BC-Nebraska preview

This bowl game is not meaningless. Getting to eight wins will be huge for the program. What was once common place is now this invisible barrier that BC coaches haven't been able to crack. Getting that one more W will put this season above others and signal to everyone that BC is back.  Let's go!

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
BC wasn't in the playoff discussion this year, yet I still had plenty of agita about the process and what it means when BC is in the mix. Seeing Indiana and SMU flop on the biggest stage is not good for a BC. The traditional powers are never going to be penalized when they don't play well. People will forget about what Tennessee or Clemson did. So when the next SMU or Indiana have a monster season but don't win their conference, they will be penalized and in their place will be a Bama or other power. The key for BC is to just win the damn ACC every chance we get.

Three Simple Keys
1. Give Dylan Raiola a lot of different looks. He is still just a freshmen and still adjusting to his play caller. Keep him confused.
2. Win the turnover battle. It has been the key for most of the season. If James is smart with the ball and we don't do anything dumb, we should be in good shape.
3. Mistake free Special Teams. I don't expect the extra time fixed our Special Teams issues, but I just hope they avoid major blunders.

Gambling Notes
-- Matt Rhule is 1-3 in bowl games
-- Nebraska is 6-4-2 against the spread this year
-- BC is 8-4 against the spread this year
The current line is BC+2.5

Factoid
BC is 15-13 in bowl games.

Scoreboard Watching
Notre Dame and Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. Notre Dame is a defacto ACC team and Ohio State has lots of BC ties. The winner will have a great shot at the title. I remain a Ryan Day fan, so: "O-H-I-O!"

BC is in trouble if...We don't get a push from the OLine. This is the last hurrah with the core of this group. We need them to dominate this game.

I hope to see...That the field conditions are not a factor. Our last Pinstripe game was on an ice rink and it hurt BC. 

Bottom Line:
I think the time off will help BC. I think the conditions also play to our strengths. I think the model that has worked most of the year -- a few scoring drives and some timely defensive turnovers -- works one more time. BC gets its 8th win and go into Year 2 with great momentum. 
Final Score: BC 28, Nebraska 24

Cold end to a roller-coaster season

Bowl games can be tricky things from a fan perspective. The format and setup are such an anomaly, it is hard to put too much into their outcomes. Yet with a month to prepare and it being the final game of the year, you want your team to win. BC did not win and ended the season on a very frustrating note. After dominating the first half, BC only led by seven. In the second half, Iowa looked like a new team and BC couldn't adjust. There were and are plenty of excuses -- the field, the weather, the refs -- but the simple answer is BC lost a winnable game. For the fourth time in five years, Addazio finishes 7-6.

I want to have optimism about the future. I do think there is a ton of talent returning. But right now, I still wonder if Addazio can ever push enough of the right buttons to be more than a 7-6 coach. 

I will have second viewing thoughts and grades up later this week.

Below is my post-game Periscope.

Pinstripe Bowl: post-game Periscope https://t.co/83dvpc4y2H

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) December 28, 2017

No Landry in Pinstripe Bowl

According to Addazio and BC, Harold Landry will not play in the Pinstripe Bowl. He is still expected to play in the Senior Bowl. While I am sad that we won't see Landry play one last time, I think this is probably best for him.

BC has played nearly 75% of the season without Landry and when he did play, he didn't seem healthy. We can and should win this game without him. We generated enough pass rush after his injury and shut down Offenses even when he wasn't the focus of the opponent's attack. I don't see this game coming down to one defensive play. If BC can't win without Landry, I don't think they were going to win with him.

If Landry is not 100%, there is no reason to risk further injury to play in an inconsequential bowl game. He took a risk by returning to BC for his senior season. It has not paid off because of his ankle. Yet he is still listed by many as a 1st Round Draft pick. The upside of playing -- moving up higher on Draft boards -- does not outweigh the downside -- further injury, falling Draft stock.

Some might doubt the sincerity of Landry's injury given he is still expected to participate in the Senior Bowl. If he and his family think it is best for him to skip the Pinstripe and are using the lingering injury as their excuse, I don't blame them. He is about to get paid from the NFL. He will get nothing for playing in the Pinstripe. Plenty of players skip bowl games. Until the current model is corrected, they all have every reason to do so. Good luck to Harold.

BC-Iowa preview

As much as I want an expanded playoff, and as much as I think playing in empty stadiums in random small cities days before Christmas is silly, I have to say, I always get excited about a BC bowl game. I enjoy the fresh matchups against teams we don't often play. I am a sucker for the neutral site aspect and the bowls forcing some sort of local flavor on the game. Finally, it is our last glimpse of BC football for nine months. Even when things are not great, some BC Football is better than no BC Football.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
As of Friday, BC did not officially sellout its ticket allotment for this game, but the school came pretty close. I think the primary reason tickets sales went well is the location. Outside of Boston, the New York area is our largest alumni population. With the demise of the Big East and not playing Rutgers or Army on a regular basis, we don't have a ton of big sporting events in the area. Perhaps Jarmond should look into an occasional neutral site game at the Meadowlands. If it is against a desirable opponent (Notre Dame, Penn State, even Syracuse), I think the tickets would sell.

Three Simple Keys
1. Stop the run. This game will be very dependent or Merritt and Smith clogging up the middle. Iowa runs a lot of zones, so disrupting the line and stopping the cut backs is key.
2. Get big plays from someone other than Dillon. When the offense did explode, it wasn't just Dillon. Both Smiths had sweeps for scores. White had big plays. There are playmakers on the offense. We just need to get them the ball at the right time.
3. Don't waste drives with long field goals. We know how this goes on a cold, sloppy baseball field. I hope Addazio thinks of most possessions as 'four-down territory.'

Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 1-2 in bowl games at BC
-- Ferentz is 6-8 in bowl games at Iowa
-- BC is 14-11 in bowl games
The current line is BC+2.5

Factoid
While BC has played all the Big Ten East schools, our history with the Big Ten West teams is limited. BC has not played games against Illinois, Minnesota, Purdue, Nebraska or Wisconsin.

Scoreboard Watching
During Bowl season, the most important game for all ACC teams is the Sugar Bowl. We need Clemson to win. I don't get any real satisfaction from watching our conference foes winning, but seeing ACC teams in the National Championship is a nice recruiting tool and point of validation.

I hope to see...
BC get up early and take Iowa out of the game mentally. Iowa fans don't want to be at this game and based on their body language, Iowa players don't want to be there either. Establishing an early lead could take away all momentum.

BC is in trouble if...
Wade doesn't get off the easy passes. As explosive as Dillon can be and as solid as the Oline has been, the offense only opens up if Wade is somewhat of a passing threat.

Bottom Line
I've been confident about this matchup since it was announced. I know the similar styles might make for boring football, but it was explosive teams that gave us trouble. If Iowa wants to grind it out, that will play to our strengths. I think BC will move the ball on the ground, force a few key turnovers and win this one with some cushion.
Final Score: BC 28, Iowa 17

Pinstripe preview video

Here is a look at the game from the ACC Network. The BC portion might be familiar, but the Iowa interviews were new (to me).

Addazio updates on bowl prep

The football team is right in the middle of their bowl prep. That means there is a certain level of drudgery. But Addazio seems pretty confident and remains on schedule. The team has started working in schemes and Iowa specific preparation. The coach took a few minutes to address the media about the bowl and some other season ending topics below. 

Iowa fans not buying Pinstripe tickets

News came out Monday that Iowa has only sold 1,000 tickets to the Pinstripe Bowl. At this point they hope to sell 1,000 more and think a good chunk of their New York area alumni will buy directly from the bowl or on the secondary market. This is potentially good news for BC...if our fans react.

BC has not announced how many tickets they have sold, but it is rumored to be about 75% of our allotment. I strongly encourage any of you planning on going to buy your tickets through BC. From a perception standpoint, it would be a huge boost to our program if we sold more tickets than a Big Ten team. I know it is tempting to buy from the bowl or in the secondary market, but buying from BC assures you sit with BC fans. If you're going to go, don't you want to count as a BC fan?

Beyond the perception, it is also good that Iowa fans don't seem to care about this game. I hope it represents their team's attitude too. BC needs this win. An unmotivated Iowa team helps get to that 8th win.

Pinstripe Bowl reactions

While there are always some gripes, I think most BC fans, players and coaches were excited about the Pinstripe Bowl selection. The media and the Iowa community don't seem as thrilled.

The Big Lead named the bowl one of the worst of the season. Their logic is that the game pairs two conservative, inefficient offenses on a slippery baseball field. 

Kirk Ferentz was Mr. Excitement in this interview. He admits to not knowing much about BC.

Here is Iowa's AD talking. He had to start the Q&As explaining why they are not going to Nashville.

The Iowa players don't seem as disappointed, but they don't seem particularly happy either.

Addazio was about the exact opposite of everyone from Iowa. He thinks this is the perfect bowl for BC.

