After finding out last week that Boston College was ranked the #101 program in all of college sports by Pre Snap Read, it got me thinking: what would it take to get BC back to a place of respectability? No I am not talking about the 9 or 10 win game seasons of the Matt Ryan era, how about 2010 with seven wins. Fellow SBNation blog, One Bronco Nation Under God, did an interesting breakdown of the Broncos schedule.
Imitation is the highest form of flattery so let's take a look at BC's schedule.
Most likely wins: As we learned last year, nothing with this team is a certainty. But I will put on the rose colored glasses of optimism here and say that games against Miami, Maine, @Army and Maryland are going to need to be certain wins. If BC wants to have a respectable season, they need to sweep these four.
Difficult Conference Games: Where to start? Clemson, Virginia Tech, and @Florida State all look like long shot wins for the Eagles. At this point it is hard to imagine BC escaping any of these games with a win.
Token Loss: @NC State. BC seems to really struggle against Tom O'Brien on the road. I hate saying they are going to lose this game, but I just have a feeling this will be a let down game for the Eagles.
Too Close To Call: BC has a handful of games they could win if they turn this ship around this season. @Northwestern is a beatable team, but the defense will have to show up this time and not allow Kain Colter to run the option to perfection. Okay, I will bite and say the Eagles come out and fire on all cylinders against Notre Dame, they usually do at home. @Wake Forest, BC almost beat the Deacons last year with almost no offense and Chris Givens ripping them to shreds. Also playing Georgia Tech on the road will be tricky, but then again if BC can put together a 2010 stout defense against the run, they could sneak away with a win.
In order for BC to go 7-5 they are going to need to win at least three of these games, two if they can pull off a win against NC State or one against VT/Clemson/FSU.
Your turn: What do you think of this possibility? Could seven wins realistically happen with this schedule? What evil things will you do if BC doesn't get to 7 wins? Share your thoughts in the comments.