Globe no shows in Jax

Conference meetings walk the line between useful event and boondoggle. There is plenty of golf and whatnot to keep the writers happy. It may not be the best use of time, but it does give the media a chance to talk to all the coaches and all the star players at once. This stuff can be good for game previews, features, building networks, etc. I can see why a small paper on a tight budget wouldn’t go. I can’t understand why the Globe doesn’t have someone there. The largest newspaper in New England apparently did not send its BC beat writer or its College Sports writer to one of the premiere conference meetings that included the only Boston team playing DI-A football. Who knows? Vega and Blaudschun might be there. Neither has filed. Inexcusable.

The Herald did send Mike Shalin. He had a feature on the conference coaches validating BC and this notebook on the team. Things of note: Toal is healthy, Bell is not.

One other piece of news: the Orange Bowl is now slotted for the ACC champion.

I try to look the other way

Recruiting is not fun and not always on the up and up. Once again I like to think BC does the best it can given the climate. Current BC basketball commit Rakim Sanders is featured in this Globe series on college basketball recruiting. While there is nothing illegal going on, it doesn't seem like the best system now does it? Sometimes I think Mark Cuban is right and we should just go to the European model and start paying kids in diapers.

Monday morning roundup

ACC meetings are underway and as expected, the bowls remain the focus. The new plan is very close to what I predicted. Bowls will have choice, but record will factor in. Bottom line: with our travel rep the only way BC is going to avoid the lower-tier bowls is by winning our way in.

Fortunately team seems as tired by their current plateau as I am. Beekman and Glasper were our reps at the conference meetings, another sign that both could be captains this year.

John Swofford gave a Q&A to the News & Observer. Important to note: the revenue generated by the new conference continues to grow.

Finally, former Heights writer Kevin Armstrong used his new spot at the NY Post to feature his alma mater.

End of the week stuff

Here is an article on Preston Murphy and his path to Al's staff.

Even with most of his stuff on ESPN.com, Kenpom still does a good job with his free blog. He is now going to write a comprehensive preview of one conference. The choice is ours, so if you would like to see what he digs up on the ACC vote now. The Big East currently leads.

Here is a look at college teams and how their preseason rating corresponds to their actual results. Since 1989, BC has been consistently underrated.

Finally this article speculates on what BC might do with the old Cardinal residence that we acquired as part of the seminary purchase. An Alumni Club wouldn't bother me. Regadless, I expect that BC will be respectful in whatever they do with the place.

The ones that (thankfully) got away

Since New England does not produce much football talent it is always disappointing when a local boy gets away. Sometimes the staff doesn’t think much of the kid and sometimes we just strike out in recruiting him. However, occasionally you dodge a bullet when the recruits you lose end up as losers themselves.

Example 1: Duke QB and Mass product Zack Asack getting suspended for a year due to plagiarism.

Example 2: CT boys James Nixon and Bruce Campbell heading to Fork Union Academy after failing to meet NCAA qualifying standards.

Now I would have been happy if any of these guys has signed with BC. Just as I am happy now that we didn’t waste scholarships on them. Funny how that works.

Credit to the Eagle Insider posters for finding these stories.

Blogger summer assessment: Wake Forest

Chris's Blog has quickly become one of my favorites. His takes are usually fresh and almost always funny. While following DC teams and kicking ARod and Michelle Wie when they are down are his specialty, he is also the only blogger I know with any Wake Forest knowledge. In the second part of my Summer Assessment Series, Chris tells us what we need to know about future opponent and annual heart attack game, Wake Forest.

1. What is the one thing that all the experts have wrong about this year’s Wake Forest team?
Chris's Sports Blog: The loss of Chris Barclay won't hurt as much as expected. In 2005 the senior RB became the first Wake Forest player to win the ACC's Offensive Player of the Year Award since 1979, so it would seem natural that his graduation would cripple a team that has had limited success over the past, oh, millennium. But Barclay, for as good as he was, always was more of a system runner. Just like any running back in the Denver Broncos backfield is nearly guaranteed a 1,000 yard season, Jim Grobe's ground-attack gives opportunities for big seasons to players that would languish deep on the depth charts of other ACC schools. (This is not to suggest the Deacs o-line is anything like the Broncos; for one thing they don't cheat nearly as much, but that's a topic for another day.) Let's just say that it's not coincidence Barclay went undrafted.

Without the reigning POY, junior Micah Andrews will carry the load for Wake. In the 2005 opener Barclay sat out because of a suspension and Andrews nearly set a school record in his stead, rushing for 254 yards against a solid Vanderbilt team. Andrews won't win POY honors, but the Deacs rushing attack should be fine in his hands.

2. The team struggled last year when Mauk started. Any reason to think things will be different this year?

Chris's Sports Blog: Not really. Mauk was Jim Grobe's most heavily hyped recruit after setting national records as a high school quarterback in Ohio. But ever since he threw an 85-yard TD pass on his first throw in college, Mauk has been a relative disappointment. He looks and acts the part, but has always been mistake-prone when he's on the field. Perhaps the graduation of Cory Randolph will help though. After starting the first few games in '05, Mauk was pulled for the senior and didn't get back on the field until an injury forced Randolph to the sidelines. It's possible that without a reason to look over his shoulder (Mauk's backups will be redshirt freshmen), the junior QB will be able to shine with a longer leash.

3. Everyone in the ACC thinks highly of Grobe, but what do Wake fans think? Is there any frustration with the whole “he gets a lot out of his talent, but they still lose” mentality?

Chris's Sports Blog: The Jim Grobe lovefest has always been a bit baffling, not because Grobe's a bad coach but because he really hasn't done all that much at Wake to deserve such praise. After a promising start in 2001, Grobe led the Deacs to a bowl victory in 2002. Wake finished 7-6 that year, but lost three winnable games in the final seconds. After that season, the "Grobe is great" chatter began and it was widely assumed he would leave Wake Forest for a better job within the year. Expectations were high in 2003, but the team struggled, bottoming out in a 51-17 loss to Division I-A newbie Connecticut. It was more of the same in '04 and '05; the Deacs would win close games against good opponents (BC in '04, NCSU and Clemson the following season) but couldn't close out the likes of Vanderbilt and North Carolina.

It's clear Grobe is a good program builder, but his end-of-game strategies have always been baffling. Too many times Wake lets the clock run down during the two-minute drill, or calls for a running play on 4th and 2 when a pass is clearly needed. At some point the 'bad luck' argument fades and it becomes clear that the Deacs lose close games for a reason.

Having a successful football team at Wake Forest is difficult. Beyond Brian's Song there is no football history at the school, the university has the smallest enrollment of all BCS schools and has a suburban campus, making recruiting against Florida teams and schools located near cities (hello, BC) extremely difficult. So, in that regard, Grobe has done well just having the Deacs competitive. At some point, however, the team has to take the next step; the "next step" being consistent presence in the postseason. It's nice that ACC schools don't regard Wake as a pushover anymore, but that's not Grobe's ultimate goal. He wants to be a perennial contender for a bowl game and maybe sneak in an upset or two.

This will be Grobe's sixth year in Winston-Salem. Nobody realistically expected him to be there longer than three. It's not by choice. Had the Deacs lived up to expectations in 2003, Grobe would be on a sideline somewhere else. But those teams failed, much as Grobe has. Like I said earlier, Wake is no longer a doormat, but at least there's some pride in being a doormat. Seasons that begin with high expectations and end with records of 4-7 are just plain depressing.

4. The last three BC-Wake games have come down to the final two minutes? Care to make a premature prediction about this year’s game?

Chris's Sports Blog: Down 20 with 3:00 left to play, Wake will score two quick TDs and recover an onside kick down six points. Holding all three timeouts, the team will get down to the Eagles one-yard line and have four shots to get in the endzone in the game's final 19 seconds. After calling for three consecutive fullback smashes that go nowhere and using all three timeouts, Grobe's team will face a do-or-die 4th and goal from the one-inch line. Grobe will instruct Ben Mauk to lineup in a shotgun, whereupon he will promptly get sacked for a 47-yard loss.

Check out Chris's Sports Blog for a litte more on Wake and a lot more on the Redskins.

Bowl Plan predictions

The ACC Football meetings are just around the corner and the big news will surely be the new Bowl alignments and agreements. BC should be the focal point since our experience of getting passed over and sent to Boise is driving the new deal. Nothing has been announced but I am making a prediction on how it will work. And sorry BC fans, this doesn’t mean we will avoid San Fran, Boise and Nashville in the future.

1. The Bowls will still have a choice. This just makes good sense. The ACC wouldn’t be much of a partner if it forced teams on bowls. The bowls need ticket money to sustain their existence and lousy matchups will kill a bowl. Plus as attractive as the ACC might be now, there are plenty of other conferences that would gladly swoop in and agree to anything the bowls want.