"Start spreading the news..." BC to Pinstripe Bowl

After some 11th hour worrying, it all worked out for BC in the end. The Pinstripe Bowl selected BC for their December 27 game at Yankee Stadium. BC will face Iowa. This is a pretty perfect setup. It is a winnable game against a respectable opponent in a desirable location near a large percentage of our fanbase. Reviews of BC's last trip to the Pinstripe Bowl were good, so I expect another good showing by our fans in the New York area.

Like BC, Iowa finished 7-5 with some impressive wins but also some head scratching losses. I think it helps that BC has former Iowa staffer Jim Reid to help BC get familiar with their opponent. Addazio needs this win for many reasons. But getting to eight wins the first time in a bowl against a Big Ten team would be a nice way to end the season. Losing to cap another 7-6 season would be a letdown.

The teams and the fans should be excited. I am.

Pining for Pinstripe but not looking as good

This week's Playoff reveal doesn't mean much for BC. What really matters is next week when the real dominoes fall. I think most BC fans want the Pinstripe Bowl and the Pinstripe Bowl seemingly wanted us. But dear old Notre Dame screwed things up by losing to Stanford. That probably knocked the Irish out of any big bowl, so they will fall into the ACC's slots. That bumps nearly everyone in the conference down including BC.

Here are what the experts think as of Tuesday afternoon:

-- SBNation: BC to Pinstripe

-- ESPN: BC to Quicklane (Detroit) and BC to Independence (Shreveport); They have Virginia Tech and NC State going to Pinstripe

-- CBS: BC to the Military Bowl (Annapolis); They have NC State to the Pinstripe

-- SI: BC to Independence (Shreveport); They have Virginia Tech to Pinstripe

-- USA Today: BC to Pinstripe

-- Sporting News: BC to Military Bowl (Annapolis); They have Virginia to the Pinstripe 

I am biased but BC still seems like the best fit for the Pinstripe. We have a good regional fanbase that can sell tickets, we bring good TV ratings and there is an upswing in enthusiasm. We make much more sense than NC State or Virginia. However, I fear Virginia Tech. They will sell more tickets and have never played in the Pinstripe Bowl. The bowl's ability to bring in a fresh team with strong fan support is hard for BC to overcome. If we are knocked out of the Pinstripe, I believe it will be by the Hokies. 

If we don't get New York, it might be Shreveport or Detroit, with a chance at El Paso. In my opinion the worst option is Shreveport. We've been there recently, it makes no geographic sense and is not a compelling sell to fans or recruits. Going back to Detroit is not ideal, but at least we recruit the region. El Paso has some appeal to me as a football fan, but I doubt Addazio and Jarmond care about the history of the Sun Bowl. Keep your fingers crossed for New York.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Pinstripe Bowl

In the post game the media focused on BC and Addazio losing so many close games this year. Addazio mentioned it too. But this game somewhat captured the issues the lead to losing close games: not being aggressive enough when ahead, defensive letdowns and critical player mistakes. That is not bad luck. That is bad coaching. Plus the luck aspect of these games tends to even out. BC was 3-4 this year in games decided by less than seven points. We are 5-5 under those same parameters in Addazio's two years. There isn't a secret formula to winning tight games. The key to being a great is not being in close games very often.

This was a tough loss and the missed opportunities abound.

Offense: B

Murphy did what we've come to expect. He was off on some of his touch passes early. His throws got better late, as Penn State went heavy zone and guys found open spots. The pass to Dudeck was sharp. I thought he made good decisions on when to keep the ball on the zone reads. His running overall was very good. He did a good job waiting on blocks and then exploding.

Hilliman ran very well. There were a few runs outside the tackles where I felt he waited a bit too long to turn it up field, but that is nitpicking. Against the best rush defense in college football he ran well in space and in traffic. Willis didn't get many touches but was fine when he ran. Outlow wasn't the change of pace we've seen, but a lot of his late touches went to Murphy and Hilliman. He was effective in the passing game. Wolford blocked well.

Bordner nearly had a TD but Murphy's pass was a little high. I still think he should have pulled it down. Dudeck's catch was great. Phillips played well, but still had a few drops. The WRs and TEs blocked pretty well. Crimmins had a nice catch.

Overall the offensive line played well. Gallik got a lot of TV time because of the blood, but he did play well. He won most of his matchups in the game. Vardaro also played well. Kramer got called for some penalties, but was decent. Silberman also got hit with a costly penalty. Betancourt was fine.

I know many dislike Day, but this loss was not on the offense. We ran against the best run defense in the country and scored 30 points. The passing game was not great, but adequate given the previous 12 games this season. We had some good new wrinkles -- like the throwback to Border that didn't work. Plus we had some straight pocket plays that worked more than they have this season. The biggest complaints coming out of the game were Alston's lack of touches and continuing to run the ball late in the game. Alston should have touched the ball more. One pass was bad and the other was a drop. I would have liked a jet sweep, even if he had just been a decoy. As for running late...I have no problem with it. It is what we do well. It tends to break open games and it eats clock. It is not like we were overly stubborn. We had critical and successful pass plays on the final scoring drive and in OT.

Defense: D

The Defensive Line started the game off well but as a group couldn't generate enough pressure as the game wore on. Mihalik made a big sack early but didn't go much later. Kavalec had another quiet game. Wujciak was fine. Moore was okay.

The LBs were the best part of the defense. Despite Penn State's passing success, the LBs were not the issue with our pass coverage (as they have been in other games).  Daniels played well and even looked good after he got injured. Duggan played well. Milano was very active and looked good. Keyes was fine but wasn't used aggressively in blitzes.

The DBs had a rough night. They were asked to do a lot and none of it worked well. When they played off, Penn State just ate up yards. Asprilla tackled well but gave up way too many catches. Simmons had similar issues and tipped the TD pass the wrong way. Brown missed a few INT opportunities. Moore was okay. Sylvia was okay.

I put the majority of this loss on Brown's schemes. We were not ready for their pace. They caught us unready due to switches. The blitz didn't disrupt much. A bad offense scored 31 on us. The worst part is allowing game winning drives in the fourth quarter and going 9 for 17 on third down. These are recurring issues. I understand we might not have the most talent or the right talent for this scheme. If that is true or even if the coaches think it is true, then you have to adjust. But once again we were playing confused, passive D with the game on the line and it cost us. Statistically Brown's D had a good season but I still think we are as limited on that side of the ball as we are on offense. If we had just been better in the passing game on just one more drive, we win that game.

Special Teams: C

Willis had one really good return and was solid on the others. (I will get into the Penn State onsides attempt in the section below.) Alston didn't get to do much. We obviously didn't attempt a FG.

The coverage teams were good.

Knoll is obviously a head case. That may be correctable this offseason. I hope for his sake it is. However, going into the game Addazio needed to find a better, more consistent solution. There has to be someone on that roster -- not just a kicker -- who can make 7 out of 10 point after attempts. Knoll didn't lose the game by himself, but that was not a good Special Teams day.


Overall: C+

Addazio hasn't been perfect, but he's been much better than I expected. In my opinion this was the worst game of his BC tenure. We lost other games and come out flat more than once, but most of that could be explained away by talent or timing within the season or just a bad matchup. This was not a good Penn State team, yet they looked more talented and set the tempo from the start. They weren't bothered by our pressure and didn't fold when we built up a big second half lead. Even Penn State's failed onside kick showed a level of coaching and preparation that we didn't have. They saw a BC mistake in how we fielded kickoffs and nearly exploited it. That is what you are supposed to do with three weeks of bowl prep.

Losing the game on a missed extra point is brutal, the game shouldn't have come down to that. This isn't shake everything up type of loss, but it was a reminder that Addazio is not Midas. He still needs to upgrade talent, still needs to do a better job with bowl prep and cannot let his schemes be so one dimensional.

The day after the Pinstripe Bowl

I haven't been able to watch the game back yet. I've been pro-Playoff anti-Bowl for a while, mostly because of the subjectivity of the system. Now I am starting to wonder if even this level of bowl is worth it...to the fans. We never really revel or remember the wins. However, the losses are killers. I will have the grades and thoughts up Monday. Until then, here are some other links and things related to the game.

Soaring to Glory rounded up the various BC personalities' twitter reactions to the bowl game.

Addazio said all the right things in the post game, but he is already starting to lower expectations for next year. I understand his point, but as I will blog about plenty this offseason, Year 3 is pretty telling regardless of the circumstances or roster.

Here is a Vine of a frustrated Addazio during the game.


My old friend Old Man attend the game too and shared these photos. Aside from the end, everyone enjoyed the experience. ("...other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?")

Burned in the Bronx

Once again it came down to a kicker and BC got burned. But even though the game seemed in hand at various times in the second half, I don't feel like BC played well. This was not a good Penn State team and yet they dictated much of the tempo and did a lot of what they wanted. We couldn't get them off the field. BC made too many mistakes. The extra point was terrible, but plenty of blame belongs to the coaches and other players.

It was a good season, but that is terrible way to end it. There is a lot to digest for the offseason.

I plan to have second viewing thoughts and grades up late Sunday but it may drag into Monday. This one will take a while to recover.

In-game comments post: Pinstripe Bowl

This is the day. Our last chance to watch BC football until next fall. Let's make it a good one. Leave your thoughts and comments below

You can also follow me on Twitter.

Game Watches: Pinstripe Bowl

It is the last BC Football game of the season! That makes a great time to attend your first game watch. Join your fellow BC fans across the country as we hope to end the year on a high note.

Atlanta Game Watch
Taco Mac
573 Main Street Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30324

Boston Game Watch
Warehouse Bar & Grille
40 Broad Street
Boston, MA 02109

Chicago Game Watches
Nic and Dino's Tripoli Tap
1147 W Armitage Ave
Chicago

Finley Dunne's
3458 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago

Dallas Game Watch
Corner Bar
4830 McKinney Ave
Dallas

Denver Game Watch
Whittier Pub
2000 East 28th Ave
Denver

Hartford Game Watches
Damons
310 Prospect Ave
Hartford, CT 06106

Houston Game Watch
J.Black’s
110 S Heights Blvd
Houston

Los Angeles Game Watch
Sonny McLeans
2615 Wilshire Blvd

Minnesota Game Watch
O’gara’s Bar and Grill
164 Snelling Ave N
St Paul, MN 55104

New York City Game Watches
Joshua Tree
513 3rd Avenue (between 34th and 35th Street)
New York, N.Y.

Brazen Fox NYC
106 3rd Avenue (at 13th Street)
New York, N.Y.

Phoenix Game Watch
Gallagher's Sports Grill
7575 N. 16th Street
Phoenix

Pittsburgh Game Watch
Buffalo Blues
216 S Highland Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15206

San Diego Game Watch
The Beer Company
602 Broadway St.
San Diego

San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly's
2064 Polk St.
San Francisco

Saratoga, NY Game Watch
Stadium Cafe
389 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

St. Louis Game Watch
The Post Bar and Grill
763 Old Ballas Road
Creve Coeur, MO 63141

Washington, D.C. Game Watch
Irish Whiskey Public House
1207 19th Street Northwest
Washington, D.C.

BC-Penn State preview

Bowls are always such a weird phenomenon. Sports are often about rhythms and patterns. The team is used to a certain schedule. Yet with bowls, the whole routine changes. I never know what to expect. If BC had played this game the week after Syracuse, I would have felt sure they would win. Now it is about regrouping and preparing for one certain opponent. I still like our chances, but hate the weird break in the schedule. Despite my complaints about the bowl system and schedules, I love having one more BC game!

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
Do you know the best way to change our fan's perception of bowl games? By making a big deal out of them. This year BC went all out. A custom paint scheme on the bus! Decorated lobbies at the team hotel. Getting pep talks from John Mara, Herzy, Andre Williams and Coughlin. If the school makes a big deal out of the games and the players make a big deal, then the fans will hopefully get excited too. Selling out our allotment in New York didn't prove too much of a challenge. People wanted to be there. Hopefully that enthusiasm will carry over to future bowl games. I think it will...especially if BC keeps turning the trips into events. 


Three Simple Keys
1. Murphy keeping the ball on the zone reads. I don't know if he was more injured than BC let on or was just making poor reads, but Murphy missed some big holes late in the season. Penn State is going to key on him, but he still needs to keep it himself for at least 10+ carries. That, more than anything, will open up our offense.
2. Get to Hackenberg. Penn State allowed 42 sacks this year. The line isn't great and Hackenberg holds the ball too long. We need to be in his face and bringing him down. It will disrupt their whole offense.
3. Don't give up on the run game. Things might be sluggish for a while, but we still need to keep running the ball. Something will open up and a big play will come. As good as their run defense is, their pass defense is a worse matchup for us.

Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 1-1 in bowls
-- BC has lost four straight bowl games
-- BC has won three straight over Penn State
The current line is BC-2.5

Factoid
BC has played Penn State 23 times, but never in a bowl game.

Scoreboard Watching
It is all about the Rose Bowl. Even if you don't care for Florida State, it would be great for the ACC if Florida State won the whole thing again. At a minimum we need a respectable showing.

