Boston College Football: ACC Releases 2013 Football Schedule

We knew the opponents. Well, we thought we knew all the opponents. Now we have dates to go along with those opponents. And not a moment too soon.

On Monday, the ACC announced the 2013 composite football schedule (and logo schedule, which is the new helmet schedule, apparently), including all 12 Boston College football games for this season. The Eagles have just six home games this season -- Villanova (Aug. 31), Wake Forest (Sep. 6), Florida State (Sep. 28), Army (Oct. 5), Virginia Tech (Nov. 2) and N.C. State (Nov. 16). Road trips to USC (Sep. 14), Clemson (Oct. 12), North Carolina (Oct. 26), New Mexico State (Nov. 9), Maryland (Nov. 23) and Syracuse (Nov. 30).

Here is the Eagles' complete 2013 schedule:

Aug. 31 -- VILLANOVA WILDCATS

Sep. 6 -- WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS* (Friday 8 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2)
Sep. 14 -- @ USC Trojans
Sep. 21 -- BYE
Sep. 28 -- FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES*

Oct. 5 -- ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS
Oct. 12 -- @ Clemson Tigers*
Oct. 19 -- BYE
Oct. 26 -- @ North Carolina Tar Heels*

Nov. 2 -- VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES*
Nov. 9 -- @ New Mexico St. Aggies
Nov. 16 -- N.C. STATE WOLFPACK*
Nov. 23 -- @ Maryland Terrapins*
Nov. 30 -- @ Syracuse Orange*

* ACC games, All CAPS home games

A few initial thoughts below. Leave your own in the comments section.

-- Happy to see Villanova replace Stony Brook to open the season. I'm not a huge fan of these FBS vs. FCS games so if you are going to do it, do it right by pairing two former Catholic rivals against one another. The two schools played each other every year from 1955-1980 before Villanova dropped football following the 1980 season. The program was restarted in 1985 as a Division III program and moved to the CAA in 2007. Nova is one of BC's top 10 cross-application competitors. Game makes a lot of sense. Now that a win over Villanova counts towards bowl eligibility, this game should be played more often.

-- The Villanova-Wake Forest start to the year is about as good as Addazio could have hoped for in his first year at the the helm of the Eagles football program. Even if BC comes back down to Earth in week 3, matching last season's win total in the first two games of the season would be a huge confidence boost to the team.

-- BC does get an extra day before the road game at USC in week 3. We'll need it.

-- The first bye week comes in week 4 following the trip to Los Angeles to take on the Trojans. The Eagles get an extra week off before facing defending ACC champ Florida State at home, though I'm not sure how useful that will turn out. Florida State hosts Bethune-Cookman on September 21 the week before traveling to Chestnut Hill.

-- Only one home game in October, the October 5 game against Army. Following that game, BC goes to Clemson, has an off week and to North Carolina. I like the placement of the second bye as the game at Carolina will be one of BC's tougher conference games this season.

-- When the schedule turns to November, the Eagles finish the year with five games in five weeks. BC hosts cross-divisional rival Virginia Tech at home for the second time in as many seasons on November 2. The following week, BC travels to Las Cruces to take on the newly independent New Mexico State Aggies.

-- I continue to be baffled by the decision to go to New Mexico State this season. Even if it's part of a later return trip by the Aggies, what is the point of this series? Just seems like a decision that was rushed as there were plenty of other FBS programs that became available after BC and N.M. State inked the deal.

-- What I initially consider to be a poor decision is now compounded by the fact that BC jumps right back into ACC Atlantic Division play the following week when the Eagles host N.C. State. Unlike the cross-country trip to USC, the Eagles don't have the luxury of having an extra week off before jumping right back into ACC Atlantic Division play this time. To be clear, New Mexico State is no USC, but this just seems like a late-season cross-country trip that could have been avoided (as well as one less Boston College home game for season ticket sales).

-- BC hits the road for the final two weeks of the season, going to Maryland in what is likely the last ever meeting between the Eagles and Terrapins, followed by the BC-Syracuse rivalry game over Thanksgiving weekend. I'll miss all the football wins over the Terps.

-- Overall, this seems to be a very balanced schedule with the best programs on the schedule distributed throughout the year. USC and Florida State in September, Clemson and North Carolina in October and Virginia Tech in early November. The schedule eases a bit towards the end so hopefully BC is within striking distance of returning to a bowl game by the time the @ New Mexico State game rolls around.

Coach Addazio would like to have a word with you, prospective season ticket holder: