Transition classes are always a bit of a crapshoot. You have a mix of players from two staffs and a compressed timeline that usually involves rerecruiting your own players due to the coaching change. At a place like BC -- where we honor all prior commitments and have less natural attrition -- transition classes are even more unique If a coach doesn't have a half a dozen aces up his sleeve, you just hope he can keep the class together. Addazio for the most part did that. He had four defectors, but all things considered, that is not terrible. The guys who left, either got better offers, followed a former BC assistant or felt they weren't going to fit in BC's new offense. No one left because they didn't like or trust Addazio. Most had good things to say about BC and the new staff. That won't improve our rankings but it is a good sign for the future.
Size matters too. Because this was a smaller class, Addazio couldn't go out and take a bunch of flyers on guys who might pan out. Instead he backfilled as needed. He was conservative in his roster management. He could have loaded up this class with at least four more guys and just bet on attrition. But he didn't. Once again, BC is better off keeping one of our current players in the program another season than trying to land a recruit no one feels strongly about. The payoff for this small class is that Addazio will have two large classes the next two seasons. If he is a great recruiter, then the 2014 and 2015 classes should be highly ranked.
Although Spaz&Daz didn't land elite players, there are still some things to appreciate about this class:
-- It is heavy on Ohio players. This is and will be a key territory for any BC coach
-- Despite our terrible season, we were still relevant in ACC territories like Florida and Georgia
-- Addazio landed fifth year transfer Matt Patchan. This is one of his former Florida players. Patchan is injury prone, but if healthy he will contribute. As I've written previously BC is a perfect school for fifth year players. We are never going heavy on JUCOs, so it may be the only chance we can bring in mature players who can contribute immediately.
Addazio did his usual spiel at the press conference and Flynn Fund. He didn't distance himself from the new crop of kids but his comments confirmed his focus is on the 2014 class. He will need to strike it big because BC isn't going to get a big spark from this class. We can blame Spaz, but Addazio can't. These are his guys now. Let's hope he coaches them up.
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Do we have an official list of which 5th year eligible guys will be back, and who is moving on to the real world?
Tired of being last.
Go BC.
Tired of being last.
Go BC.
When Boston College is losing OLs named Jack McDonald out of B.C. High, it is a sad commentary on how far we've fallen from being "O Line U".
I'm excited about some of the new class, but there is an awful lot of work to be done.
Can't put much blame on SA. Most recruiting was sealed before the hire. Bad record for several years, and then uncertainty of regime change will always make kids nervous. Next year will be a good indicator but the year after will be the real forecast of things to come. Maintaining excellence is hard, rebuilding to achieve excellence is harder still. Stay positive. Go Eagles.
6 years ago BC was head to head with Notre Dame and other top 20 teams winning most of their games, sending talented players to the NFL, BC was generally in the top 25 and a key player in the ACC. Our basketball team while not in Duke's class was a national force, the ladies were doing well, our so called minor sports were first class. Doing all this while keeping our grad rate among the best in the NCAA. What has happened? BC and ND can't even be mentioned in the same arena anymore, we are last in the ACC, the academics at BC remain solid but all around spirit that competitive collegiate sports brings to a campus is no more.
Are we to remain at this level for the foreseeable future?
I don't think Fr. Monan would stand for this level of mediocrity. If our fellow Catholic university ND can be excellent in college sports with all the positives that brings while retaining academic excellence why can't BC?
Something is seriously wrong!
Dick, this is all cyclical. It is incredibly hard to maintain a level of success in college, when good coaches are constantly on the move, and good players have short shelf lives (the better they are, the sooner they leave).
Gene D also botched two hires with Jags/Spaz. In 2007, Gene wouldn't return the call of John Harbaugh. We botched that coaching hire, while ND hit theirs with Kelly out of the park. If Addazio is the right hire, then football should return to at least the fringe of the top 25 and bowl appearances. Remember: the reason for TOB leaving town was that the top 25 and bowl appearances weren't good enough, and we as a fan base had to eat some crow, as we all wish we could "return" to that level.
I really can't fault Addazio for this class - Spaz & his staff literally made it their goal to finish recruiting in August, and the fact that we only lost a few players is OK. the only player i wish we held onto was LeShun Daniels; Boyle apparently isn't a fit in this offense, the WR to Purdue is NBD since we have good WR depth and he wasn't anything special. we held onto Myles Willis even though Penn St. tried to flip him, and his highlight tapes are pretty fantastic. the Ohio QB also looks like a good player, and if the Florida OL can stay healthy, that's a huge coup, even if for a year.
let's see what Addazio and his staff can do with a full season and a boatload of schollies. i definitely expect better results next year, both on the field and with recruiting.
The loss differentials for last season were 9,9,14,3,44,20,14,15,7,17. As noted, four were under 10. With stable leadership, you have to think that this could be a four game turnaround next year. Addazio appears to be building a strong foundation. So far, my only complaint is a poor P.R. campaign for the entire BC program. Bates needs to "beat the drums" a little louder.
I agree with Joseph and MIZ: anyone disappointed with Addazio's recruiting at this point is delusional. And Bates can beat the drums, blow horns, bring in go-go dancers if he wants, but when your song begins with how competitive you were six years ago, you're pushing on a rope. Wins are the only way to move the needle. There, that's three mixed metaphors in as many sentences!
mod10, I count 6 metaphors, but only one mixed (the go-go girls)!
However, it might be 8 metaphors if you consider "Joseph" to be a metaphor for cantakerous and "Miz" a metaphor for BC Apologist. :-)
p.s. >>> I must be delusional, because I am disappointed that Daz did not dazzle or Dazzle (*metaphor alert) in recruiting, even though he had time todo so.
And I am also disappointed that he held a press conference to offer tons of excuses and blow smoke up our arses (*metaphor alert)
The excuse train (*metaphor alert) is still running at BC. All apologists and nondeluded delusionals, hop on board!
can we start mod34b as a metaphor for lame attempts at humor which fall flat?
Every program goes though cycles, but we've been in a rebuilding phase ever since Spaz took over, now we have to endure the same thing again. If you figure that Addazio will have an excellent recruiting class next year, then by the time those kids are juniors or seniors, we're talking 2016 and 2017 as really dynamic years for BC. That's a decade removed from when we all consider BC to have been "good".
Unacceptable to be "good" once a decade. What can be done to speed this up?
El Miz, I don't think BC fans need to eat crow for wanting more than 7-8 win seasons.
While getting back to that point would be nice (by comparison to the debacle we witnessed in 2011/12), BC fans want CHAMPIONSHIPS. This is no differnt than when TOB was around. Middling bowl games and 7 win seasons are acceptable only when Spaz is the alternative. We as an alumni base need to demand more from our school. ACC championships is the expectation.
Totally agree, dick. As a long time BC fan (class of 74), I am endlessly frustrated with BC,s failure to maintain an elite football and basketball program. Nd, Stanford, and northwestern recruit real student athletes and win, why can't BC ?
Totally agree, dick. As a long time BC fan (class of 74), I am endlessly frustrated with BC,s failure to maintain an elite football and basketball program. Nd, Stanford, and northwestern recruit real student athletes and win, why can't BC ?
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