This preview thinks BC will go 10-2. I love the optimism, but don't think our schedule is as easy as they do.
Mike Gambino hired his first assistant Scott Friedholm. The Providence grad has coached at Navy and Maine.
Ryan Quigley spoke with his hometown paper while coaching at a kicking camp. He seems like another good BC guy.
IMG acquired our radio rights holder ISP Sports. This probably doesn't mean a whole lot for BC. The only real synergies might come in ad sales and marketing programs when IMG puts their marketing clients in ISP's broadcasts.
Here is a decent season preview from a Virginia blog.
BC hoops recruit George Matthews is trying to decide if he should go to prep school for a year or give college a shot now.
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Looks like Spaziani views the DL as the team's major problem area. Any insights out there?
From a recent Globe article:
But Spaziani has other concerns, particularly on the defensive line where his two starting defensive tackles Kaleb Ramsey and Damik Scafe are very questionable for the start of training camp.
"Both situations are in flux,'' said Spaziani.
Scafe is dealing with a back problem, which has plagued him for most of the spring. A lack of depth in the defensive line could tilt the decision to switch wide receiver Ifenayi Momah to the defensive line, although no final decision has yet to be made.
"Our situation at defensive line is every bit as delicate as it was at QB last season,'' said Spaziani.
I agree that we have talent outside of the 4 selected for the All-ACC team but who could you say got snubbed?
The first obvious snub is actually our punter, Ryan Quigley. Quigs absolutely deserves 1st team all ACC.
I would say that it's curious that they picked Luke but not Herzy, but there's only so many pre-season accolades you can give to a guy who didn't play last year I guess.
No UNC, Ga. Tech, or Miami on the schedule. Home vs. Va Tech, ND, and Clemson. Duke back on the schedule.
Kent St. and Weber St. cupcakes.
It won't get any easier. Ever.
It all comes down to Shinskie and the DL. If Shinskie isn't atrocious, like he was on the road several times last year, and embarrassingly unprepared as he was at Blacksburg (and admitted as much), then BC will be in it until the end. Even without an improved pass rush. I'm getting uneasy, however, thinking about the 12 seconds opposing QBs will have to throw the ball without something unexpected happening on the d-line. It sounds pretty bad right now.
Piggybacking on the Kickoff Classic post earlier, the conference desperately needs UNC to beat LSU this year. UNC's defense is almost entirely draftable, so let's hope it happens. From what I understand, NC State and Tennessee are playing it in '12, and next year might bring USC to play an SEC team. We could have three years to sell 5,000 tickets. Could BC do it?
Nah, the more I think about it, there's no way BC can carry the momentum the Kickoff Classic has generated so quickly. It would generate no buzz here in the south.
We're better off trying at some point for a home-and-home vs. a 2nd-tier SEC school.
As the D-Line situation gets worse and worse, any chance Spaz toys with a 3-4 given the depth at LB?
Keuchly, Herzlich, KPL and your choice of Thompson, Clancy, Morissey or Disanzo is a set of four that would give any OC nightmares. Hell we could even set up two hockey style "lines" of 4 LBs and just rotate them in and out. Constant fresh bodies.
CT and Dan - good points about the D-Line situation. I have been worried about our depth there for awhile and broached the subject several weeks ago. Coach Spaz has now publicly acknowledged it.
This could potentially have a negative impact on our season for sure - 8-4 or 7-5 instead of 9-3 or even 10-2 going to the ACCCG in Charlotte.
The coaching staff needs to solve this problem (From CT) "I'm getting uneasy, however, thinking about the 12 seconds opposing QBs will have to throw the ball without something unexpected happening on the d-line."
For instance, does Claiborne have more chance to make the pros as
6'3" 325lb OL or DL? He began his career as DL - we sure could use his size and toughness there now!
Let's hope Bryan Murray can step in and really be effective.
Go BC.
Randy Edsall all about an annual gaem with BC, per ESPN.com chat today:
Rodney (New York City): I know the schedule is set by the AD but is there a team outside of the Big East that you would like to start an annual series against?
Randy Edsall: Yes, Boston College. I think that us playing Boston College would be a great thing for northeast football, and one that could be a big hit. I would like to see that game played in Gillette Stadium, see the tickets split 50/50, and have some kind of trophy go to the winner of that game. I'm sure the World Wide Leader would love to put it on TV.
Damn, BCI beat me to it.
But still, that series will never happen. Though the bad blood would make a compelling matchup, we should aspire to much more than a BE matchup, especially a BE matchup against UConn.
Many BC fans detest UConn because of the acrimony with the lawsuit and comments by various officials, etc. Commissioner Tranghese could have done a much better job, but he was a basketball guy.
I don't think most UCONN fans hate BC simply because we left the Big East, but think that BC is afraid to play them. There's only one way to address that issue.
I think Randy Edsall is probably a good guy, and his suggestion about an annual rivalry game makes sense. It would be good for the region and a hit both at the gate and on TV - Win/Win.
On the ESPN Blog "brodyri" is right - BC has no natural rival in the region, and really needs one. Two teams 85-90 miles apart is a natural - two different leagues, etc. (Maybe one day we'll have the Big ACC with 16 teams from Syracuse to Miami :-) - there would be a rivalry whether BC or UConn fans wanted it or not.
Coach Edsall points out that every week is a tough game in the Big East - and that's also true in the ACC. The Big East is wierd as a basketball conference, and the make up of the teams in football is strange - but I believe that it is a strong league now, and in some respects better off with BC, VT, and Miami gone.
What do you think, fellow BC fans? Coach Edsall has a point - and don't forget he was once a coach at BC under Tom Coughlin. The guy knows what he's talking about, and it's not his fault some of the CT politicians and school officials were jerks.