2. Look for some sort of provision regarding conference record. This is similar to what we had in the Big East. This format allows the bowls to pick a team with a worse conference record than another eligible team as long as they are no more than a game behind the neglected team in the standings. For example, the Charlotte Bowl could not have passed on BC or Georgia Tech (both 5-3 in conference) last year to take NC State (3-5 in conference). However, Orlando selecting Clemson (4-4) over BC would have been acceptable.

3. There will still be backroom dealing. As we know, this is what the ACC does best. The ACC is a good partner and wants to bowls and the teams to be excited about their games. So reviewing last year’s scenarios, I can assure you that the ACC would have done something to get a regional team to Charlotte. If it couldn’t place NC State there, they probably would have positioned Clemson into the game. It just makes sense. The backroom dealing will also be very important with the Gator Bowl-ACC Championship challenges. Despite their success hosting Virginia Tech twice last season, I don’t think there will be many years where the Gator Bowl will want the loser of the ACC Championship game to return three weeks later. With the two divisions it is highly probably that there will always be a desirable team available to “swap” their bowl slot into the Gator Bowl in place of the ACC Championship game loser.

Boise is now the slot for the Eighth place team, so anyone who ends up there won’t have much to complain about. I don’t think this will change BC’s fate, but it will be a little more protection. As I said over the next five years I think you’ll see BC in San Fran and Boise more often than you will see them in Atlanta, Orlando or Jacksonville.

Previews and more OLine stuff

More previews are rolling out.

You can read Athlon's abbreviated version here via SI.com.

Most of ESPN's Blue Ribbon previews are Insider only. Fortunately for us they are giving away access to the BC version.

Here is a nice article on another one of our Offensive Line commits.

Keep it quick

Just a few news links today...

BC received another much needed OL commit over the weekend. Arthur Ray Jr. comes from a strong program and had some good offers from which to choose.

BC rightie Terry Doyle threw a no-hitter in the Cape League this weekend.

Here is a write up on another BC OL commit, Thayer's Nathan Richman.

Blackmon signed his deal with the Packers.

Grade inflation

When Auburn finished just behind BC (fourth overall) in the N.C.A.A.’s new rankings of student athletes’ academic progress, most were surprised. The school has never been known for its scholar football players. Now we have a better understanding of a factor in the school's recent academic success.

Jocks get away with a lot in college (and often get into schools they otherwise don't belong). It has been going on for decades and always takes a little bit of the fun out of collegiate athletics (for me, anyway). I’d like to think that if everything went professional and we gave up the sham of student athletes these things would go away. Unfortunately they won’t. There’s cheating at every level of sport. Even if colleges dropped all athletic scholarships and just put together local club teams, someone would still find a ringer or employ some illegal gimmick.

And not to say BC is above it all. There are certainly guys who wouldn’t get in if they couldn’t play a sport. And there are certain classes that are much easier than others. Yet, BC makes these guys and girls go to class and will sit them if they don’t follow the school rules. We’re not perfect, but I do take pride in my school doing things right and better than most.

Position Analysis: Defensive Backs

Like last year, this offseason I will roll out a series of position reports to give you my analysis, expectations and hopefully point out something you did not know. This installment covers the Defensive Backs. (Read Part I: WRs and TEs here, and Part II: Running Backs here, Part III: Defensive Line here, Part IV: Special Teams here, Part V: Linebackers here, Part VI: Quarterbacks here, Part VII: Offensive Line here).

Projected Starters
CB -- Dejaun Tribble, JR, 5’9, 189 lbs
FS -- Jamie Silva, JR, 5’11, 205 lbs
SS -- Ryan Glasper, SR, 6’0, 207 lbs
CB -- Larry Anam, SR, 6’0, 192 lbs

Other guys who should see time
CB -- Taji Morris, JR, 5’10, 180 lbs
CB -- Razzie Smith, FR, 5’9, 174 lbs
CB -- Brad Mueller, JR, 5’11, 175 lbs
S -- Paul Anderson, SO, 6’1, 207 lbs
S -- Marty Bowman, FR, 6’2, 208 lbs

The BC Secondary is often the victim of design. Let me explain. Last season we ranked 9th in the ACC in passing. You would figure that this meant our guys couldn’t hang in the new conference. Not exactly. The ranking is driven by yards allowed in the air, for which BC allowed 217 a game (in conference). However, the guys only allowed 2.9 yards per catch -- tied for 3rd in the conference. This speaks to the bend but don’t break philosophy. Spaz asks the guys to play soft coverage but swarm the ball as soon as it is caught. Teams will dink and dunk on us up and down the field (the high pass yardage allowed), yet we play the odds that the drives will stall out and we will avoid the big play and score. It works well, for the most part. Hence when ranking the units Athlon and The Sporting News both picked our defensive backs as 3rd overall in the ACC.

The unit loses only one key contributor from last year (one of my favorites Jazzmen Williams). Into his corner spot steps Larry Anam. Anam is a converted safety who has had a few moments in the starting lineup. I often felt he looked lost out there and was a poor tackler. The move to corner should help since his assignments will be simpler (and in Larry’s defense he did improve his tackling last season).

The heart of the secondary is our two outstanding safeties: Jamie Silva and Ryan Glasper. Silva is nearly a fourth linebacker as he is quick to support the run and led the team in tackles. Glasper doesn’t get much pub but is very solid. These two play very well together and have good instincts. In fact the only game last year where they seemed out of sync was the bowl in Boise.

The other corner spot goes to Dejuan Tribble. Tribble is one of the most talented guys on the team. He had a bit of a sophomore slump and some have wondered if he is too restricted by our system (which puts in the corners in a lot of soft zones). I expect a big year (and no move to WR in his senior season).

The second team guys are a little more of a question mark. The secondary did not substitute nearly as often as the D-line and LBs did last season. Mueller and Anderson have looked adequate in their limited time. I’ve heard great things about Razzie Smith although he has never played a down. Taji Morris showed improvement through the season. Still, none of these guys are known commodities. Hopefully they will get worked in and prove themselves.

Upside

There is probably more speed in the secondary than we’ve had in years. Tribble can run with anyone in the ACC and Anam provides good size for a corner (now if he can just put it all together).

Final Prediction

The secondary lost two of its biggest friends in Kiwi and Ray Henderson. Kiwi sparked the rush on passing downs and Henderson was practically a third safety on passing downs. Those voides will hurt almost as much as Williams. However, the group is experienced and talented and should really come into its own this season.

News stuff

Chris Collins signed with the Bruins. Here is a nice article from his hometown paper.

Here is a follow up from the same paper on Collins and his connection with Stephen Gionta.

An Albany paper rehashes Josh Beekman's accolades.

BC grad Ed McLaughlin was named AD at Niagara. He becomes the youngest AD in the country.

BC target Stephen Garcia made ESPN's Top 150 list. The article also mentions recent commit Michael Peterson.

BC Idol

Jackie MacMullan wrote a nice article on incoming Freshman basketball player and American Idol semi-finalist Ayla Brown. This is just the first of what will surely be a huge wave of media attention for a female basketball player. Brown seemed pretty poised during Idol, so I am sure she will handle the attention well.

Blogger summer assessment: Clemson

Preview magazines don’t cover everything. National analysts can often be wrong. So who do you turn to when you want to get real scoop on an opponent? Answer: a fellow fan. In an effort to fill these dog days of summer with a few morsels of information, I’ve asked Peter from Tiger Pundit to give us a quick take on Clemson.

What is the one thing the experts have wrong about this year's Clemson team?

PF from Tiger Pundit: A lot of experts are expecting our defense to be as good as last year's, but losing a player like Tye Hill is a big loss. Teams may be able to pass on us a little more than they did last year. Then again, running against us could be very tough. Our linebackers, led by Anthony Waters, are excellent, and defensive end Gaines Adams is projected to be a first-round draft pick.

You have a lot of returning parts on offense including a second year with Offensive Coordinator Spence, yet will have a new QB. What do you think will give?

PF from Tiger Pundit: Hmmm. Well, I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way, but I don't really think anything will "give." Spence has made a name for himself already, we have all five starters back on the offensive line (according to the Clemson spring football media guide, we're a combined 39-9 all time in the four seasons when we've had all five starters back on the line), and QB Will Proctor is not completely inexperienced: He had nearly 300 yards passing last year in limited playing time and led the Tigers to a victory in last year's season opener against Texas A&M after Charlie Whitehurst got hurt. Proctor also started and led the way to a victory over Duke. But with ACC Freshman of the Year James Davis, tough runner Reggie Merriweather and freshman-superstar-in-the-making C.J. Spiller joining him in the backfield, Proctor may be more valuable as a field manager than someone we'll absolutely need to get a win. (That's a theory I've seen floated in some preseason stories.) Then again, he'll have some talented and experienced receivers to throw to (Chansi Stuckey, Aaron Kelly, Rendrick Taylor -- who is a monster and a hell of an athlete -- and Tyler Grisham).

