Spaz's mouth piece is blaming Finch. Posters on Eagle Action are saying that it is on the players or that we don't have enough talent. But this loss and the current state of BC Football is Frank Spaziani's responsibility.
I believe that we have enough talent to win. Certainly as much talent as Northwestern. But even if you think our talent is inferior or MAC-level, that is still Spaz's fault. He's in Year 4. This is his roster. These are his players. If they are not getting better, it is because of him and his coaches.
You can't blame Jags. He's been gone four years. You can't even blame Gene at this point. Sure he meddled and influenced many of the decisions Spaz had to live with, but Spaz knew what he was getting into with Gene. He knew the environment. And now Gene is gone. Most of Gene's pets on the coaching staff are also gone. If Spaz wanted to make an impact or unleash his pent up genius, now is the time.
You can't blame injuries. Every program in the country deals with injuries plus Spaz doesn't even use all his allotted scholarships. Maybe one more scholarship player would be able to fill in for the injured. Recruiting has been on a steady decline and we missed out on huge opportunity this recruiting season. But Spaz doesn't care about recruiting or at least care as much as he should. His primary assessment of a player seems to be based more on if he will commit to BC on our timeline (during the summer) not about if he is the best use of a scholarship. If Spaz cared about recruiting or winning now, he would have tried to get a Penn State player. Even TOB -- who has never been known as a slick talking recruiter -- picked up a Penn State player.
We allowed Northwestern to run 100 plays for 560 yards. But they didn't run us out of the building. A more talented team would have. A more talented team wouldn't need 100 plays to win by nine. The talent was even, but our head coach -- a former defensive coordinator -- couldn't make enough adjustments to win.
When you allow 100 plays it is a failure in scheme, execution and by individuals. That's on Spaz. But this is not knew. Apologists and excuse makers will say that Spaz was dealt a bad hand or that BC's limitations are finally catching up with him. All of that is nonsense. We are losing to schools that don't have huge institutional advantages over us. Spaz is 6-8 against private schools. He's gone through four offensive coordinators are still can't score on a consistent basis. Our fundamentals -- blocking, catching, tackling -- are deteriorating.
Spaz leads a program with a couple dozen staffers and 100 players. It's not just Xs & Os. It is about his approach to people, how hard he works, how smart he works, what sort of environment he creates for the players and coaches. All those actions manifest in the games and it is clear with each game that Spaz is not fit to turn BC around.
I don't know when Spaz's tenure will end (though I think it is coming) but don't ever let him or his supporters pass the buck on his time as head coach. This is his mess and his record.
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Three quick points:
(1) Spaz's entire gameplan, every game, is centered on keeping the game close. If the opponent is a team he regards as an equal or near equal, if we have the ball with a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter, it's a successful gameplan. By that measure, Saturday was a success. That's late 1950s-style gameplanning, and it's what Spaz does best.
(2) Spaz used to be a guy who was well liked on campus, by his players, and by others in the Athletic Department. From the day he assumed the top job, he became paranoid, unapproachable, and dictatorial. You will not find anybody (other than Gene, I suppose) who will speak highly of him on campus.
(3) There's a telling comment from Blauds on his blog, all the more telling because you know it came from Spaz himself. He notes that the difference between this year's BC and the 2000-era teams is that this year's team doesn't execute, while those teams did. That must be the difference, he reasons, because the defensive gameplan is the same. What a remarkable comment! The defensive gameplan IS the exact same as it has been for well over a decade. Of course, the offenses we are facing are not (i.e., Northwestern's passing spread offense). We're going to sit back in our base 4-3 zone and let you complete short passes all day. We always have and we always will. But per Blauds --- and thus per Spaz --- reason why it's not working now is because the players aren't executing. Not because the game has changed, or the 10+ year use of the same defense leaves you exposed. But because it's the players fault.
You have to be wilfully blind in a lot of ways to be a college football fan. These kids are out there week after week risking serious bodily harm, making money for the university, and they don't get compensated for it. Nor are they eligible for workers compensation if they're injured in a way that effects them for the rest of their lives. It's a troubling system. It's all the more troubling when our incompetent 62 year-old clown of a coach blames them for his own incompetence.
TheFive, to pick up on your 3rd point, not only have offenses changed, but Spaz's recruiting has been so subpar that we don't have the same caliber of players on the defensive side, either. how many guys on this team are NFL caliber? maybe 1 or 2 will get a look as an undrafted free agent. none of them will be first or second round picks. there is no kiwi or raji or even a silva on this defense.
it is comical that some (Blauds, ppl who comment here) can somehow point the finger in a direction other than spaz. these are his players, his game plan, his execution during the game.
here is a fact: this is year 4 of spaz.
here is another fact: we are regressing as a team.
here is another fact: spaz is under 500 against division 1 football. in 4 years we have lost more than we have won against programs on our level.
add it up and its over -- Spaz is done. there is no chance a new AD comes in here and retains this loser. no way no how. there is literally not one reason you can point to that justifies keeping this bozo on the sidelines. he oversees recruiting that has greatly fallen off, he oversees in-game execution that is among the worst in college football, his approach hasn't evolved in 10 years even though the game has and continues to.
enough is enough, Spaz must go.