Let's bury the hatchets and get it on "on the field". Win/Win for attendance and TV revenue. Or we can open with Weber State while UConn opens with Michigan in Ann Arbor.
John -- are you a visitor from UConn?
seems like it.
There is no upside for BC in playing UConn. Why enhance a potential competitor for recruits and fans? I don't think the so-called "bad blood" from the BC split from the BE is the issue at all.
And really, you lose all credibility when you say the BE is better off "in some respects" without Miami, VT, and BC. It surely is not.
You are right that a UConn v BC game is much better than BC v Weber st. Yes, BC should find better opponents than Weber State, but it has done that by scheduling Syracuse -- an actual, real and historic regional rival for BC
I think UConn should acknowledge the future, and start a league/ start scheduling with other regional state schools, like UMASS, UNH, URI, UME, UVM, and SUNY albany and SUNY Buffalo.
In reply to what John said about Uconn fans I would have to say that as a BC fan that goes to every football game both home and away and have for a long time I have never been treated worse anywhere than at UCONN and after witnessing beer bottles being thrown at the BC buses,and UConn fans picking fights with any BC fan they could find, I don't blame GDF for not wanting to put them on the schedule.
I agree John. Time to bury the hatchet.
As for the pre-season predictions, I usually under-estimate BC and I'm afraid I have to do so again this year. Everyone is concerned about D-line, but I am more worried about the QB position. BC did not put up enough points last season and the QB just could not come out on top in tight games. While he will have a great O-line, depth at both running back and wide receiver are issues - and now they are talking about moving Momah to defense.
Defensively, the only real issue is the D-line. We have not been able to generate a pass rush since Kiwi and with all of the great dual-threat QB's in the ACC, I think the BC defense is going to have major problems with containment.
I think BC finishes a solid 8-4, with losses to Va Tech, Florida State, NC State and Clemson.
Then again, I always under-estimate BC so go ahead and pencil in 10 wins.
Heydad - Sounds as though UConn fans are as bad as West Virginia fans. I personally thought they were the worst, but I have never been to a game in Hartford (2003).
Penn State hasn't played WVU since 1992 because of fan behavior in Morgantown. Papa Joe said no class no mas!
I would have to know more about UConn fans before I considered any "rivalry" game. Bad fan behavior is a disqualification factor. I have not been to FSU - but BC fans are generally well treated at Atlanta, Clemson, Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Winston Salem - not sure about Maryland. One day I'll get there, as well as Duke, VT and UVA. Didn't know what to think of Miami, except the fans were pretty apathetic in the old Orange Bowl.
Although not popular I think the game is a good idea. New England isn't a hot bed of talent but every year a handful of good recruits leave the area, this is unacceptable. While not gauranteed to solve this, a big area game can serve to pump up college football in the area.
Also, people really need to get over the BE drama. It's been years and Calhoun is the main Vagina. Most importantly this is fun for the kids. The players can play against old HS teammates, players family can come easier and students/ alumni will have the chance to travel to a rivalry game without going across the country. I can still remember walking through a sea of UConn fans shouting "D-Knight" after he ran roughshod over UConn in their house.
As for Gillette Stadium, we can do the Golden Razor Trophy. If UConn wins Spaz shaves the stache and if we in Edsall shaves his head. We just need a catchy name for this bowl and the boys over in Bristol can sell the shit out of it.
UConn has much more to gain than we do from such a matchup. Why stoop to their level or help build their program?
We left the Big East so we wouldn't have to play the UConns, the WV's, and the Rutgers or the world. No need for their classlessness.
We left the Big East because we got more money. If we had jumped to the Big 10 would it have been to get away from classless Duke, Wake Forest and UVA. I think not.
Time to get over ourselves. New England is full of rabid fans in all other major sports. This is a small step in building buzz for College Football which ultimately helps us.
Playing UCONN will never happen as long as GDF is our AD. He's said so himself. Personally, while I think playing them would be good for New England football in general, it would be less good for BC specifically. As has been stated, playing a developing program who we mildly compete with for recruits, only enhances that rival. I agree with those who would rather keep UCONN at arms length, until the get put on the schedule as a conference foe.
As far as arrogance goes:
BC : UCONN :: ND : BC
It is the exact same argument.
Why help them out? Why stoop to their level? There's no rivalry! Why give them attention? Why make them stronger? There's no rivalry! They're just loons and goons! Quit trying to make it happen, we're not scared of them! There's no rivalry!
I think that analogy is a bit off. There is a tad bit of arrogance as far as UConn football is concerned, what with a scant 8 yrs at Div 1A.
We have no football rivalry with them and at least with ND we have the Catholic thing. Plus, we'll always have '93, the game that turned a program upside down.
Besides, UConn fans have been classless to BC. You can't reward that on top of the acrimonious split in '05.
Furthermore, you can't really play a school that treats women's basketball so seriously. They're women. Nobody cares.
Besides, doesn't UConn have a series with ND in a year or so? I hope you complain on ND blogs about having to play your "home" games in that series off-campus. Now, what's the greater sin? Beating UConn each time we played them and then having a fight, or only playing UConn if they play without homefield? You'll get your exposure, which is all a nascent program wants. Let ND enjoy Connecticut class.
In response to Big Jack I have been to FSU twice and going again this year and have been treated fine.Maryland was another story.A couple of years ago we came out of the game to find our tailgate totally trashed.They stole our tables and dumped any trash they could find all over our stuff including old fried turkey carcasses.We only go there now on game day don't tailgate and leave right after the game.Every one of the other venues in the ACC have been great.
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