No respect in Coaches' poll and other links

As usual BC fell into the "others receiving votes" category of the preseason Coaches' Poll. If there was full ranking it would mean we were 40th. I don't think any of you are surprised as this is pretty standard disrespect when it comes to polling. But don't read into this that other coaches don't think much of us. This poll is usually filled out be lower level staffers in the coaches name. So what this means is that a bunch of GAs don't think much of BC. Overall the ACC placed five teams in the top 25.

Mike McLaughlin continues to make a name for himself in Baltimore. Maybe this fullback/special teamer idea will work out.

The BC Draft crew took some time to look at non-starters who will make an impact this year.

Baseball beats Dartmouth and other links

The baseball team used their make up date with Dartmouth to help improve their record. The 10-4 win moved the Eagles to 28-23. They will play another non-conference game on Tuesday against St. John's.

The Ravens are giving McLaughlin a shot as a fullback. Hopefully he makes it. The odds are not in his favor since he is learning a new position at the highest level. The flipside is that they must like him as a long snapper and special teamer and think moving him to a thin part of the roster is a way to keep him on.

This is a terrible article about expansion trying to play it smart. The only reason I am noting it is because it continues to use the "BC is an afterthought in Boston" theme as an excuse to call our move to the ACC a mistake. What all these guys fail to realize is that staying in the Big East would have generated less interest in BC within Boston and although we don't dominate the Boston market like some colleges dominate their tiny markets, we are a consistent ratings winner. And our ratings in Boston and nationally mean more than scoring a 91 in a four-tier TV market does for some of these other schools.

Reading too much into the tickets video and other links

Since it won't allow me to embed, go to the BC website to check out the new video promoting ticket sales (I'll wait). Are you back? Good. The video is well done and pretty typical. It features Harris and Castonzo and teases Herzy's return at the very end. Did you notice who was missing? Our returning, starting QB. I am probably reading too much into it, but it is very surprising to ignore your QB in a highlight video...especially when he is returning. In my mind this is just another sign that the QB depth chart is wide open and we may not see Shinskie starting by the time we play an ACC opponent.

The ACC might not sell the most tickets or travel well, but as a conference we drive ratings. Check out this article. It makes me think that even in a down economy the ACC has real bargaining power with the latest round of TV talks.

These are the reasons HD is excited about the new football season.

Brady Heslip will visit Oregon this weekend.

The Pac 10 and the Big XII are considering some sort of TV alliance that would pool their market power and potentially form a network. Where is the ACC when all of this is going on?

Donahue's staff has interest in prep schooler Aaron Cosby.

BC is hoping to hit the St. Xavier (Kentucky) pipeline again with Daylen Hall.

This is an interesting story regarding Mike McLaughlin's decision to sign with Baltimore. Although they didn't draft him, they recruited him hard. Let's hope it proves to be a good fit.

The other BC guys in the NFL Draft

I only highlighted Matt Tennant in my draft previews, because in all likely hood, he will be the only Eagle drafted this year. McLaughlin was invited to the combine, but most expect him to be a very late pick or a free agent. Some team may take a flyer on Gunnell or Bowman, but they are also expected to go the free agent route. A few other names are also in the mix (Rollins, Aponavicious, etc) but all are well under the radar. Here is my quick take on each...

Mike McLauglin: Great Junior Year. Good size and instincts, and football IQ. It is a big plus that he is willing to play special teams. The big downside was his injury. He was not the same player as a Senior. He was a step slower and didn't show the sort of athleticism that saw him leaping over blockers in 2008. He came back quickly so we don't know if he was ever fully healed. What is his upside? I don't think anyone knows. If the 2008 McLaughlin is his upside, than he will be a very good NFL player. If he cannot regain that form, then it might be the UFL.
Prediction: Free Agent

