2015 Boston College Football Season Preview Roundtable Part II: Games To Watch

Part II of the roundtable focuses on big games to look out for this fall.

1. What's one game where you could see BC unexpectedly knocking someone off for an upset win? And which game has the potential to be the "WTF Loss" fans rue in the offseason?

Dan Rubin, BC Interruption

Everyone seems to think BC is capable of beating Florida State this year, and fans tend to buy into a win over Notre Dame because of the rivalry. So I'm going off of those two and saying it would be a real upset if BC beat Louisville. The Cardinals are a solid team top to bottom, but they have issues at quarterback. BC lost last year simply because they didn't have a good enough passing game. Tyler Murphy went 9-for-20 with four interceptions. By the time BC plays the Cards, even though it's on the road, I believe the Eagle offensive line will be gelled, and there will really be a chemistry. I think Louisville is just poor enough to lose a game unexpectedly, much like last year to Virginia. And I think the game comes at the right time—Louisville will be coming off a game against FSU, while BC will be coming off a game against Clemson that I don't think will be very close at all.

In terms of a loss, NIU is the sexy pick there because of what happened last year against Colorado State. Northern Illinois is also historically a 10-win team. But I think BC could be in trouble against Wake Forest this year. The Deacs have a good enough defense to keep them in and eventually steal a game or two, as long as the offense isn't nearly as bad as last year. Since it's not humanly possible to play that poorly two years in a row, I waltz into that Wake game fearing the team could be looking past them to Clemson.

AJ Black, BC Interruption

Upset win? I've said it all year, Florida State. With the turnover and turmoil they have had over the past season they are prime for a loss somewhere. They have talent up and down the roster, but they have had that the last two years, and BC almost knocked them off twice. I think in front of an amped up crowd at home on a Friday night it may lead to a stunning win.

Upsetting loss? NIU. Now I know this isn't really considered an upset, but a dynamic offense like that against a young secondary is a little scary. I worry that this has Colorado State Pt. 2 written all over it.

Rich Thompson, Boston Herald

For an upset win, Virginia Tech. For a surprising loss, Wake Forest.

John Fidler, BC Interruption

Surprise upset: North Carolina State. NC State is a trendy pick for a sleeper in the league but has really looked awful through the years in any game at BC. I think though that most BC fans are looking at NC State as a win anyway but the Eagles won't be favored...a mild upset

Surprising loss: Wake Forest. Although to be honest, I don't think BC drops a game this year they shouldn't. Wake is not a good team, but a year older and has played BC tough regardless of the location or the situation.

Grant Salzano, BC Interruption

Florida State seems like the obvious candidate for upset win. They're not what they were the last two years, and we'd given them their best game of the year when they were on top. Plus we're at home. I feel like most of the group will pick them as the upset win, and for a reason.

Surprise upset loss is harder. Other than the FCS teams, no one "below" is is really at a level that I would consider an embarrassing upset, so it wouldn't surprise me at all to lose to someone like Syracuse or Wake. NIU is probably a peer school at this point so that wouldn't be an upset. I guess if you were force me to give an answer, I would go with Cuse on the road.

Eric Hoffses, EagleAction

WTF Loss I think is Northern Illinois, coming in right after the FSU game. They're supposed to be pretty solid this year. For an upset win, I'm going to pick a home game and go with Virginia Tech. Vegas-wise, I don't know if that's going to be a huge upset, but VT, based on the preview magazines, is supposed to be a top 20 team this season, so that could be an upset. BC seems to play them well.

Brian Favat, Blogfather Emeritus

Saturday, October 31 vs. Virginia Tech. For some reason, Virginia Tech is a pick to once again climb the top of the Coastal Division and play in the ACC Championship Game. Surprising upset of Ohio State aside, this really hasn't been the same Hokies program that's dominated the conference for the better part of a decade. Folks forget that it's Boston College, not Virginia Tech, that's won the last two in the series, including a 33-31 win in Blacksburg last year. I like BC's chances of springing the upset once again this season on the Heights on Halloween.

