Blogpoll ballot Week 1

I've had a slight change in philosophy. In past years, I would always try to be consistent week to week on voting. If a team looked bad but won, they usually held their spot on my ballot. Not so this week (and maybe this year). Instead I will use a subjective mix of resume ranking and power ranking (meaning do I think they are the best team right now regardless of record). I grouped a bunch of the ACC teams together, since I think they are all in the same boat. Despite BC's hohum effort, I kept them ranked based on potential. Maryland is probably the biggest surprise. I know they barely won, but I think they are much improved and I think Navy will serve as a quality win for them. And as I said on Twitter last night, I am still not a believer in Boise State.


Games I watched
BC vs Weber State 100% (twice)
Michigan vs UConn 50%
LSU vs UNC 50%
Virginia Tech vs Boise State 100%
Tulsa vs East Carolina 50%
Notre Dame vs Purdue 20%
USC vs Hawaii 50%
South Carolina vs Southern Miss 50%
Florida vs Miami (OH) 25%

Eagle in Atlanta Ballot - Week 2

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama Crimson Tide	1
2	Oregon Ducks	2
3	Nebraska Cornhuskers	4
4	Arkansas Razorbacks	5
5	TCU Horned Frogs	5
6	Ohio St. Buckeyes	-5
7	LSU Tigers	--
8	Utah Utes	12
9	Wisconsin Badgers	8
10	South Carolina Gamecocks	4
11	Georgia Bulldogs	2
12	Boise St. Broncos	7
13	Penn St. Nittany Lions	-7
14	Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	-3
15	Michigan Wolverines	--
16	Texas Longhorns	-11
17	Iowa Hawkeyes	-2
18	Florida Gators	-10
19	West Virginia Mountaineers	-3
20	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	1
21	Miami Hurricanes	2
22	Florida St. Seminoles	--
23	Boston College Eagles	2
24	Maryland Terrapins	--
25	Virginia Tech Hokies	-22
Dropouts: Auburn Tigers, Pittsburgh Panthers, Stanford Cardinal

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

What Boise State's win means for BC

Now that they've cleared one hurdle Boise State will become one of the focal points of the college football season. "Will they go undefeated?" and "Should they be in the BCS Championship Game?" will be debated endlessly. In a way a Boise State run might be just what college football and BC need. If you get a Paper Tiger, small-market champion, the TV networks and the power conferences might finally break down and get a true playoff. BC needs to support any playoff effort since we are nonfactors in the bowl process. Under the current system BC will only get into the title game with a perfect season. With a playoff, we would only have to win the ACC. A playoff is more merited based. A playoff doesn't care about ticket sales. A playoff might mean home games at Alumni. A playoff will mean more money. BC needs to get behind the playoff movement. All that said, I think Boise will lose a regular season game this year and fall out of the discussion.

Meanwhile Virginia Tech looked like the team we have come to know so well. Plenty of speed, but stagnant offense and certainly vulnerable. That game will be a huge test for Spaz. Not only does he need to get the team ready for their first ACC game, but he also needs to develop a game plan that is not as conservative (cowardly?) as last year's VT game. Even with our problems, it is a winnable game.

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Weber State

The feature is still up but now posted over at Eagle Insider. Watching the game back made me feel better. The team did not play well, but still has real potential.

It's a start

A nice day. A nice win. A sloppy, sloppy game. Shinskie looked like bad Dave of 2009. The defense eased up and allowed Weber State too many easy passes. I am telling myself it is only Weber State, but part of me is concerned. They slept walked for long stretches and we cannot do that against quality competition.

The highlight was seeing 94 back on the field.

I'll have second viewing thoughts and grades up late Sunday.

In-game comments post: Weber State

The season is finally here and I don't think anyone is more excited than the Herzlich family. I don't expect much drama, but this post is for you to leave your thoughts throughout the game. You can also follow me on Twitter or join the discussion on the Eagle Insider message boards.

Game Day!

Thanks to Cypher for the great clip.

Game Watches: Weber State

This is Labor Day weekend and the game is on ESPN3.com (fka ESPN 360) so there are fewer game watches around. However, if your club is having one, post it in the comments and email me the info.