Clemson is in most Top 25s and listed as sleeper to win the conference. What are your expectations for the season?

PF from Tiger Pundit: For the first time in quite a while, I am really optimistic about the season. I don't see us losing more than two games this year. Then again, I've felt this way about a couple of other Tommy Bowden teams and been severely disappointed. But it really feels like all the pieces are in place for a good season.

Finally, do you think Clemson will beat BC this year?

PF from Tiger Pundit: Don't hate me, but I think we will beat the Eagles this year. I'm expecting a tough, close game, though.

For more information on Clemson, please check out Tiger Pundit.

Boston fans

Believe it or not, these people decided to watch something other than the Red Sox game

The belief is Boston only cares about the Red Sox. The Old Towne team is the 800-pound gorilla in the market place, but the Hub is a huge region, with passionate people and diverse tastes. So next time you hear people say Boston doesn’t care about BC, don’t believe it. Look at BC’s TV ratings. They are great for a supposed under the radar team.

Yesterday was another reminder of how Boston fans will turn out for a good show and a winner. If BC were to break through and win something real (real conference, real bowl, etc.), it would be big in Boston. Real big.

Speed and stretching in the Summer

Very nice feature on BC's summer strength and condition program on ESPN.com. Be sure to check out the video package that includes interviews with Marten, Silva and Ryan.

In other news BC was named host for the 2009 NCAA regional to be held at the Garden.

Position Analysis: Offensive Line

Like last year, this offseason I will roll out a series of position reports to give you my analysis, expectations and hopefully point out something you did not know. This installment covers the Offensive Line. (Read Part I: WRs and TEs here, and Part II: Running Backs here, Part III: Defensive Line here, Part IV: Special Teams here, Part V: Linebackers here, Part VI: Quarterbacks here).

Projected Starters
T -- Ryan Poles, JR, 6’4, 301 lbs
G -- James Marten, SR, 6’8, 315 lbs
C -- Kevin Sheridan, JR, 6’3, 296 lbs
G -- Josh Beekman, SR, 6’2, 325 lbs
T -- Gosder Cherilus, JR, 6’7, 320 lbs

Other guys who should see time
OL -- Ty Hall, JR, 6’5, 296 lbs
OL -- Tom Anevski, JR, 6’4, 301 lbs
OL -- Carlos Huggins, SO, 6’6, 302 lbs
OL -- Pat Sheil, FR, 6’6, 270 lbs

Despite losing two starters to the NFL, the offensive line should be the strength of the team. All three returning starters made various preseason All-ACC and All-America teams. In my opinion Beekman was the team's best player last year and this year Beekman and Cherilus might make up the best right side in the country.

Marten is a very solid performer and should make an NFL roster one day. After auditioning at other positions, it looks like he will return to left guard. This is good. If the new cogs struggle, he may end up at Left Tackle (but I doubt it).

The only positions with any question marks are Left Tackle and Center. After a competitive Spring it looks like the new starters will be Kevin Sheridan (C) and Ryan Poles (LT). Both have plenty of in-game experience.

The Line has been the foundation of TOB’s success and I really don’t expect any drop off in the overall performance of the unit this year. The big guys are consistently evaluated well as recruits, coached well on campus and given schemes in which they succeed. Offensive line play is tricky and we do it better than most. Credit to TOB and position coach Horton.

Like last year, the second team guys should see some playing time. Hall, Sheil, Huggins and Avenski will all be in the mix. If either Poles or Sheridan struggle, Hall is the most likely candidate to become a starter.

Upside

In 2004 BC replaced three starters (Hoffman, Snee, and Leavitt). It could be argued that the new guys played better than their predecessors. There is no reason Poles and Sheridan could not outshine Trueblood and Ross, like Beekman, Marten and Cherilus did when they became starters in 2004.

Final Prediction

Trueblood and Ross were very good. Both are going to play in the NFL. However, Beekman, Cherilus and Marten had better seasons last year. After rewatching and grading all the games, I felt our returnees were more consistent than our future pros. I hope that explains why I have no worries about our Offensive Line performance.

I can be very critical of TOB, but he has earned plenty of slack when it comes to this unit. The "Offensive Line U" thing might not last forever, but it will not come apart this year.

Another sign of Fall (opening lines are posted)

As much as we try to play down our ties to illegal sports betting, there are still plenty of BC fans who like to wager a buck or two on the Eagles. So credit goes to Wizard of Odds for noting the opening lines. Since we kick off the season, we are the first game posted.

Currently BC is a 14-point favorite at CMU. I haven’t done my CMU research yet, but I don’t like us giving up that much in our opener (always a shaky game for BC) and on the road. Anyone remember Ball State in 2004?

Someone finally puts heat on Blumenthal

Despite its happy ending for BC, the Big East defection/ACC expansion was a public relations mess. Problems arose when the politicians got involved. One of the biggest grandstanders was Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. He turned Miami, Syracuse, and BC’s reasonable decision into his own personal crusade and claimed that the departing schools had duped the Connecticut tax payers and UConn. Well, we know how it ended.

Now Blumenthal is up for reelection and one of his challengers is wisely reminding voters how much time and money this gasbag wasted. I wished I lived in CT just so I could vote against Blumenthal.

When my outlook on recruiting changed

Summer is pretty slow for college sports. Your only options are to eagerly await the preview magazines or throw yourself into recruiting news. I like the preview mags, but tend to avoid the recruiting news. I’ll still keep tabs on BC’s commits (and so far the school is doing pretty well), but I try not to get overly excited about who is coming to BC and what they promise to do. I learned my lesson long ago. In fact if you just say the phrase “Hinds and Crosson” most BC fans will know exactly how I feel.

BC fans were often left out of recruiting news. Our players weren’t featured in Parade. You couldn’t call Tom Lemming’s hotline and hear about anyone going to BC. That all changed with the internet. Suddenly BC fans could follow the comings and goings of our recruits just like the big guys.

After a few seasons of hype (fed by Mike Farrell and former recruiting coordinator Al Golden) BC fans finally felt like they landed two can’t miss guys in Justin Hinds and Anthony Crosson. The two big New Jersey lineman were supposed to change BC football. Instantly dominate. Turn BC into an elite power. No one questioned if these guys were overrated. No one challenged Farrell’s bias or potential conflicts of interest. These guys were the foundation. Two to build around.

What happened? Nothing. The two can’t-miss kids barely hit the field. Injuries, attitudes, effort (or lack their of) all contributed to Hinds and Crosson’s disappointing careers.

BC wasn’t the first group of fans to face a blue chip letdown. This was just our highest profile bust(s) of the internet age.

I learned my lesson. I never pay for recruiting news and don’t count on anyone until they reach campus and actually hit the field. I don’t think much of Mike Farrell’s writing (but I am not alone there) or his rankings.

There are enough highs and lows involved with following BC, that you don’t need to waste your emotions on the comings and goings of high school kids. Recruiting is vital to a program's success. However, you should judge a class after their senior year of college, not their senior year of high school.

Spider bites and other news

Incoming Freshman Thomas Claiborne missed an All-Star game after being hospitalized with a spider bite. Yes, a spider bite. Weird. At least he is expected to make a full recovery.

Talk about early, early decision. Jerry York received an early verbal committment from current high school sophomore forward Jimmy Hayes. This sort of stuff is actually fairly common in hockey.

Josh Beekman made the Rivals preseason All-America First Team and is on the Outland Trophy watch list.

Kaydia Kentish signed with the women's basketball team.

BC grad Lesley Visser was named as the first woman to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Dana Barros’ curious career continues…he quit Northeastern after two months to go work for Mayor Menino.

Draft Day and other news

Tonight is the NBA Draft. Despite suffering an injury in the 'Nova game, Craig Smith is expected to be selected. Craig is undersized, but I like his pro prospects. I think his game is most similar to Corliss Williamson, who had a solid career as an NBA role player. Smith runs the floor better than Corliss did but does not have the mid-range shot that "Big Nasty" had. Craig could be great coming off the bench for many teams and can give a coach minutes at the 3 and 4 spot. Best of luck to Cookie Monster.

According to this article, Smith could land with the Pistons late in the Second Round.

This article lists Smith as the "sleeper" of the Draft.

Blogger David Glenn has another thorough piece on ACC talent as it relates to the Draft.

Switching gears to football, The Sporting News ranked the ACC stadiums. Alumni finished 10th. So far I've only been to Georgia Tech, Clemson and Wake. Clemson is in a league of its own, but Alumni is a better experience than the other too.

Here is an article on summer commitments. BC only has four at this point, but I expect the number to increase once camp closes.

Bob Ryan email exchange Part II

This is the second part of my email exchange with Bob Ryan. (Part I can be found here.) In this addition we wrap up the exchange as Bob touches on changes at the Globe, the place for bloggers and how BC will do this season.

