BC-Michigan State preview

Last week was nice but it really meant nothing. This week will be the first test and also might be the most pivotal game of the season. If you get a win this week, the schedule lines up pretty well to go bowling. If we can’t go on the road and beat an improved but still fledgling Michigan State team, then perhaps this year will be a bit of a setback for BC. I think we can do it, but we will have to be sharper than we were against Fordham.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
For all the hand wringing about how bad the ACC is or how much the Big Ten and SEC dictate and dominate College Football, here we are in Week 2 and NBC is putting Michigan State-Boston College on national TV in primetime. As the chess pieces move around in College Football, I wonder if many of the schools and programs realize how expendable they are. Does a made-for-TV breakaway league need a team in Iowa? Or three in Indiana? Or two in Alabama or two in Mississippi? BC can’t rest on our laurels and needs to be smart about positioning ourselves, but the Boston market, the Catholic identity and the connected alumni base should keep us in the discussion.

Three Simple Keys
1. Lonergan needs to speed things up. He made some good throws, but I don’t think he is going to have as much time as he did against Fordham. The decisions will have to be much quicker and he has to get the ball out.  
2. Get pressure from the front four. The DBs covered a lot of mistakes last week. The Spartans will adjust for that, so it is up to the DLine to win some battles.
3. Don’t abandon the run game. Stick with it a bit. It should start to pay off. 

Gambling Notes
-- BC leads the series 5-1-1
-- Jonathan Smith is 5-3 at home as Spartans coach
-- Billy O is 1-4 on the road while at BC
The current line is BC+4.5 

Factoid
The last time BC went to East Lansing, Nick Saban was Michigan State’s coach.
 

Scoreboard Watching
UConn-Syracuse. Two future opponents. It will be interesting to see how Syracuse bounces back from their opener.
 

BC is in trouble if…the Oline is not better. We need to control things up front.
 

I hope to see... The DBs change the game like they did last year. The weather will not be a factor like it was last year and Chiles will be more careful, but if we win those passing battles, we win the game.

What ChatGPT Thinks
"If you had to pick a clear winner based on smart consensus: Michigan State is the favorite. But Boston College remains very much in the mix, especially if their explosive offense from Week 1 shows up." 

Bottom Line
I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous. It is only Week 2 yet this game will tell us so much about this season and about Billy O's future at BC. Great coaches win games like this. As for what will happen: we won’t put up the points like we did last week, yet I still think this will be an offensive game. I think Lonergan makes some good decisions and our WRs go off. I think we force a few turnovers and hold on enough on D.
Final Score: BC 38, Michigan State 31