Chicago Game Watch
Trinity
2721 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60614-1413

Denver Game Watch
Big Game Restaurant & Lounge
1631 Wazee St
Denver, CO 80202

Season prediction Part III: what will happen

Forget the best and worst. These are my actual predictions for 2010. Last year I successfully predicted a 8-5 season, but didn't come close on our ACC record or how the bowl would play out. This year I think I have a better feel for our team's capabilities and our opponents. As I've been hammering home the past few weeks, I think this will be a special season. Here is how it will play out.

Weber State. Win. Not only do we win, but we get so far ahead that we get to play walk-ons.

Kent State. Win. Another dominant performance which includes the WRs looking much better than we could have anticipated.

Virginia Tech. Loss. A tough loss as the Hokies are determined to stop our running game and we cannot contain Taylor on defense.


Notre Dame. Win. I like Brian Kelly and think the Irish will be good this year. We will just be better. (Their defense will be their Achilles all year.)

At NC State. Win. We've had some weird games in Raleigh. I still have nightmares about the Hail Mary in 2006 and in 2008 Chris Crane put together the game of his life. I don't predict any strange occurrences this year...just a BC win.

At Florida State. Loss. Florida State played spoiler in 2005 and 2007. I think they add another blemish to an otherwise great year.

Maryland. Win. Even though we have controlled the series, I am always a little fearful of Maryland. Most of the games have been close and despite the slide to the basement of the ACC, I still respect Fridge. This season is more of the same as BC wins a close one.

Clemson. Win. Spaz makes up for one of the most embarrassing games of his first season with a decisive win here.

At Wake Forest. Win. I think Wake will have a down year which makes this a real trap game. But we hold on for the win.

At Duke. Win. Duke is headed in the right direction but we still control the game for the win.

Virginia. Win. This victory clinches the division and another chance at the ACC Championship game.

At Syracuse. Win. We rest many of our key players yet still win.

This scenario has us at 10-2 and 6-2 in conference. Like my "best case" predictions, I still have us winning the division and facing Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game. I think we beat the Hokies to go to the Orange Bowl. Like my "best case" I will say we play Texas but lose finishing a very respectable 11-3 and just outside the Top 10.

Hoops schedule and other links

The big news of Thursday was the basketball schedule. We knew most of the opponents. This was more of a matter of where they would fall on the calendar. We play Duke and Carolina back to back, which will test the team. We also have a tough stretch after the Old Spice Tournament. The biggest disappointment for me was the lack of TV coverage for our traditional New England opponents. As of now there is no TV for UMass, URI or Providence. Usually at least one of those would be on some TV somewhere.

One of the kids I can't wait to see play is Johnathan Coleman. If he plays well, his story will get told over and over.

This is not about BC, but is some of Spencer's best work. Read it if you are a football obsessive.

BC-Weber State preview

I believe this will be a special season for BC football. There are so many people, storylines, and factors converging at once. But if it is to be a season we never forget, you have to start things the right way and that means beating Weber State. The team needs to come out of this weekend unscathed and ready for the next challenge.

Narrative talking point that you’ll tire of by the end of the game.
"Hurricane Earl this...Hurricane Earl that." The storm is now a Category 2 and is on a path to glance by New England late Friday, early Saturday. It won't prevent Weber State from getting to Boston. It won't impact kickoff. It won't impact play on the field. Yet I think the broadcasters will probably talk about it...in part just to fill time. Unfortunately I do think the game will impact attendance. If people are without power or have flooded basements or just don't want to sit on wet bleachers, they will probably just stay home.

Three Simple Keys
1. Score early. I am not going to go as far as Spaz did in his praise for Weber State, but they are legitimate, solid FCS team. The longer they hang around, the more at risk the game becomes. BC needs to put up points early and not look back.
2. Get confidence in the passing game. I've been told the passing game will be conservative as the staff doesn't want to tip their hands before ACC play. I think that is a mistake. They need to challenge the young guys and get everyone comfortable. I would also like to see the backup QBs get some game action.
3. Stay healthy. This is a priority in any game, yet in a FCS game it is that much more important. We need to come out of this game whole.

Gambling Notes
-- BC has won six straight openers.
-- Weber State has not beaten a FBS team east of the Mississippi.
-- Weber State has never played an ACC team.
Because this is a FBS vs FCS game there is no line on the Saturday.

Factoid
This will be BC's first football game against a team from the Big Sky conference.