ATL_eagle: You’ve seen and been a part of ESPN’s shift from coverage to heavy opinion. You’ve seen and been a part of sport talk radio’s growth. What is your take on the latest medium -- blogs? While I don’t have the platform that you do, some blogs clearly do. Yet with the blog I can reach a very specific audience, take angles, tones or topics that you and even Michael Vega [The Globe’s BC beat writer] cannot. And in something more closely related to your day-to-day, The Globe is consolidating its newsroom with Boston.com. So where do you think it is all heading and what role do you see bloggers playing?

Bob Ryan: With regard to the internet, blogs, etc., they are an unavoidable way of life. The instant communication represented by the internet has vastly altered the journalistic world and we are trying to find our way through all this. Joining forces more tightly with Boston.Com was inevitable. Now Boston.Com has an obligation to better itself. I find the site sloppy and annoying. It needs much better organization.

Jimmy Durante's famous line was "Everybody wants to get into the act." And now everybody can because anyone can blog. It's out there. Nothing we can do about it, except attempt to produce your material as best you can and write it better than any blogger could ever dream of in the hopes that some people care about good writing and, perhaps, insight that is unavailable to a blogger sitting in his cellar. All this extraneous stuff clouds the issues. It's all very different, and I'm glad I am far, far closer to the end of my career than the beginning, for many reasons.

ATL_eagle: One last question. Even though I’ve told myself I won’t get fooled again, I actually think BC will have a big year in football, win 10 games and play in a real Bowl. What is your prediction?

Bob Ryan: I haven't done any homework on BC football as of yet. About all I can say is that opening AT Central Michigan is ballsy and dangerous. That league is a menace to the big boys.

Bob Ryan email exchange Part I

Ealier this year in a BC preview on Deadspin I played off of Deadspin’s “Jerky Columnist” series by noting that Bob Ryan and Mike Lupica are both BC grads. While I don’t know Lupica, I have met Bob Ryan few times and can tell you he is not a jerk. In fact when I was at BC he was more than willing to come on student radio halftime shows and give his opinion on anything. Despite our meager audience Ryan would rant and rave for 10 minutes as if he were on the Sports Reporters. It was appreciated then and now as he is willing to pick up our conversations eight years later. Part I of our email exchange follows below, as we touch on BC’s potential and walking the line between journalist and alum. Tuesday I will post Part II where he touches on media, blogs and BC chances this fall.

ATL_eagle: The football season is just around the corner and the consensus from fans and analysts is more of the same for BC -- beat the little guys, lose to the heavyweights, finish about 8-4 and go to a third-tier bowl. This predictability is dividing the online fan base into two camps. One has the “we are what we are” mentality and is happy the BC runs a clean program that wins more than it loses. The other is growing frustrated by this glass ceiling and wonder if BC, and more specifically Tom O’Brien, will ever put it all together for one magical run. What do you think the upside of the program is? Can BC win the conference and real bowl game occasionally? After nine years should we expect more from O’Brien or should we just be happy that BC is a consistent winner?

Bob Ryan: I believe many BC fans take the basic success of both the basketball and football teams for granted.

BC is at a distinct recruiting disadvantage in comparison to prime rivals. The fact is that there are more (qualified) kids in high school who are looking to go to a school where their college sport is a dominant local fan and media topic than there are (qualified) high school kids who would appreciate all that a BC has to offer and are willing to accept less coverage and adulation because Boston is essentially a pro town.

I believe what BC has done in the last several years under Al Skinner is tremendous, and no more can be expected. Asked, yes. Hoped for, yes. Expected? No.

I sympathize with those who love football and who yearn to take that final step. It would be nice. But I personally don't expect more. I'm happy BC scared Notre Dame away for a while; that's for sure. But I don't expect BC to be a Top 10 team.

What did hurt, without question, was the Syracuse game in '04. I was appalled by the lackluster performance in such a big game. I would think the blame would have to start with Tom O'Brien, but he didn't miss the tackles or play with such a lack of emotion. I ripped them in print and I ould do so again.

I also think people underplayed beating the likes of BYU and Clemson on the road last year. I was in attendance at both, and I tried to convey the difference in emphasis and the general atmosphere. It's an entirely different world out there when a college team is THE focus. It just is, and it will never be that way for either BC football or basketball.

Summation: BC is pretty lucky to have Tom O'Brien. Remember the circumstances under which he came here. I'm surprised he's still here.

But I must stress that I care more personally about basketball, and have always been more of a football alumni front-runner. When the football team is down, I'm not as upset as I am when it's basketball taking hits. File that under full disclosure.

ATL_eagle: You won't find a bigger fan of Al Skinner than me. O'Brien is a much more difficult guy for me to get a hold of...even after nine years. There are so many things I like and I am thankful for, but the "what the hell happened" losses every year really take their toll as a fan. I understand the limitations of BC (school, location, etc.) but in the past fifteen years we've seen schools like Northwestern and Stanford play in BCS games. Why can't BC? Why can't O'Brien? And since you mentioned you tend to be an "alumni front-runner" and as a veteran writer with a good nose for spin and BS, do you sometimes get the sense that the Football program is constantly spinning their accomplishments (six bowl, winning seasons, grad rates) and slipping in excuses about BC's lack of tradition and tough academics and worst of all the rehashing the gambling scandal. It's been ten years -- as an alum I am tired of hearing about what a mess it was. Henning and the scandal were horrible, but he also left behind two Hasselbecks, Hovan, Damien Woody, etc. Do you think the spin would fly at Notre Dame, Alabama, etc? And since BC is under the radar in Boston are you able to write more as a fan/alum when writing about the Eagles than you would writing about the Pats or Sox?

Bob Ryan: A to last Q: Not really. I put it aside when I write about BC. Again, I don't get all worked up over football. I pretty much take it as it comes,with the exception of that horrible Syracuse display…

Northwestern had the one flicker under Barnett. Stanford? Big time in every way. No comparison.

ATL_eagle: Stanford big time? They’ve had some high points, but so have we. But this is not about the Cardinal. It’s about BC.

As you’ve said, you are generally proud but have been critical at times (most recently with BC’s decision to end the Holy Cross basketball series). Yet when you take a stand one way or another, you get skewered on the BC message boards because some feel you are being disloyal to your alma mater. Do you care what fans and alumni think about your stances?

Bob Ryan: I find it discouraging that in this day and age there are people who are so unsophisticated they don't understand a writer's role. If I'm writing about BC, I am doing so as a writer from the Boston Globe, not as Bob Ryan, BC '68. My job isn't to kiss-ass. When they do something good, like produce some very entertaining and worthy basketball teams in the last few years, or produce, as usual, excellent hockey teams, I write nice things. When they do something bad, such as mail in a vitally important game against Syracuse, or stink up the joint against Texas in the NCAA, I say so. When they do things of which I do not approve, such as leave the Big East to join a conference where they do not belong, I say so. When they drop Holy Cross in basketball, which is downright shameful, I knock them. So what they say in the chat rooms really doesn't concern me if their problem is my alleged "disloyalty" to BC. Did these chat room critics appreciate my Jack Concannon column? Probably not.

I treat BC as a journalistic enterprise the same as I do BU, Harvard, Northeaster or Northern Arizona. Occasionally I pull rank and reminisce about BC happenings, sure. Otherwise, I play it straight.

I like and admire Gene DeFilippo, even though I am opposed to his pet thing, the ACC deal. He knows this and I do not believe it has interfered with our friendship because it's business, not personal. I loathed Chet Gladchuck. That was no secret. I loved Bill Flynn. That was no secret, either.

PART II

Mass football

Massachusetts was never known as a football hotbed. Other sports dominated and the competition and coaching was considered below that of places in the Midwest and South. Due in part to the Patriots’ success things are changing and more kids are playing football. If things are getting better and if better athletes pick football, BC should benefit. One example is the number of kids going to BC from this All-Star team. Now there are still doubters out there who question the quality of these prospects. We’ll see what happens. TOB has the most at risk. If these guys blossom and are the sign of things to come, TOB’s recruiting job just got a lot easier. If they fail and the team struggles, people will point to this recruiting class.

Stuff to read

The USA Today ran an ACC basketball notebook with BC featured first (yeah for alphabetical order). It includes some good quotes from Dudley and Skinner.

Craig Smith may get drafted afterall. Things are looking better and he is nearly recovered from his wrist injury.

Andy Katz is probably the most BC-friendly national writer (his dad is on the faculty). Backing the Eagles has proved fruitful since we continue to exceed national expectations. This year he has us as a preseason Top 25 team. One thing to look forward to later this summer or early fall -- Andy alerting us of this year's stud freshman. My guess is the coaching staff gives him the heads up based on the first practices and he then slips the little nugget into the Notes section of a column.

