Could 5-7 and a bowl appearance save Steve Addazio?

What a difference one win can make.

After the home loss to Syracuse, even those of us over here on team sunshine and rainbows felt like another 0-8 ACC season was in the cards. That made it extraordinarily hard to believe reports that Steve Addazio would be safe no matter what happens the rest of this season.

Despite BC’s uncertain administrative situation, and despite the amount of money remaining on Steve Addazio’s contract, it would be hard to justify keeping a coach after two straight winless ACC seasons. If people like Eagle in Atlanta and our own Eric Hoffses are to be believed, there are members of the Board of Trustees pushing for Addazio’s ouster if he does not get to six wins and a bowl berth this season.

Getting to six wins will be tough, as it would require another ACC victory - likely a road victory at that, unless BC manages to beat Louisville on Saturday. But could there be a loophole that helps everyone save face and push this conversation in to 2017?

As anyone who follows college football knows, there are approximately eleventy billion bowl games, and in recent seasons, there have not been enough 6-win teams to fill every spot. That means bowl waivers have been granted to 5-7 teams, granted on the basis of Academic Progress Rate... a metric by which BC does well.

Most bowl projections this week have BC in the mix, which AJ will discuss later today. With UConn at home on the schedule in a few weeks’ time, the Eagles have a very good chance of picking up another win and ending at least at 5-7.

Whether you like it or not, two more wins and a 6-6 record would certainly fend off any of the BC influencers who want to oust Addazio. Between the uncertain AD situation, the amount of money owed, and the idea that three wins in the back half of the season could bode well for growth and momentum heading in to next season, a 6-win campaign would definitely bring Dazzler & Co. back in 2017.

But 5-7? Well, then you’re getting in to gray area. Should BC back their way in to a bowl at 5-7, BC could look at the entire situation and determine a postseason appearance is reason enough to try to move things forward under Addazio rather than go back in to the uncertain world of trying to hire another new coach to turn the program around.

Retaining Addazio after a 6-6 mark would stave off many critics because of what it would mean about BC’s record down the stretch, but at 5-7, the decision to bring him back would certainly be controversial. It would mean retaining a coach that went 1-15 over the course of two seasons in ACC play.

That said, I think that’s what would happen should BC pick up another victory.

Do you think one more win saves Addazio? Should it? Do you think 6-6 is necessary? Or do you believe the reports that he’s back regardless?

We’ll get the answers to all of these questions soon enough, but for now, it’s an interesting time to speculate. One win has already made a difference, and one more could change the conversation entirely.