Scoreboard watching
The most important game of the weekend is Boise State vs Virginia Tech We need the Hokies to smash them. A resounding win helps the conference and practically eliminates Boise State from a BCS game

I hope to see…
The true freshman play well. If you are going to burn redshirts you hope it is for meaningful players.

BC is in trouble if…
We turn the ball over too many times. We cannot make this game interesting.

Outlook
No disrespect for Weber State, but I am not really worried about this game. I think we will control throughout the game and win with ease.
Final Score: BC 41, Weber State 10

BC Draft's Keys to the Game

This will be a weekly feature on Eagle Insider. Friday I will put up my Friday Focus on Eagle Insider. And there will be game day content as well.

Season Prediction Part II: best case scenario

This is the second part of the season predictions. I don't think the following will happen, but it could. This team and this friendly schedule have huge potential. Let's hope it plays out as follows.

Weber State. Win. A nice cupcake to start the season. Herzy's back. The offense looks great. No one gets hurt. Things start off well.

Kent State. Win. The defense starts to show its potential and pitches a shutout.

Virginia Tech. Win. A challenging game in prime time. Lots of big special teams plays on both sides. Lots of solid running from both sides. BC gets the edge with a better passing game and get their first big win of the year. They crack the polls the following Monday.

Notre Dame. Win. BC's defense forces a lot of turnovers and starts a new streak against the Irish.

At NC State. Win. It won't be the same level beatdown as the 2009 BC-NC State game, but the game is not close. NC State cannot stop BC's run game and BC puts the final nail in TOB's NC State coffin.

At Florida State. Loss. For the first time all season Shinskie looks bad. FSU's new zones frustrate him and he turns the ball over multiple times.

Maryland. Win. BC runs the ball over and over and eventually runs away with the game.


Clemson. Win. BC and Clemson play another close game, but Herzy comes through with a big INT and the Heisman whispers start again.

At Wake Forest. Win. I respect Jim Grobe but don't think he will have the pieces this year. BC gets up big early and let's the game get a little closer than it should in the second half. But they win in the end. With the win, BC enters the Top 10.

At Duke. Win. BC's defense dominates again. The offense puts up enough points to control with ease.

Virginia. Win. Virginia will get better under London, but 2010 is not their year. BC wins with ease.

At Syracuse. Win. A rivalry renewed with an easy BC win.

If BC goes 7-1 in the ACC, they would be in the ACC Championship Game and an outside name for the BCS National Championship. In this best case scenario I predict we play Virginia Tech and get revenge for the last two games ACCCGs! BC then moves onto the Orange Bowl to play Texas. The team wins that game too and finishes 13-1 and in the Top 5 in the final polls. Spaz gets a ton of "coach of the year" awards and Mark Herzlich wins the Heisman.

EDSBS closes their countdown with Herzy and other links

Herzy is even getting national college football bloggers pumped for the season.

Soccer started their season with a win over Hartford.

Here is my preview for the Tight Ends on Eagle Insider.

Herbie acknowledged a lot of BC guys on his Herbie list.

The Ravens put Mike McLaughlin on IR. I am a little suspicious that this is a way to keep him with the organization but not waste a roster spot on him.

Ivan Maisel was on campus the other day and spoke with Spaz.

Conroy wrote a lengthy BC preview for ACC Sports.

Here is a best/worst case scenario for BC basketball.

Season Prediction Part I: worst case scenario

Time again for me to go game by game with how things might play out. This version is the worst case scenario. I am highly optimistic and will have a strong showing in my final predictions, but still want to map out how things could go wrong.

Weber State. Win. Hurricane weather soaks the opener. BC wins, but it is a messy, boring day.

Kent State. Win. BC wins despite shoddy play from Shinskie. Marscovetra comes in and looks as bad.

Virginia Tech. Loss. Although the defense plays better, the offense is incapable of moving the ball against the Hokies.

Notre Dame. Loss. Notre Dame's defense is not very good, but their O has a great day against our Defense. BC loses a shootout as the Irish pull away in the second half.

At NC State. Win. Even in our worst season, I don't see us losing to NC State. This is Spaz's Super Bowl and is very important to Gene. We hold on in a tight game.

At Florida State. Loss. The tough road test goes as expected -- FSU romp.

Maryland. Loss. Maryland has played us tough the past two years. This season I expect a "win won for the Fridge" mentality that leads them to a close win over BC in Chestnut Hill.