While we are not getting much respect with the mainstream football media, a few bloggers think we might have a really good year. In their roundtable answers, Sunday Morning Quarterback and Burnt Orange Nation picked us as their underrated team. I sort of agree with them. How are we not in anyone's preseason Top 25? TOB is a near lock for seven wins under most circumstances. With this year's joke of a schedule we should easily get to eight victories which would probably finish 23ish or so in the polls.

Position Analysis: Quarterbacks

Like last year, this offseason I will roll out a series of position reports to give you my analysis, expectations and hopefully point out something you did not know. This installment covers the Quarterbacks. (Read Part I: WRs and TEs here, and Part II: Running Backs here, Part III: Defensive Line here, Part IV: Special Teams here, Part V: Linebackers here).

Projected Starter
QB -- Matt Ryan, JR, 6’5, 221 lbs

Other Guy who should see time
QB -- Chris Crane, SO, 6’5, 228 lbs

In case you couldn’t tell, I am really excited about Matt Ryan’s potential. As his bio on bceagles.com notes: “Ryan has attempted and completed more passes and thrown for more yards and touchdowns in his freshman and sophomore seasons combined than any BC quarterback since Mark Hartsell in 1993-94.”

But this combination of experience and youth doesn’t assure success. Hartsell struggled in his final year. Quinton Porter and Brian St. Pierre both had issues in their Senior seasons too.

Ryan's numbers don’t assure success either. Yes, he throws downfield more often than Porter, but if you look at his career stats, they are strikingly similar to Quinton Porter’s prior to last season.

QB	Atts	Cmps	TDs	Rushing TDs	INTs	Yards
Porter entering 2005 season	270	154	14	2	7	1846
Ryan entering 2006 season	266	156	10	5	7	1864

We know how Porter’s breakout year ended. Will Ryan’s number continue to mirror the Maine Man’s? I don’t think so. And this is where my confidence in him becomes much more subjective. There is an air about Matty "Ice". Peterson had it. St. Pierre and Porter did not. This doesn’t mean the "it" guys are always going to play the perfect game and not make mistakes. This intangible thing is a combination of toughness, confidence, athletic ability and personality that is vital for a quarterback. Exhibit A is the Clemson game. He went into a hostile building, took a beating (see the video clip) yet got up and did enough for us to win.



Exhibit B would be the Wake comeback. He pulled off a miracle comeback against a team that had stolen games from us the prior two seasons. Momentum shifts like that can carry a team.

Ryan's record as a starter now stands at 5-1. Call me crazy, but I feel like we have a chance every time he plays. I never felt that way with St. Pierre or Porter. I did with Peterson. Yet there is no way to measure this feeling or even really explain it. I like a good stat as much as I like a good story, so just take this little nugget for what it is worth: Ryan and Peterson are the only QBs to win at least five starts in a row under TOB. Peterson’s final record ended up at 12-2.

Now enough about what will happen and love letters to the Big Man on Campus. What do we need to know about Ryan the player? He is a big kid with a big arm. He can take a hit. He throws a nice deep ball. He has a good understanding of the offense and does not lock in on his primary target.

Things Ryan needs to work on: touch on the short routes and forcing things. It is a fine line between hero and goat. Ryan was heroic in the first half in Boise but nearly coughed up the ball on a scramble late in the game.

Chris Crane enters the year as the primary backup. We haven’t seen much of him on the field. Reports from practice have been good. He fits the TOB Bible model of big guy with a brain. Hopefully our early games won’t be close and he can get some quality playing time in case he is needed later in the season.

Upside

The new Eagle in Atlanta Ross Applegate is likely to redshirt meaning Billy Flutie will probably enter the season as the emergency quarterback. I know it is just a name, but it will be cool to see Flutie on the back of a quarterback’s jersey.

Final Prediction

I think this will be a big year for BC. Most of that is based on my faith in Matt Ryan. He has the potential and enough pieces around him. Let’s hope it all comes together.

More magazine stuff

Well, I did it. I bought The Sporting News College Football Preview. Last week, I said I wasn’t going to buy it but found myself skimming it at Borders. A day later I broke down and said “what the hell?” Now after the inevitable letdown, I have sworn that I am done and will not buy Lindy’s or any other preseason publication. There is nothing BC-related left to learn. In order to save you a few bucks, here is what the different publications are saying about the Eagles.

Phil Steele’s College Preview Magazine
Overview: the best of the bunch, but I am not as enamored as some bloggers. He has the best stats and makes the most claims, but as Ian said, Steele spends way too much time hyping his past predictions in his goofy hieroglyphics.

What did he say about BC? He ranked BC 41 nationally and 3rd in the Atlantic.

Steele is very high on Marten and Cherilus. Both were listed ast 3rd team All American. Toal made the 3rd team too. He has Beekman is in Top 10 Guards. He thinks less of Matt Ryan (25th) and Whitworth (45th) relative to their peers. Dunbar, Raji and Tribble also made his national position rankings at 30, 51 and 16.

What didn’t make sense to me was how he could have so many of our Lineman ranked high nationally but only place the unit as 14th overall. Is he really expecting that much of a drop off from the new starters?

When he ranks ACC players, BC guys place pretty well. All the previously mentioned guys received some sort of honor in addition to Silva and Ramella making 4th team ACC.

As hollow as some of Steele’s formulas are, I do give him credit for his Special Teams ranking. And he is the first guy I’ve read in print to take TOB to task for our special teams. According to Steele, TOB coached teams have never ranked higher than 57th in his formula and reached a low point in 2003, when we were one of the worst in the country -- 114th.

Steele has us as a Bowl team.

The Sporting News Preseason Magazine
Overview: They are lite on stats and big on storylines. Not much unique BC content. I bought it more for the other teams. I love the anonymous quotes from coaches, but this year they weren’t as venomous.

What did they say about BC? They are more enthused about our prospects nationally than Steele. TSN ranked BC 29th nationally. Like Steele they see us as the third best team in our division.

They are very high on my 2005 MVP Josh Beekman. He made first team preseason All American. However, not one BC unit cracked their national unit rankings.

Marten and Toal made 2nd team All ACC.

The Sporting News also ranked the ACC recruiting classes. BC finished 7th; Farrell was their source so bias must be noted.

They are down on our Wide Receivers and Defensive Ends. I am unsure about the Ends, but I think people will be very surprised by the production of our WRs. Gonzo is very good. Challenger will be as productive as Lester and I think Robinson could have a breakout season.

TSN also called our staff “underrated” and said BC will be a Bowl team.

Athlon Atlantic Coast Preview
Overview: Glossy and pretty empty. I bought it because it was the first one to hit the stands. Like TSN, it is big on storylines.

What did they say about BC? They ranked us 36 nationally and 3rd in the Atlantic.

Athlon’s claim that TOB is underrated has been well documented.

They ranked our recruiting class as 9th overall in the ACC.

Most of the guys previously mentioned made some sort of ACC team. They were very high on transfer Jon Loyte. They also mention the importance of Jake Geiser.

While I give credit to The Sporting News for their blind quotes, Athlon quoted one opposing coach saying that TOB stuck with Porter too long.

Finally, they are the only magazine that thinks our Bowl streak is at risk. That is one thing I am not worried about. Our schedule is designed for us to go bowling.

OT: Goofing off in the Mods

Some things never change. If the Diet Coke Mentos things existed when I was in college, someone I know would have tried this. BC doesn’t have an engineering school, but these guys are doing us proud.

News roundup

This article on the transition between the NCAA and NFL features Derrick Knight. They artribute a lot of the challenges to size, but I really think scheme can mask a player's true talent at the college level. The primary back at BC will put up huge numbers -- it is a given with the offense. However, in the NFL without our scheme and line, it is a whole new game. All this writer has to do is look at QBs from a school like Texas Tech and measure their transition. It hyperbole, but you could plug any joe off the street in some of these situations and watch him succeed.

Incoming freshmen Alex Albright was one of defensive standouts at this Ohio All-Star game.

More Big East embarassment -- West Virginia came out nearly $1.3 million in the hole following their lawsuit against BC and the ACC.

Father's Day

Note the BC sleeper --
indoctrination starts early in my house.

Blogpoll Roundtable: Summer Magazines

Roundtable time again. In this addition, the bloggers are giving their thoughts on preseason magazines and the overrated and underrated teams of 2006. Check out The Ciskie Blog to see what other bloggers had to say. My answers are below.

Which preseason college football magazine is your favorite?

While I have major complaints with all of them, I think Steele does the best job. My biggest problem is that I follow a mid-level team…intensely. And rarely do any of these mags dedicate anytime to BC, include BC players or units in their “unit rankings” or even include anything I don’t already know about BC. I understand that the business angle of putting all your resources into covering the marquee teams. It is just that as a fan of an “others receiving votes” team it can be a letdown. I can only imagine what it is like when your team is not in a BCS conference.

