BCI Debates: Most Anticipated Boston College Football Game

Laura: So, since we’re nearing football season, any thoughts about your most (or least) anticipated games this year?

Curtis: The game I am definitely most excited for is the red bandana game against Clemson in October. Clemson, like last year, will be way more vulnerable and an upset win over them in the middle of the season would do amazing things for this team. I already know how great that atmosphere is going to be if the BC team is as good as we expect them to be.

Joe: I thought Duke was the red bandana game?

Curtis; Nope. Duke is on a Friday night on ESPN but is not the RB game.

Laura: Choices are always made when they schedule the Red Bandana game. But that’s an issue for another day.

Arthur: It’s a lost cause to argue at this point, the department will do what it’ll do with this game.

Laura: I mean it’s always been a lost cause to argue lol. But I derailed the convo, back to games you’re excited for!
I personally am excited for the Rutgers game because I get approximately 10 emails a day about it since I got degrees at BC and Rutgers and I would like those emails to stop. #1 football fan.

Joe: I think the Rutgers game has the potential to be a real tone-setter; if BC is going to have a chance to improve off of the .500ish range, that’s obviously a game that they should expect to win at home. But unlike some past early games it’s no joke, Rutgers is at least a legitimate opponent and challenge right off the bat on day one - we will probably learn a lot pretty quickly about the team from that game, they won’t be able to just go vanilla like they’re playing Colgate or UMass. Given the regional rivalryish aspect too, it should be a pretty good atmosphere, it’s usually nice weather, etc etc - that ought to be a fun game.

Niraj: Gotta beat those P2 (lol) teams when you can.

Joe: I can’t really say there’s a particular game i’m ‘least’ looking forward to — right now I’m really looking forward to them all, unless and until my bubble gets burst and things start going sideways, y’know? I think my #take on answering this question is that I’m not very excited that the first month of the season involves difficult away venues at both VT and FSU. Ideally you want to come out of September with some momentum, but in order to have that you’re probably gonna have to win one of those games - and neither is a small feat.

Curtis: A reason why Clemson is such an interesting game this year, for reasons outside of the Red Bandana atmosphere, is that they lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators this offseason. The loss of Brent Venables in particular is a huge blow to Clemson’s defense and we have no idea how the team will look with Dabo’s new staff. Depending on how that goes, it could be a brand new era of ACC football.

Arthur: I think Va. Tech will be a good test game for BC. It’s a tough road game and it’s a decent in conference opponent. Good opportunity to see what BC’s got.

Curtis: I think so too, but Virginia Tech also has the capacity to be a pretty bad team this year. A brand new head coach taking over after a disappointing 6-6 season could go in a variety of ways for the Hokies.

Joe: What is our record at VT since 2007? I feel like it’s pretty bad and we get croaked there a lot. So I would circle that one regardless of how the Hokies are expected to be.
I looked it up… 2-4. Kind of better than I expected? But yes, some bad blowout Ls in there including 40-14 in 2020.

Niraj: All good points and games I look forward to as well. As for the rest of the season, I’m eyeing NC State in what I’m hoping will be billed as a Phil Jurkovec v Devin Leary, which QB gets taken first battle. Both guys are in a pretty big group of potential first round quarterbacks, and a game like this will help showcase. Of course this is my optimistic take that both teams are going to be good that late in the season as well. We also won’t see them again until 2025 so there’s that.
Assuming college football as we know it still exists...

Curtis: Yes, NC State could be an absolute force this year and getting them late in the season could be huge if they live up to expectations. At that point NCSU could be ranked and trying to clinch the ACC Atlantic. If only they were coming to Alumni for that one!

Grant: Mmm, I’ve heard this story before. The annual “NC State is going to be great this year; no, for real this time!”

Laura: “I think I’ve seen this film before, and I didn’t like the ending.”

Arthur: NC State is Texas with like a fraction of the fan base or expectations. Or history. Or general program good-ness.

Grant: It’s just like Texas except not in any way whatsoever.

Arthur: Well, from the standpoint of having high expectations that they never, ever, ever meet.
You know what game we haven’t talked about? Notre Dame. I’m going to be an optimist and say this will be a good year which means BC will have a chance to upset Notre Dame at their place. That’s exciting.