Clemson. Loss. At this point we have a full blown QB controversy. Rettig gets his first start. It is not pretty but shows promise. BC still loses.

At Wake Forest. Win. BC halts its slide while beating up on the rebuilding Wake Forest team.

At Duke. Loss. Duke is not very good but is able to move the ball, while our offense spins its wheels again.

Virginia. Win. Virginia is a bad team in transition. BC holds off and keeps bowl hopes alive.

At Syracuse. Win. A good effort as things finally click for Rettig. BC "earns" a bowl bid.

The 6-6 regular season is enough to get BC into the EagleBank Bowl. Our beltway fans are happy and turn out in decent numbers for our game against Marshall. BC loses a bowl for the third straight year and finishes with an awkward and disappointing 6-7 record.

Get ready!

Fresh faces on Depth Chart

We haven't even played a game yet, but Spaz is setting the tone early with all the true freshman on his first depth chart. This will by no means be our look for the rest of the season, but the coaching staff is sending a few messages. First to the current, more experienced players: play better, get healthy or you won't get much playing time. Second to potential recruits: if you come to BC, you can play right away. Finally, to us fans: Spaz is his own man and not following TOB's approach to redshirt as many players as possible. All of this speaks to a win now mentality. It is refreshing and somewhat expected when your Coach is north of 60. Here are a few of the surprises and a few of my thoughts on the depth chart.

-- Andy Gallik as back up Center. A very important spot for an untested true freshman. My hunch is that if anything happens to Richman, you would see Claiborne move over first before they officially burned Gallik's redshirt or threw him in against ACC level talent. Regardless of if he plays this season, it speaks well to Gallik's future.
-- Sterlin Phifer as Harris' backup. After all the kudos piled on the true freshman running backs, I wondered if Phifer would get lost in the shuffle. It looks as though he has earned a few carries a game.
-- Jaryd Rudolph at second team DT. We knew we were thin at DT, but I didn't expect Rudolph to get used early. We will see if he gets many snaps.
-- Kevin Pierre-Louis and Steele Divitto. If there is any area where we can be conservative redshirting it would be LB. Yet here these two are on the depth chart. Maybe we have two more players in the Kuechly mode!

This year's BC football team is a media dream

As the diehards, we tend to get tired of the media rehashing the same story over and over. But this season might take it to a new level. First I think BC is going to be surprisingly good and play in many meaningful, nationally covered games. Second there are so many simple but marketable stories and storylines for the TV, papers and internet to grab a hold of. Just look at the list:

1. Mark Herzlich's return from cancer. This is already a huge and worthy story. It will only get bigger Saturday. Depending on how he plays, this might become one of the biggest national stories of the college football year.

2. Anthony Castonzo's Rhode Scholarship candidacy. Think of how big the Myron Rolle story was. Now add in the factor that Castonzo is better football player than Rolle ever was. This is a top ten pick, who just happens to be a bio-chem major, who wants to be a doctor.

3. Dave Shinskie -- former baseball player. This is not a new story but now Shinskie is the full time starter and hopefully a more complete player. If he plays well, his baseball background will get mentioned ad nauseam.

4. Frank Spaziani -- underrated, old school coach. Spaz is hardly a great quote or a media darling. But if he puts together another winning season and brings BC back to the ACC Championship game, the media will start to credit him for all of BC's success over the past ten years. It doesn't hurt that in a cookie cutter profession, Spaz also looks a little different and talks a little different from most DIA coaches.

5. Billy Flute -- the legacy realized. Although Flutie has played four years, this will be the first season where he starts and is a significant playmaker. Each shot of Billy will probably be followed by a shot of Doug in the stands.

These are just the predictable plots. Other players will surely emerge and provide more media fodder. Let's just hope it all has a happy ending.

More Herzy media and other links

Kevin Armstrong wrote a very good feature on Mark Herzlich. I appreciated that it went beyond the stuff we already know an into what his daily routine and life is like now. Mark's parents sound almost as excited as he does about returning to the field.

I waited on writing my position preview for the defensive line waiting on what would happen with Momah. Little did I know that Ramsey and Quinn would be bigger issues.

For those of you who have Comcast in New England, you'll get the chance to rewatch the BC games throughout the season.

You can read more about future Eagle Manuel Asprilla on Eagle Insider.

Bowl predictions are rolling out and SI thinks we are headed back to Nashville.