One other thing on the magazines, I didn’t buy the Sporting News version this year, but I love their catty anonymous quotes from other coaches. Only in college football will you see that sort of stuff.

What team is being supremely overrated in the preseason rankings?

Maybe I am missing something, but why are people so high on Clemson? Tommy B. has shown the Tom O’Brien like ability to plateau around 7 or 8 wins, but I don’t think he is ready to win the conference -- not with a new quarterback. They’ve softened their out of conference schedule, but the slate still includes Spurrier and games at FSU, at VTech and at BC. I say they are a borderline Top 25 team, not a conference champion.

Turn the tables. Who is underrated?

Navy. They have an experienced team and a manageable schedule. I think they might end up with seven, possibly eight, wins.

Which conference will be the best in 2006?

While all the majors conferences seem pretty even, I think the Big XII might be the best. Two heavyweights in Texas and Oklahoma. An always dangerous Texas Tech. An emerging Nebraska. KU’s D and Hawkins in Boulder. It should be an interesting season.

Which "non-BCS" conference will be the best in 2006? Which non-BCS conference team will have the best season?

I have really no idea. I am still digesting the preseason mags and trying to make sense of it all. Forgive my bias, it is just that I only turn my attention to the “non-BCS” teams when it comes time for BC to play one of them in a Bowl game.

Let's get your first read on this one...who will win the H*i*m*n? Oh, by the way, players whose last names begin with the letter "Q" are ineligible.

Despite the restrictions I will go with Brady Quinn. I think he'll put up huge numbers...gigantic numbers...“I can’t believe they scored 40 again” type numbers. If their defense is somewhat decent, the Irish should finish in the Top 5 and make his Heisman a slamdunk.

"Some kid named O'Dowd is on Line 1 for you"

I am only a casual observer of recruiting news, so the uniqueness of this story caught my eye. There will be more than enough open slots on our offensive line in the near future, so O'Dowd’s interest is welcome. The more curious aspect is why didn’t our staff realize how interested a highly-touted kid like O'Dowd was until he reached out to BC? Now let’s close the deal.

"Goes after the media like no one else."

The above quote is my Blogroll desription of Gunslingers. I occasionally take the Boston coverage to task, but LD really hits the mark whenever he takes aim at ESPN. His latest post hits on a topic near and dear to most BC fans' hearts -- the mainstream and oldline media obsession with Notre Dame. Read and enjoy.

Raider Ricky Brown and other news

Here is a nice article on Ricky Brown and his first days as a NFLer. The best line of the piece goes to Warren Sapp, who said Brown is the whitest guy on the team and has the blackest name.

Brian Toal was added to the Bednarik Award Watch List. I know this is based on repuation...I hope it is also a sign that his health is improving.

CMU is already thinking about their opener against BC.

The Braves drafted Ryne Reynoso last week.

Former BC star Andrew Locke was the Dodgers' Minor League Player of the Month.

Former BC star Amber Jacobs is considered a key to the Minnesota Lynx's season.

Position Analysis: Linebackers

Like last year, this offseason I will roll out a series of position reports to give you my analysis, expectations and hopefully point out something you did not know. This installment covers Linebacker. (Read Part I: WRs and TEs here, and Part II: Running Backs here, Part III: Defensive Line here, Part IV: Special Teams here).

Projected Starters
OLB -- Tyronne Pruitt, JR, 5’11, 218 lbs
MLB -- Jolonn Dunbar, JR, 6’1, 244 lbs
OLB -- Brian Toal, JR, 6'1, 238 lbs

Other guys who should see time
LB -- Mike McLaughlin, FR, 6’0, 245 lbs
LB -- Kevin Akins, SO, 6’2, 205 lbs
LB -- Robert Francois, SO, 6'2, 235 lbs

This unit should be the strength of the team. The group has speed, football smarts, good size, depth and experience on its side. Inevitably Linebackers are critical to any defense, but as I said in April, I was very encouraged by the productivity of the Linebackers last year. For the first time in a long time, the second team saw significant playing time. And when given the chance they stepped up. Now despite losing two starters, we will field a group that has onfield experience under their belts.

The biggest question mark remains Brian Toal’s health. When healthy, he is arguably the best athlete on BC’s roster -- a good special teamer, a good goalline back and a Linebacker looking for the big play. The big play mentality hurt him last season as he missed some tackles and was out of place on a few others. I don’t expect that to be an issue this year. I think his continued maturity and wake-up call from injury will provide a discipline to his play that was missing last season. Things I don’t know: if he will be on the weakside as much this year or how he will be used in blitz packages? He is a playmaker and a healthy Toal should be a first team ACC Linebacker.

One of the biggest surprises of last year was the play of Jolonn Dunbar. The converted RB came on and immediately made an impact. He became our best open-field tackler and seemed very comfortable running the defense from the middle. While he didn’t get the picks that Ray Henderson did, his play was dynamic enough to knock a few balls lose.

Tyronne Pruitt will get the other starting spot. Although he didn’t make the same impression as Dunbar, he still played very well last year. He’s smaller than Ricky Brown, so I don’t know how Spaz will use him as a starter (weakside or strong side). I remember him looking totally lost in coverage against Clemson. By Boise State he looked like a pro.

Upside

Two guys who have never played a down as Linebackers for BC could also pay big dividends. One is Redshirt Freshman Mike McLaughlin. He is a local product who was heavily hyped during recruiting. Early word from practices is that he is the real deal and will get time spelling Dunbar. The other exciting move was seeing Kevin Akins listed as a Linebacker. Coming over from Corner surprised many. But in this defense, the Linebackers are asked to do more than the Corners, so I am all for putting a tweener like him in the middle. Hopefully he will adjust quickly.

Final Prediction

It’s pretty obvious that I like what our Linebackers have to offer. Although our depth serves as insurance against injury problems, I hope everyone starts the year healthy. A good rotation made a huge difference last year and if we are limited to four players instead of six regular guys, things might start to break down. I think the defense will surprise people and that Dunbar and Toal will make All-ACC teams.

The Globe's Year 1 review

This article in the Globe got people talking. Some critics looked at it as an example of Gene spinning about our successes, failures and future in the ACC. I didn't see it that way. Gene was being honest. I live down here and do think BC will continue to struggle in Spring sports. What some see as excuse making, I see as reality. However, there is no reason BC can't build its Spring Sports programs to ACC championship caliber...and that should be part of the bigger picture when looking at this article or evaluating BC's move to the ACC.

The move was not made for the 2005-2006 year. It was a huge decision designed to do what is best for the school for the long term. Our decision makers looked at the long-term horizon and said this is where BC needs to be. It wasn't about competing this year. It was about competing every year. To do that BC will need to build better facilities, deal with harsh weather and find better athletes. The school can and should -- "ever to excel" and all that stuff.

If BC had won every ACC championship this year it still would have been too early to evaluate the move. 25 years from now will be a good time to look back and ask "should BC have stayed in the ACC?" If the answer is "no" (which I doubt) it won't be because our baseball field was used as a parking lot in 2006. It will be because BC didn't put the right people in the right places. The ACC move was the right one, but there is still much to do.

Position Analysis: Special Teams

Like last year, this offseason I will roll out a series of position reports to give you my analysis, expectations and hopefully point out something you did not know. This installment covers Special Teams. (Read Part I: WRs and TEs here, and Part II: Running Backs here, Part III: Defensive Line here).

Projected Starters
K -- Ryan Ohliger, JR, 5’9, 197 lbs
P -- Johnny Ayers, JR, 6’0, 186 lbs
R -- Dejuan Tribble, JR, 5'9, 189 lbs

Other guys who should see time
P/K -- Billy Flutie, FR, 6'2, 175 lbs
R -- Brandon Robinson, SO, 5'11, 191 lbs

Special teams will suck this year. (How is that for analysis?) Unfortunately as I have said many times, our special teams have been inexcusably bad for many seasons. We are the opposite of Beamer Ball. We’ve had bad coverage, bad kickers, bad snappers and bad luck. What can we expect this year? More of the same.

Ryan Ohliger will start the season as our place kicker. The good news is that he still has a pretty strong leg and will knock his share of kickoffs into the endzone. The bad news? He is a total head case and I cannot count on him to make even the simplest kick. I’ve read about his distance issues in some preview. I don’t agree. I’ve seen him kick the ball a long way. He just cannot do it under pressure. Ever since the 2004 Wake game where he missed some chip shots, he’s been all over the place. He lost his job at one point last year only to regain it when our walk on wasn’t much better. Let’s hope some offseason practice and an upperclassman’s perspective will make him a better kicker this season.

Johnny Ayers improved greatly from his Freshman to Sophomore years. However, our coverage around him did not. As CFN mentioned “the Eagles finished 102nd in the nation in net punting and 11th in the ACC.” Unacceptable. This must improve this year.