Possible surprise upset loss is tough, because BC's not going to be favored in many of these games this year. Let's go with Saturday, September 26 at home vs. Northern Illinois. That game is in a tough spot, a week after the Friday night game vs. Florida State and a week before a road game at Duke. It's Parents Weekend against a MACrifice so the crowd will be light. NIU is talented but that's a game BC should win (look what happened when NIU played on the road against another power run team last year). But the game is at a point in the year almost identical to the Colorado State game last year. The Huskies could easily surprise.

Joe Gravellese, BC Interruption

My upset pick will probably be the most-picked one, and that's Florida State. The ingredients seem to be there for it to be a trap game for FSU. They're obviously a more loaded team talent-wise, but BC plays them tough and will surely give them a hell of a fight. BC will be coming off a pair of games that should, knock on wood, be nothing more than tuneups, really—so they should be able to get really cranked up for the game. I feel good about that one.

WTF loss is difficult. NIU will be the trendy pick, but I'm not going to put them into the WTF category just because they're a MAC team; they're clearly very good, and will likely be at least receiving top 25 votes all year. I wouldn't be surprised if they come in as a Top 25 team. I'd like to think we won't have one that counts as a WTF but let's be honest, most teams do every year. I think I'm going to say at Duke. Which again, is a difficult choice, because Duke is pretty good, but when you stack up the games you expect to win or lose, a lot of BC fans will chalk that one up as a W. But that won't be an easy game on the road.

2. Regardless of whether you think BC will win or lose, what's one game you're most looking forward to watching this fall?

Dan Rubin, BC Interruption

About 12 years ago, I owned a t-shirt that said, "It's more than just a game. It's ND."

The Notre Dame rivalry meant everything back then, one of those games you would get out of a hospital bed for if you were sick. It's not the same anymore thanks to scheduling and college realignment, but every time that leprechaun is on the schedule, my adrenaline pumps a little bit harder and I get more intense than for the other 11 games. There's something so familiar about staring across the sideline and hearing the Notre Dame victory march that just gets me, well, WIRED for a game.

I don't care about the price of the tickets, the location, the venue, or anything else. I don't care about the politics of it all. All I care about is the logo on the other side of the stadium. It's Notre Dame. That's enough for me.

AJ Black, BC Interruption

The game I am looking forward to watching the most has to be Notre Dame. ND is being hyped again, and all the Sully's and Fitzy's will be at Fenway, loaded with beer which should be really annoying. If BC can smack them in the face, that would be beautiful.

Rich Thompson, Boston Herald

The Notre Dame game at Fenway Park.

John Fidler, BC Interruption

Notre Dame. Not only will the game get a lot of publicity and conceivably will have a lot on the line for both teams, but with the game so late in the year, it will be a great measuring stick of the progress of the program.

Grant Salzano, BC Interruption

It's hard not to pick Notre Dame. New Guy was talking about them like they are in the hunt for the national title (http://www.bcinterruption.com/boston-college-football-notre-dame-2015-fenway-park-shamrock-series/2015/8/11/9121671/2015-boston-college-opponent-previews-notre-dame-fighting-irish), and by then there's hope that our young OL might be clicking. If Notre Dame struts into Boston undefeated, there will be very few Eagles fans who won't have that game on TV.

Brian Favat, Blogfather Emeritus

Saturday, October 17 @ Clemson. I'll be heading down to South Carolina for my first and probably only Eagles game of the year this year. I've made the trip in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2013. The every-other-year trip to Death Valley has become THE Boston College road game to attend each year. This year should be no exception.

Joe Gravellese, BC Interruption

I'll take the Friday night home game against FSU. For many reasons, the home night game against USC last year was incredibly special and the atmosphere surrounding it is unlikely to be repeated for a long time. But it was such an incredible time, and I'd love to experience something resembling that this year. FSU presents the best chance. Great opponent, night game, and an early chance for BC to surprise some people.