Weber State is not intimidated by playing an FBS school.

A few ESPN folks are picking us to win the division. HD doesn't.

Here are the first ACC Power Rankings of the season.

Antonio Garay is trying to stick on the Chargers' roster.

Schedule for kickoff week

Kickoff week is finally here! BC football is now just days away. I am looking forward to blogging another season but want to give you the heads up on how this week will work.

Over the next few days I will finish up posting the position previews on Eagle Insider. BC Mike and Wesley will also have their Keys to the Game at Eagle Insider. I will have a new piece on Eagle Insider on Friday called: Friday Focus. On Gameday Dan Silver will be hosting a live chat from the press box on Eagle Insider.

Over here on Eagle in Atlanta, I will be posting the normal links and what not. I will also be posting my three different versions of how I think the season will play out. Thursday will still be the day for the game preview.

Saturday there will be a comments blog post here (I am too superstitious not to have one). But I encourage most of you to try out the Eagle Insider boards on game day. I will and the other members of the BC blogosphere will also be on Twitter most of the game.

As always I appreciate your continued support as I try to juggle this all and the real world. Wish me luck and "Let's go Eagles!"

Update: Herzlich practiced

Both the Herald and Globe reported that Mark Herzlich practiced Saturday. This means his foot has been cleared and he is likely to play Saturday against Weber State. We are one step closer and I am thrilled for Mark and his parents.

Florian ready for big night and other links

BC grad Kenny Florian fights at the Garden tonight and will be entering the ring with "For Boston."

Esquire calls Herzy the Lance Armstrong of college football.

Rivals thinks Donahue was a great hire for BC.

Why was BC so evasive on Dillon Quinn's suspension?

For some time now there has been rumors floating about regarding Dillon Quinn's suspension. Players joked about it on Facebook. The message boards filled up with speculation. Yet no word from BC.

When he was missing from the spring depth chart, people took it as confirmation that Quinn was in trouble. At the time, I asked BC about it and never received an on the record confirmation or rebuttal. Now, with the season a week away, BC finally announced that Quinn has been suspended for three games due to a violation of team rules.

You will never get an on the record confirmation of what Quinn did. BC -- and most colleges -- are very sensitive to student privacy. But process of elimination tells you what it isn't. Pot usually gets one game. Academics means you miss the whole semester. Minor NCAA infractions (like Rice's illegal summer league games) usually call for a one game suspension. Sitting out three is unique for BC. And the rumors have all been related to PEDs. But unless Quinn talks, we will never know for sure.

I am not going to scold Quinn. I am disappointed, but not naive enough to think he is the first or last BC athlete to use PEDs allegedly. (Bill Romonoski has been a PED poster boy and the recently departed Harold Connolly was a pioneer in PEDs.)

So I once again return to my initial question: why was BC so evasive? They could have announced the suspension months ago and made it less of a story. Now it will be a focus for the next few weeks.

As for what it means on the field...it hurts. Quinn has reportedly played well this summer and we are thin up front. We should be fine against Weber State and Kent State. Virginia Tech obviously would have been a challenge with him. It will be that much harder without.

This will hopefully be a minor bump in Dillon's career. I hope that by waiting until the last minute, BC didn't make this a bigger deal than it needed to be. Regardless of how he got here, let's hope Dillon puts this all behind him and becomes a better player and person.

Marketing gimmicks can't save BC's attendance issues

When I saw this morning that USF was the latest college football team to enlist help from Groupon, I thought it was time to discuss BC's annual struggle to sell out all our home games. (Note: BC has been using Groupon for a few weeks.)

Despite Groupon and giving away multiple tickets to season ticket holders, it is very unlikely that BC will sell out the Weber State game or Kent State game. This isn't very surprising but given that Weber State will be Herzlich's return, it is very disappointing. More disappointing is that we have Notre Dame, Clemson and Virginia Tech on the home schedule this year. In the past, demand for those games would be enough to lift sales for the entire season.

The soft ticket sales are not all BC or its fans fault. There remains a softness nationwide due to the economy. You can even get Red Sox tickets at face value, which was unheard of five years ago. I also think game fatigue has set in too. BC used to play five or six home games a year. The diehards love the idea of an extra game and an extra tailgate. But for the casual fans, it doesn't mean much.