The brightspot of our special teams will be the returns of Dejuan Tribble. He is replacing BC’s most productive return man in Blackmon, but Dejuan has shown great ability and has returned punts for scores before. While not as dynamic as Blackmon, I still think he’ll give us good field position throughout the season.

Upside
Billy Flutie can supposedly kick and punt. If either veteran falters, it will be nice to see him come off the bench and try to win some games. And if the ability to perform under pressure is genetic, than we want him out there when the game is on the line.

Final Prediction
This year will be better than last, but still not great. I would be happy if we finish in the middle of the pack statistically in the different special teams categories.

Quick updates

Busy week and slow news. Friday I will continue the position preview. In the meantime...

BC moved quickly to fill the vacant Baseball coach position. Gene hired from within and named current assistant Mikio Aoki the new head man. Aoki does have head coaching experience although not winning record. Fortunately he knows the current guys and knows what it takes to win at BC. Best of luck to him. One other note, I think he is the first Asian head coach at BC. If anyone else knows of one prior to Aoki, please let me know.

Gene also took part in an online chat. Like the TOB chat, I applaud Gene for including some challenging questions. On the flip side, the format doesn't allow for follow up, so the spin on questions about our schedule can't be challenged. But it is progress. (So far Sports Information has ignored my requests for interviews with Bible and Spaz. Maybe Gene and/or TOB will agree to something this summer.)

Hughes leaving

BC baseball coach Peter Hughes is leaving Boston to takeover at Virginia Tech. Hughes built a great program and turned an underachieving unit into a perennial winner. Interesting that he said the high cost of living was his reason for the move. I wonder how much of a factor the cost of living is with other non revenue sports? Best of luck to Hughes. Now it is up to Gene to find the right guy and build on Hughes' foundation.

What did other coaches do after nine seasons?

Nine years should tell you everything there is to know about a coach. Yet I keep wondering if we are ever going to see TOB break through his current glass ceiling and win a true conference title or at the very least, a reputable bowl.

Although history is not always the best indicator, it can be enlightening. So I went back and tried to find coaches in similar situations to TOB and see where they stood through nine seasons and how they fared the following three seasons.

In order to compare apples to apples, I only selected coaches with the following criteria:

• Coached at least 12 consecutive, full seasons at a BCS conference school, and
• Began his tenure after the Division IA-IAA split.
  

The first real surprise? How few coaches were included on this list. High turnover is a given in coaching. However, in a sample that included 66 schools and a span covering 28 seasons, only 12 coaches lasted at least 12 seasons (some others will join the club in the next few years). That tells me that the odds are against TOB lasting another, say, five years and it also speaks to how unique TOB’s situation is: he exceeds the general expectations at BC, yet doesn’t generate much interest from better programs who might want to hire him away.

Regardless of this select club. One thing is clear -- few schools see an upswing in a coaches years 10th, 11th or 12th season.

News from around the web

Rivals is doing an offseason “where are they now” feature. Two BC heroes of old are included in the series (David Gordon and Gerard Phelan).

EDSBS reminded me, you can never see this play enough.

Craig Smith’s wrist is still hurting him. His inability to work out is also hurting his draft stock.

In other medical news, Will Blackmon broke his foot at Packer’s camp.

Who is the most important player of the 2006 season?

I am counting on a big year. An easy out of conference schedule and a solid QB has me thinking conference title. Yet a few plays or one player can make a difference between Boise and Pasadena. So who is the most important player of the season? Ryan? Silva? Toal? Nope. All are valuable. But we have enough of a team in place that we can still rally if one those guys falters. The real lynchpin is actually Jack Geiser. Who the hell is Jack Geiser you ask? He is the true freshman we’ve recruited as a Long Snapper.

Now I’ll admit that it is a bit of a stretch to say that the season rides on his ability to fling a ball accurately between his legs. But Geiser will play a pivotal role. BC special teams have been consistently sloppy for the past six or seven seasons. The low point came in 2003. That year BC had two punts blocked, our punter sacked, saw a bad snap fumbled away and another result in a safety. There were also plenty of wounded ducks and bad returns in 2003 that all started with bad snaps. The source of the miscues? Francois Brochu’s injury. Our reliable Long Snapper red-shirted and BC rotated a series of guys who couldn’t get it done. The field goals weren’t helped either by the erratic snaps. Special teams clearly cost us the WVU and Miami games that year and nearly cost us ND and Rutgers.

So now Geiser comes in with the weight of the world on his shoulders. I am prepared for BC special teams to be an inconsistent mess…they always are. But if Geiser can’t get it done, things will quickly go from bad to worse. Keep your fingers crossed and have the TUMs handy.

10 Years of TOB Part III: the 10 best off the field accomplishments

Part III of the series (Part I and Part II). A head coach is ultimately judged by wins and losses. Yet a college coach’s job entails a lot more than what happens on the field. He has to be part father figure, part salesman, part statesman, part CEO, part teacher, part strategist, and part cheerleader. While TOB certainly has his faults in these off field areas, most would agree he has been very successful when dealing with stuff outside the Xs and Os. So here is my list of his accomplishments. This has even more subjectivity than the other lists, so criticism and feedback are welcome. While the category is “off the field” some of these certainly come awfully close to game related. Ultimately this is a list of things outside of wins that TOB can claim as accomplishments.

10. Leveraging the O-line legacy. I won’t get into the challenges we have at the skill positions, but one thing TOB has done is produce great offensive lines. Part of this was due to the foundation he inherited. Part was due to his background as an offensive line coach. Part is based on the type of kids that want to come to BC. Whatever the reasons, the results are clear -- BC fielded some of the best lines in football under TOB.

9. Being a coaches' coach. For all the gripes fans might have with him, TOB is well liked by other coaches. Professional coaches, college coaches, and high school coaches have all sent their own sons to play for him. We also are a popular destination for transfers (meaning other coaches are comfortable with their players leaving for BC). And our staff turnover has been minimal. Championships are not won based on respect from your peers, but it does show you are doing something right.

8. Building a network at Catholic schools. This seems like such a no-brainer given the school’s affiliation, but surprisingly BC didn’t have the same inroads as Notre Dame when TOB arrived. Now we are a known commodity in Midwest leagues. We also have improved our network in New England, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. These schools have provided some of TOB’s best players including Kiwi, William Green and Brian Toal.

7. Taking a flyer on Paul Peterson. How many coaches found their best quarterbacks through the mail? An under-recruited JUCO slinger, Peterson sent videos to teams with holes at QB. BC was the first to take a chance. While credit is not solely due to TOB for offering him a scholarship, at the end of the day it is his staff and his call. In Peterson he got a great leader and great QB.

6. Dealing with William Green. Green has had a tough life. Left an orphan when both of his heroin-addicted parents died of AIDS. Raised by a man who later became a convicted sex offender. Green has battled his own addictions and been on the receiving end of a kitchen knife from the mother of his child. The most stable, productive and safe time of his life was when he was at BC. TOB suspended him twice, but also provided enough guidance to make him an All-American. When Green’s baby mama cut him, I remember reading about TOB reaching out to do what he could. I don’t know if Green listened, but at least TOB took the time and showed he cared.

5. Cleaning up the gambling scandal. This should be higher on the list. I bumped it down for a reason -- I am tired of hearing about it. I know the team was a mess and the whole program could’ve gone under permanently. TOB came in and righted the ship. For that I and many BC fans are grateful. But it is still being used as a crutch or justification for our current plateau. Some of it is the media’s fault for constantly bringing it up. However, I don’t think you’d hear about it as often if TOB and Gene didn’t seem to work it into every interview. Enough already. BC’s current roster is filled with guys who were in elementary school when it happened. It is no longer relevant. If TOB said “that’s old news” once, this would move up to No. 1.

4. Focusing on Notre Dame. I don’t like the general BC obsession with Notre Dame for various reasons. Yet the majority of fans savor every win over the Irish. TOB has used that game as a focal point for the season, his success and as a rallying point for the fans. And best of all, he’s won. Now he hasn’t beaten the best Irish teams of all-time, but BC fans don’t care. Bragging rights are what counts and TOB has provided.

3. Running a clean program. TOB is stubborn and principled. Unfortunately these qualities are not shared among all college coaches. He has suspended his best players for the biggest games. He has kicked future first round draft picks off the team only to see them excel at other schools. I am sure there have been exceptions over the years, but his guys are well behaved and represent some of the best aspects of Boston College.