The players ARE compensated. They get a $55k a year education at a top 30 school. They are trained by professional trainers, are fed for free, get to travel the country as an ACC athlete and if they graduate they are set for life in terms of employment.
The whining that goes on about players being used and not compensated is farcical. I cannot believe that the NCAA is seriously considering a compensation plan for student athletes in addition to what is stated above. I cannot understand what that has to do with Spaz.
Are you saying that if Spaz/Boston College/NCAA(whomever) paid the players then they wouldn't drop passes and fumble?
Who is going to play the players? Most likely the University who will get the funds, at Boston College anyway, off the backs of the students/parents who are paying full tuition. Most of whom are BORROWING THE MONEY to pay the $55K per year price tag.
Ridiculous comment.
YES, yes, yes, this is on SPAZ. 100%
ATL, you say "I believe that we have enough talent to win. Certainly as much talent as Northwestern." This is very true. BC and NWU have very similar lower level BCS talent/MAC talent. BC actaully has better talent.
The difference, very clearly, is coaching. What better evidence do we need to show that Spaz is is a bad HC? BC's Spaz and NWU's Fitz have the same talent level, but NWU is a much better team than BC. ~560 yards and ~100 plays allowed by the defense. WOW.
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As I posted yesterday, look at the Rivals recruiting data over the last 5 classes. BC has out recruited NWU by a wide margin (based on the same Rivals standard).
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Rivals Team Recruiting National Ranks
2008>>>BC 33 -- NWU 73
2009>>>BC 70 -- NWU 58
2010>>>BC 47 -- NWU 77
2011>>>BC 38 -- NWU 87
2012>>>BC 63 -- NWU 60
Average over last 5 classes
BC >>>>48th rank
NWU>>>> 71st rank
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NWU starters?? No ALL STARS here (ok 1 4*). NWU has the same calibre players to slightly worse than BC's current starters.
1 (4*); 13 (3*); 8 (2*)
Northwestern Starters; Rvials stars; offers
RB — Venric Mark 3* (BCS Vandy. Az, multi MAC)
RB -- Mike Trumpy 3* (BCS Vandy, Stanford)
QB — Kain Colter 3* (some BCS, MAC)
WR — Demetrius Fields 2* (no BCS)
WR - Christian Jones 3* (multi BCS)
RT — Jack konopka 3* (lower level BCS offers)
RG — Churck Porcelli 3* (No BCS)
C — Brandon Vitabile 3* (BCS Syr, Vandy)
LG — Brian Mulroe 3* (no BCS)
LT — Patrick Ward 4*(multi BCS)
TE — Dan Vitale 2* (No BCS)
Defense
DE— Quentin Williams, 3* (multiple BCS)
DT — Brian Arnfelt 2* (No BCS offers)
DT — Will Hampton 3* (multi BCS)
DE — Tyler Scott 2* (no BCS offers; MAC offers)
SLB — Chi Chi Ariguzo 3* (multi BCS offers';
MLB — Damien Proby 3* (best BCS Ore St)
WLB — David Nwabuisi 2* (only BCS Az St)
CB – Nick VanHoose 2* (BCS Indiana)
CB — Demetrius Dugar 2* (no BCS)
S — Ibraheim Campbel 3* (multi BCS)
S — Jared Carpenter 2* (No BCS)
The issue of declining recruited talent at BC is exactly the issue. Spaz has proven in the past to be, what appears on paper, to be a decent game coach.
Recruiting/wins trend chart here: http://cfbmatrix.com/portfolio/boston-college-2012/gallery/acc/
But he is recruiting himself into a hole. The adjusted four year recruiting ranking for BC & Northwestern is just 2 ranking positions apart.
Northwestern profile: http://cfbmatrix.com/portfolio/northwestern/gallery/big-ten-conference/
Recruiting comes before winning, not the other way around. Coaching is much more than on-field results. It is the total year long package and without extraordinary coaching lack of talent is a recipe for failure.
FWIW - Bartoo
Bartoo, as you mentioned, your view is taht BC and NWU are pretty close to equal when it comes to recruiting. I think BC has outrecruited NWU for the past few years.
So, if they are equal-ish or if BC is better talent-wise, the issue of a NWU talent advantage was not in play when the two team meet. The issue is coaching.
The whining that goes on about players being used and not compensated is farcical. I cannot believe that the NCAA is seriously considering a compensation plan for student athletes in addition to what is stated above. I cannot understand what that has to do with Spaz. workers compensation portland or
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