Despite all the built in excuses for the empty seats, there are two obvious mistakes that BC should avoid going forward.


1. Never schedule a home game Labor Day weekend. As long as BC starts classes after Labor Day, having a home game is a mistake. Students are drifting in and the campus and school are not in their regular routines. Plus it is the last weekend of the summer for many fans. They don't want to be sitting in Alumni watching a cupcake game. They want to be at the beach. Add in Boston's PGA event and you have a drag on demand. I know BC doesn't want to start the season on the road every year, but the trade off is a buzz-killing home opener.

2. Always put the FCS game on Parent's Weekend. This used to be one of BC's smartest moves. They would squeeze in a cupcake game on a weekend where you have 10,000+ extra ticket buyers. However, they've gotten away from it the past few years as they had to reshuffle schedules due to coaching changes and Hofstra dropping football. That resulted in Virginia Tech being a home game this year (and likely a night game). A VT night game would be a major draw anytime. It is a wasted opportunity. Plus I think most parents would rather have a day game and go out to dinner with their kids on Saturday night.

I didn't even touch on donor-based seating, or tailgating or style of play. Those remain issues where BC has less flexibility. What they can control is marketing and scheduling and right now they are making obvious mistakes and in turn creating a lot of empty seats.

Last scrimmage and other links

BC played its final scrimmage. The big takeaway is that the QBs are pretty even. Despite the parity it still looks like Shinskie's job. My guess is that they will both play against Weber State and Kent State. From there it will be Shinskie's job until/if he starts regressing again.

The other news -- first reported by WZBC -- was that Herzy might practice this weekend. If he is on the field this Saturday, he will likely play in the home opener.

Gene gave Christopher Iacoi and David Ayer internal promotions.

HD is now on the BC under the radar bandwagon. She is wrong though about an undefeated BC team getting left out of the National Championship. The Harris and coaches poll voters would be enough to over come any sort of computer poll issue. The only way we don't get in is if there are multiple undefeated teams.

Future Eagle Christian Suntrup is considered one of the top pro-style passers in the country.

NJ WR Anthony Gaffney loves BC. It sounds like he would commit if offered.

Castonzo is a nominee for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.

Cherilus is fighting to hold onto his starting position in Detroit.

Weber State is ready for the opener and doesn't seem bothered by all the hype surrounding BC's opener and Herzy's return.

A recruiting Q&A and position preview

The BC Draft guys held a nice interview with BC recruit Sean Duggan. He is the latest St. Xavier kid who seems like the perfect fit at the Heights.

I posted the latest WR position preview. As you probably guessed, I think we will fill the void left by Larmond.

Some respect and stats

Stewart Mandel sees us as a sleeper for the BCS. See people who aren't fans can be optimistic about this year too! I will make my predictions next week, but these will probably be my most optimistic since I've been blogging.

Brian is actually using some stats and history to conclude that BC is one of the least respected teams in AP polling history. I think the AP situation is easy to explain -- not enough voters in the New England. Even those in New England who have a vote don't take BC seriously.

Rumored now official: Larmond out for the year

BC finally confirmed that Larmond will miss the 2010 season with what is being termed just a "knee injury."

Supposedly there are some ligament issues, but no one has confirmed if it is MCL or ACL. The second opinion I keep hearing about is probably less about if he needs surgery and more about when he will have it and who will perform it. (Players often like to have a home town doctor do the work.) This is such a tough break for a talented and reportedly good kid. You would have to assume he redshirts and rehabs the leg for the next 12 months.

Since the news broke, I've been coming around to what it means for the team. It is certainly a loss, but not a crushing blow. He is a talent -- no doubt -- but even our inexperienced and depleted WR group is still more talented than many of the groups we had in the TOB days. Plus we have a good group of Tight Ends. Injuries happen, but we should be okay.

Larmond 'done' and other links

I tweeted the rumors last night but according to Colin Larmond Jr's own Facebook status, he is "Out for da season...". This could be premature since I was also told he will get a second opinion and Spaz remains evasive on the topic. Regardless, he showed up at Sunday's scrimmage walking with crutches while wearing a thigh-to-ankle brace. Fortunately for Colin, he is still eligible for a redshirt. As for the team, it is a serious blow. The only other position where we are more dependent upon one player is probably Harris at running back. Larmond is our only WR with significant experience and he is our best deep threat. Let's hope some of the unproven guys see this as an opportunity and step up to fill the void. Because of the depth issues, I think you'll see a few true freshmen WRs play this fall.

