the last 10 years. Does it have the potential to be? Sure. The ACC Atlantic race could be boiling down to Boston College and Florida State at this point in the season and if FSU knocks off Oklahoma early in the season and is 8-0, they have a chance to be ranked #1 and won't be any lower than #3 in the country.
Since BC played in the ACC Championship Game twice in the last four years, simply hosting a top ranked team is not enough to make the game one of the biggest of the last decade. However, it is entirely possible that the Atlantic Division shapes up as FSU's to lose. If BC can manage to only have one or no conference losses going into this game, then this Thursday night matchup will feature two ranked teams and will be the biggest game at the Heights at least of the the last three seasons. Perhaps the biggest since BC hosted FSU as the undefeated #2 team during Matt Ryan's senior season.
Big Finish
Brian: With all these conference realignment rumors swirling, would you be happy if the BC decided to pursue football independence?
Jeff: No. I agree with the school of thought that we'd fail to schedule aggressively enough.
Jeff: We haven't seen much optimism about the O-Line this season but there's plenty here. Agree?
Brian: Consistency is the key. I think moving Richman back to LG will help things quite a bit.
Brian: How stacked is the ACC for women's soccer? The women are ranked preseason #4 but were picked to finish just third in the ACC. Crazy, right?
Jeff: That is very hard to believe.
Jeff: With the first scrimmage in the books, are you feeling even better about the offense now?
Brian: Too soon to tell, though good marketing move by the school opening a scrimmage up to season ticket holders when the offense shined.
Brian: Just two Eagles were named to ESPN's preseason all-ACC team. That cool with you?
Jeff: I'm fine with that. Not surprised.
Jeff: Rettig connected on passes of at least 10 yards six times in the scrimmage, while BC had just 78 passes of 10+ yards all season. Encouraging?
Brian: You bet. I'm expecting the biggest year-over-year improvement from the receiving corps this year.
Brian: Last one. The NCAA will implement a postseason ban if a program doesn't hit the new minimum APR over a four year period. You like?
Jeff: This is a good move for sure.