I hope to see...
A young reserve step up. You should never read too much into a bowl game, but I hope one of the young guys (maybe a WR) makes a big contribution. They've had an extra practices to shine and earn time on the field.

BC is in trouble if...
If drives stall. A low scoring, field goal game is just what Penn State wants. Kicking in this weather and at a baseball stadium is tough. We need drives to get to the endzone.

Bottom Line
As much as I respect Penn State's run defense, I still think that our scheme and size will win the match up. I think BC's defense gives them trouble and we slowly pull away in the second half with some long, clock eating drives. The win is measured sign of our rebuilding progress and a fitting end to a surprisingly fun season.
Final Score: BC 28, Penn State 13

Experts predict the Pinstripe Bowl and other links

Most of ESPN's experts expect BC to win the Pinstripe Bowl. Phil Steele likes Penn State.

The Walter Camp Foundation also named Murphy the Connecticut Player of the Year. ESPN also published a nice feature on Murphy.

CJ Parson received a suspended sentence for his fight with a homeless man earlier this year.

Josh Bordner has many ties to Penn State and James Franklin.

The ECAC named Hilliman its Co-Rookie of the Year.

The Pinstripe Bowl has already made BC a winner

We all want BC to beat Penn State, but the Pinstripe Bowl is already a huge positive for BC. By selling out our full ticket allotment and the game selling out quickly BC can finally start to change our travel reputation. Technically BC sold our ticket allotment for the 2007 Champs Bowl, but I know for that game we gave some tickets away to local charities and Catholic churches. There was no need to give tickets away this time around. In fact, BC had to use a priority system on tickets for the first time in a bowl game.

I assume most of the success is due to location. We are playing relatively close to campus and in the middle of a huge alumni population. However, future bowl organizers don't need to know that. We can spin the demand for this game in multiple ways: "BC will sell out a bowl game when we face a team from a major conference", or "We will sell out our tickets when we travel to a desirable destination" or "Addazio has changed the culture of BC Football." All of that is completely subjective, but it makes sense to a bowl organizer. 

The Pinstripe is truly excited to have us. They were one of the first bowls to sell out this year. Even before we take the field, we have done enough that they will select us in the future. But this is about more than the Pinstripe. We need to turn this success into future bowl opportunities. 

NESN to host Pinstripe preview Sunday night

BC is making a big deal out of the Pinstripe Bowl and we are not alone. The media is paying more attention than normal. This Sunday night at 10:30 BC play-by-play man Jon Meterparel will host a Pinstripe Bowl preview on NESN. It will be a good time to get caught up on the bowl and get BC-specific original content on local TV. If you're outside of the region but have a sports package, you should still be able to watch it on NESN.

Meet Bob Shoop

Penn State's Defensive Coordinator Bob Shoop should be a familiar name to many of you. Ten years ago, if you had asked those around the program where the former TOB staffer would be today, many would have predicted he would be the Head Coach at BC. For a long time Shoop was on that path. But things never go according to plan.

After TOB's first staff started getting better jobs, TOB started backfilling with other young, rising coaches. One of those hires was Bob Shoop. The DBs coach had just spent a year at Army, but had the perfect checklist of stops prior to BC: worked as a GA with TOB in Virginia, worked with Gallup at Northeastern and worked with Gene at Villanova. Well regarded and a great recruiter, Shoop exceeded most expectations. But with Spaz firmly in place as DC, the growth opportunities were elsewhere. When Columbia came calling with its head coaching position, Shoop had to take it. Although it had been a career killer, Columbia's bursts of success in the '90s and Shoop's familiarity with the Ivy League gave hope that he could consistently win there. Shoop understood that this was just a stop on the way up and knew that networking and relationships were going to remain important, so it didn't hurt that he hired John DeFilippo and Mike Siravo for his first Columbia staff. Shoop would learn to be a head coach and in a few years a bigger better job would come calling.

Shoop had two issues at Columbia. The team didn't win on the field and his personal life got mixed up with his work life. He was fired after three seasons. There was always talk that he might come back to BC. However, the timing and staffing was never right. After Columbia he worked under Don Brown at UMass and then worked his way back up the ranks. He was James Franklin's DC at Vandy and followed him to Penn State. He now coaches one of the best defenses in the country.

Shoop will probably get another shot at being a head coach. He can explain away the losing at Columbia ("no one wins there") and can also explain the off the field stuff. The opportunity for him to coach BC is probably gone but that is how this sport works sometimes. If Gene were still around pulling strings, who knows what might have been. Regardless, Shoop brought in a lot of great players to BC and I am glad he's bounced back.