As for what actually happened at the scrimmage, Adam Rose was at it again with his coverage at WZBC. The Heights and BCeagles.com both had coverage too. The consensus seems to be the QBs and kicking both look solid. Because Marscovetra has played well, I expect he will get multiple series in the Weber State and Kent State games. Beyond that will depend on how he and Shinskie are playing.

Because he is not practicing, Herzy's return for Weber State is also looking less likely. I still have a gut feeling he'll be on the field. I don't think any rust or problems with the game plan will be an issue. Plus, if Spaz sits a healthy Herzy because he didn't practice enough, he would be on a national "hot seat." I say keep the faith.

Here is Scout.com's first interview with new commit Graham Stewart.

Colin Thompson raved about his visit to BC.

No respect part 2 (the AP poll)

The BC news of the day was the release of the AP poll. Like the Coaches edition, BC was unranked and only received one vote. Having voted in a similar poll for many years now, I am unmoved by the lack of respect that BC gets. Not much thought goes into this with many voters and until we break our current ceiling, voters will just view us as a nice team. Fortunately voters don't determine who wins the ACC. That is always in our control and should be our ultimate goal each year.

Big tie for women's soccer and other links

How often does a top 10 team start their season as a home underdog? That's what happened to the women's soccer team as they took on No. 2 Stanford on Friday night. The Eagles came away with a hard-fought tie.

Football Outsiders is digging deeper into college football analytics and like our chances in 2010.

CT linebacker Graham Stewart is the latest addition to the recruiting class. On his Scout.com page you can see his junior year highlights.

Oline recruit Pat Flavin had a good time at Cal yet still has very good things to say about BC. It doesn't sound like he is any closer to a decision.

Cool poster and other links

I am usually not a fan of the annual BC Marketing poster, but I have to say that this year's is pretty bad ass.

BC will be one of the first schools to use Under Armour's new basketball shoes.

Thursday was photo day which meant no practices. On this bceagles.com link you can see the photo gallery of their session.

Ryan Purvis is fighting for a roster spot in Tampa Bay.

BJ Raji is ready to become a full-time player for the Packers.

Scrimmage notes and other links

Wednesday night was the team's second scrimmage. WZBC's blog and the Heights had good coverage both from Adam Rose. I always caution into reading too much into this stuff, but the good news was Nate Freese went three for three on field-goal attempts. Maybe we will finally have a kicking threat. The QBs also played well -- completing a high percentage of passes. The biggest area for concern -- Center. New Center Nate Richman sat out and was replaced by Mark Spinney who struggled with some exchanges. I think our line is very good but doesn't have the great depth we've had in some years. If Richman's injury lingers I wouldn't be surprised to see Claiborne move to center. This is bceagles.com's recap of the scrimmage.

Former Eagle Stephen Boyd was honored by his hometown.

Here is a nice feature on Herzy from this past weekend on Philly.com. The Herald News thinks Herzy is the key to the season.

The BC Women's Soccer team is entering the season as one of the top teams in the country.

BC continues to get the jump on recruiting future QBs.

Xaverian star Joe Colton has an offer from Duke but would like to go to BC.

Blogpoll 2010

Below is my preseason Top 25 for the blogpoll. The poll is now hosted by SBnation. As for my votes: I am very suspect of Boise State. I don't like the lack of depth in the Big 10 and therefore think Ohio State will go undefeated in conference. I was tempted to put BC higher, but I don't want to jinx things. Things will get reshuffled once the games begin. Leave your thoughts below.

Eagle in Atlanta Ballot - Week 1

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Ohio St. Buckeyes	--
2	Alabama Crimson Tide	--
3	Virginia Tech Hokies	--
4	Oregon Ducks	--
5	Texas Longhorns	--
6	Penn St. Nittany Lions	--
7	Nebraska Cornhuskers	--
8	Florida Gators	--
9	Arkansas Razorbacks	--
10	TCU Horned Frogs	--
11	Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	--
12	Auburn Tigers	--
13	Georgia Bulldogs	--
14	South Carolina Gamecocks	--
15	Iowa Hawkeyes	--
16	West Virginia Mountaineers	--
17	Wisconsin Badgers	--
18	Pittsburgh Panthers	--
19	Boise St. Broncos	--
20	Utah Utes	--
21	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	--
22	Florida St. Seminoles	--
23	Miami Hurricanes	--
24	Stanford Cardinal	--
25	Boston College Eagles	--