2. Encouraging the Super Fans. BC fans are a strange lot. While many care as passionately as I do, we are still in the minority. Most who attend games and watch on TV, want to see BC win and hate to see the team lose, but the game is only part of the “Gameday” experience. Every tailgate is like a mini-reunion. The games are extremely social for the majority of fans -- not life and death events like they can be at some schools. So things like getting to your seats on time were less important than one more beer or one more hot dog. The tide slowly began to turn during the tail end of TOB’s first season. Some enterprisings Juniors started the Super Fan shirts. Now nearly a decade later, the whole student section is yellow and filled at game time. It is now cool for undergrads to care about who we are playing and if we win. While the credit primarily for the Super Fans movement should go to the guys who started it, TOB deserves a big chunk of it too. He encouraged these guys right away and by producing winning football for seven seasons, he gave the movement momentum. The older alums are still a “down in front,” arrive late group, but as more and more Super Fans graduate, the culture will change. Maybe 20 years from now the whole stadium will be loud, packed and yellow. If so, it will be in part because of TOB’s encouragement.

1. Graduating his players. Despite the ongoing debate over paying players, these guys remain student-athletes. While on campus they are expected to go to class, perform like other students, and graduate, all while playing their sport at a high level. Many schools have the high level of football down but ignore the classroom stuff. BC doesn’t. These kids go to class and come away with degrees. Sure there are plenty of “light” courses on these transcripts, but for the most part, these guys are regular students and their BC degrees mean something. BC was graduating players at a good rate before TOB got to Chestnut Hill. Since he arrived, things have only gotten better to the point where BC annually ranks in the Top 10 in graduation rates. O’Brien deserves credit for keeping this a priority and for delivering on the academic promise all coaches make to players but few rarely live up to.

Position Analysis: Defensive Line

Like last year, this offseason I will roll out a series of position reports to give you my analysis, expectations and hopefully point out something you did not know. This installment covers the Defensive line. (Read Part I: WRs and TEs here, and Part II: Running Backs here).

Projected Starters

DE -- Jim Ramella, SO, 6’4, 244lbs
DT -- Ron Brace, SO, 6’3, 343lbs
DT -- B.J. Raji, JR, 6’1, 337lbs
DE -- Nick Larkin, JR, 6’4, 244lbs

Other guys who should see time

DE -- Austin Giles, FR, 6’3, 283lbs
DT -- Jerry Willette, SO, 6’5, 261lbs
DT -- Keith Willis, SO, 6’1, 266lbs
DE -- Brendan Deska, FR, 6’5, 243lbs

Having lost one of the most decorated players in BC history (Kiwi) and a steady performer (Washington) many are wondering what we can expect from the defensive line this year. I am not worried. While the unit lacks experience, I think there is enough talent for the group to maintain its productivity.

B.J. Raji is a star. He’ll be more of a focus this season -- which will just open up things for the guys around him. Many will talk about his size and agility, but what impressed me about Raji last year was his motor. For someone carrying so much weight on his frame he has very good endurance and does not give up on plays. I think his ability to collapse the line was one of the main reasons our run defense improved in '05. Raji’s year might be easier if Ron Brace can stay healthy. He is a big boy too. I’ve heard many good things about him but he hasn’t seen the field much due to different injuries.

Nick Larkin is serviceable. I am sure he will continue to improve, but I don’t expect him to ever become a dominating player. One guy who I do expect big things from is Jim Ramella. This might seem unusual given my limited exposure and the criticism Ramella received, but I think the guy is ready for a big year. Watching him on second viewings, I really liked his instincts...especially for a true freshman. He was good at shedding blockers and was pretty disciplined on keeping contain. Despite his growing pains, I think playing as a true freshman is a huge endorsement from this staff. He still needs more weight, but I think Ramella will surprise people this year.

One area of concern for the whole unit is lack of depth. Over the past few seasons Spaz has rotated these guys in and out effectively. This season his second unit guys will be pretty green. Can we still use the same rotation? The back ups will learn on the job. Fortunately for BC the schedule doesn’t get really rough until October.

Upside

Various reports on Redshirt Freshman Brendan Deska have been positive. If Larkin or Ramella stumble, Deska might step up as a starter.

Final Prediction

This group just has to be average. The linebackers and DBs will carry this team. As long as Raji can remain disruptive, I think we’ll be okay. I don’t think things will ever get bad and with Brace, Ramella, and Deska, I think there is potential for this group to be better than anyone expects.

Issues with Preview Issues

I have a problem. I eagerly anticipate the national previews on BC every season and every season I am ultimately disappointed in the end result. I bought Athlon’s ACC Preview this weekend. I recommend it for the scouting reports on our opponents. The section on BC was pretty hollow. It rehashed most of the stuff we already know made the glaring mistake of calling Matt Ryan a Senior.

CFN produced another thorough but still lacking preview too. While I think they accurately captured the “good, but not great” issues, I don’t think they have a good feel for key parts of the team. I think many writers are discounting how good Ryan can be, don’t realize how important Beekman is, and no one is primed for a huge year from Dunbar. Maybe I am getting too excited about Jolonn’s potential, but everything about him showed promise last year. All he needs to do is improve his coverage skills and he could be all conference.

This is the problem with any national coverage: inevitably passionate fans will know more than the guy who writes the snippet on their team. That is why I wish the Globe and Herald would step up their coverage or add more analysis. Both papers have premium access and a great platform. Unfortunately their previews rarely uncover anything new.

Blogroll update

No news today, but I have updated my blogroll. Some of the additions are long overdue.

David Glenn does a great job with the behind the scenes issues in the ACC.

Joey from Straight Bangin' narrows his focus to strictly Michigan sports on his second blog Schembechler Hall.

Burnt Orange Nation covers all things Longhorn.

Kanu covers those sports you only care about part of the year like Horse Racing, Soccer, etc. at Dodgy At Best.

While the guys from CU Sporting News seem to be on a break, Tiger Pundit has picked up the slack with full coverage of Clemson sports.

ArmchairGM is a sports blog and wiki that will hopefully grow over the next few months.

Position Analysis: Running Backs

Like last year, this offseason I will roll out a series of position reports to give you my analysis, expectations and hopefully point out something you did not know. This installment covers the running backs. (Read Part I: WRs and TEs here).

Projected Starters

TB -- Andre Callender, JR. 5’11, 204lbs or
TB -- L.V. Whitworth, JR, 6’0, 220lbs
FB -- Mark Palmer, SR, 6’3, 245 lbs

Other guys who should see time

TB -- A.J. Brooks, SO, 6’0, 199 lbs
FB -- Survival Ross, SR, 6’0, 207 lbs
LB -- Brian Toal, JR, 6’1, 238 lbs

TOB always favored a featured running back. Two years ago, injuries and inexperience forced him to split carries among three Freshman. As you can see from the chart below, production fell. Last year, I assumed that he would eventually settle on someone and return to form. He didn’t. Brooks was out of the picture as a red-shirt, but Whitworth and Callender split carries. The total rushing numbers improved but running back by committee still proved less effective than TOB’s prior days using a featured back. This year will be a challenge. Splitting the carries three ways really doesn’t seem to help this offense (splitting between two RBs is questionable). I would like to see one guy become the featured back, but I don’t think it will happen.

Year	Yards Rushing	Attempts	Avg per carry	Rushing TDs
2005	1,740	449	3.9	21
2004	1,681	449	3.7	12
2003	2,367	557	4.2	23
2002	2,064	492	4.2	25

Last season the more we saw of 'Dre and L.V., the more each runner's Achilles heal became more noticeable. Whitworth has never shown true game breaking talent or the ability to allude tacklers. 'Dre’s effort seems lacking at times resulting in the occasional fumble and more than one trip to TOB’s doghouse. Based on his limited play, Brooks might be the most well rounded of the three.

As for the Fullbacks, Mark Palmer returns for his final season. A good pass catcher, Palmer improved as a blocker during last season's injury plagued campaign. Survival Ross also moves to Fullback in order to get more playing time.

Upside

Depth is a good thing. While I think Callender is our best option, I am pretty confident that all three will produce similar results in this offense.

Final Prediction

I think Brooks will get the short shrift. I also think parity and coaching preferences will have Callender and Whitworth splitting the carries. I would love to see one of them step up and think Callender is the one who can. He showed how tough he can be last year. He has the better skill. I hope his attitude/outlook improved this offseason.

One other note: Brian Toal was the most successful short yardage back we had last year. If he cannot play this season, BC will desperately need one of these guys to step up in goal line situations.

Is BC underrated heading into the season? and other links

Here is CFR’s quick look at the Top 5 teams of the major conferences. The obvious omission is Boston College. I like CFR and respect his work. As more and more preseason polls are released, I am realizing that his perception of the ACC is shared by many. I know BC fans can’t agree on how good we’ll be this year, but most BC fans do agree that the team will easily walk to eight wins. Why are the national guys less enthusiastic about our potential? BC has an light schedule and despite what CFR and others say, I still think the traditional ACC powers are in down cycles. Maybe the loss of Kiwi and the offensive line turnover have created some doubt. Who knows? What I do know is that something is really wrong if TOB doesn’t get to eight wins with this schedule.

In other news...

The ACC schools continue their strong academic showing.

Everyone is excited about ACC games coming to Fenway.