Rich Gunnell: Very productive receiver. Underrated speed and hands. Decent Size. Played well in big games and contributed on special teams. Played well despite mediocre QB talent his final two years. Rich's downside is that he does everything well but is not great at one thing. Despite his performance against USC, he does have a history of running away from people. He'll go over the middle, but isn't big. He was a return man who was quick to fair catch. I think Rich will be a good NFL player. If he gets in the right program, he could have a surprising career. But I don't think anyone will draft him. To most scouts and GMs he is pretty ordinary.
Prediction: Free Agent

Marcellus Bowman: Ideal size and speed for an NFL safety. Head hunting hitter. Not great in coverage. Late bloomer with only one season as a starter. Would sometime rather go for the kill shot instead of the smart play or solid tackle. Decent workout but didn't blow anyone away to move up draft boards. I like Bowman and know that he will get invited to NFL camps. I just wonder if he will ever have the coverage skills or instincts to make an NFL roster.
Prediction: Undrafted, mini camp invitee, late roster cut.

Roderick Rollins: Probably had the least talked about great season on last year's team. Good coverage. Good tackler. Good playing history. The problem are all measurables. To most NFL folks he is too small and too slow. I hope he is given a chance as I think his productivity and success could translate to the next level.
Prediction: Undrafted, mini camp invitee, late roster cut.

Combine news and notes

Mike McLaughlin is using his face time with NFL folks to remind them he can long snap too. It is not a bad strategy. Because he played hurt last year, McLaughlin's 2009 tapes are not NFL caliber. If he thinks he can be a good linebacker in the NFL, using special teams to get your foot in the door might be the best path. The NFL Network's Mike Mayock thinks McLaughlin's bloodlines will also help him get noticed.

Matt Tennant is also talking about the ability to play multiple positions including either guard spot. A San Fran blog had the 40 times of high profile linemen. As you can see, Tennant was on the fast side.

Here are the unofficial times of other offensive linemen of note. West Viriginia's Ed Wang 5.46; Cal's Mike Tepper 5.37; Notre Dame's Sam Young 5.19, LSU's Ciron Black 5.49, Iowa's Bryan Bulga 5.26; Iowa's Kyle Calloway 5.51, Rutgers's Anthony Davis 4.38, UMass's Vladmir Ducasse 5.21; Idaho's Mike Iupati 5.26; Ole Miss's John Jerry 5.18; Oklahoma State's Russell Okung 5.17; Arkansas's Mitch Petrus 5.29; Boston College's Matt Tennant 5.13 and Texas Tech's Brandon Carter 5.36. Unofficial times are typically slower than official times.

The known and unknown of the McLaughlin injury

An article in a Woburn paper -- that of course is not online -- is saying that McLaughlin has an Achilles injury. This is huge news for a potential Top 10 defense, but of course there is no other reporting from the Boston media or even the BC sites. I think there is some legitimacy to it all as students on campus are reporting that he is using crutches. Having your team captain and one of the better defensive players on crutches is not good news, regardless of the extent of his injuries.

What we know
-- He is injured
-- It is foot/leg related (likely Achilles)

What we don't know
-- If it needs surgery
-- How long he will be out
-- If he'll apply for a medical redshirt
-- If the NCAA will grant him a medical redshirt

McLaughlin redshirted his freshmen year. Although an additional medical redshirt in this sort of situation is common, they are never guaranteed. If he is unavailable for most of the season, it will be a huge setback for the team as a whole. Forget the subjective "leadership" role he filled. His production and importance to the defense was critical. His consistency was one of the reasons we were so strong against the run. His ability to cover space also allowed Herzy to rush the passer more. And as we saw against Maryland, McLaughlin is a playmaker in his own right.

The team has good depth at linebacker but outside of Herzy the rest of the guys are either young and/or untested. The only silver lining is that if he gets a redshirt, his extended career and time off will serve the team well in 2010 (like Raji and Toal's return did in 08, and how we hope Albright will provide a spark in 09).

I'll have more in this as the news trickles out.