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

Position preview: quarterbacks

My latest preview is up over on Eagle Insider. The good news is that I am feeling better about Dave Shinskie than I ever have. While I didn't get into too much speculation and gossip in the Scout.com piece, there was a real worry around the program that Shinskie might crash and burn. Now it seems like he's found his sea legs, knows what he has to do and is ready. If his play matures too, we could be in for a special year. Plus, everyone also likes Marscovetra. BC is almost in a can't lose position (now I've jinxed us).

National Champions? and other links

Can BC win a national championship? ESPN thinks the pieces are there: friendly schedule, returning talent, luck. This is a classic ESPN filler article but I like the spirit of it all. 2007 though should be a lesson to us all. If we remain undefeated we will climb in the rankings. However, 2007 was also rare in that so many heavy weights dropped games early, clearing any logjams. If BC were to go undefeated, we would need some help getting into the national championship game. An extra win from the ACC Championship game would help our BCS standings and the Herzy story would get some humans to vote. We would also need the traditional powers to lose a game or two. I am not buying my plane tickets yet, but this is a reminder that we shouldn't lower expectations. We are a better team than the team our staff is poor mouthing in the press (TOB style).

Here is Part II of BC Draft's interview with Weber State's coach.

Tough break for Jamie Silva. Let's hope he makes a full comeback next year.

Virginia Tech fans respect our team.

BCD's interview and other links

In case you missed it, here part 1 of BC Draft's interview with Weber State head coach Ron McBride. Part 2 will be up Monday afternoon on Eagle Insider.

The New York Times wonders if our easy schedule would diminish a 10-win season. That would be a nice problem to have.

Ron Brace passed his physical and is finally practicing with the Pats.

Billy Flutie wants to take Gene D's job one day (I am fighting every urge I have from making a joke).

Finally, I didn't want to highlight this nonsense since Bob Hohler's BC work is always about grabbing attention, it is hard not to say something. I don't begrudge anyone's salaries. Life is clearly not fair and very few things are a true meritocracy. But at the same time market forces work pretty well and correct imbalances. College athletics is a demanding, high profile profession. These jobs have a certain value in the market place. BC pays what is has to in order to stay relevant. Having successful coaches has been a blessing for the school. If fans think Gene is paid too much or paid Skinner and Jags too much, they can make their opinions known by not giving. There is really not much news in any of this, but that never really stops Hohler.

Scrimmage, media day and more

Since TOB left there has been one pattern to our summer scrimmages -- the defense dominates. Even with Matt Ryan, the D got out early and brought a lot of pressure. Part of it was talent and part was design. The idea was to test the offense early so that they could progress and learn. With that in mind, I think the early results of our first scrimmage were encouraging. Shinskie and Marscovetra both put up solid numbers as did potential RB threat Andre Lawrence.

Friday was Media Day. This year there was obviously added interest because of the Herzlich storyline, but the event is usually a low key affair. What I find interesting are the little details, like this notebook that talks about how Harris' backups are developing. The mix of players is always a bit telling too as they put the seniors and they guys the coaches have high expectations for at the tables.

ESPNBoston was at media day too and filed this article on Castonzo. Let's hope they have consistent and meaningful BC coverage this year.

Captain Alex Albright was pretty candid at Media Day talking about Herzlich.

WZBC has stepped up their coverage of Media Day too.

Shinskie's comfort level remains an ongoing theme within the media. Yet HD still remains somewhat skeptical.

The Hockey team will be honored at the White House.

Although he sounds like he wants to stay out west, BC is recruiting Chase Rettig's younger brother.

Rivals thinks we have one of the better Olines in the country.

Here is the Montel Harris video from the most recent episode of Saturday's in the South.

What to make of Herzy's foot injury

More info came out today regarding Mark Herzlich's foot injury. He officially has a broken bone in his right foot (his tumor was in his left left). Originally rumored to be a stress fracture, we still don't know the exact diagnosis of the break nor which bone is broken. Mark claims to be pain free and ready to play. Most of us are asking the same questions: will he play and when?

I am really not worried about any of this. There are a few ways this could play out.


1. It is a minor fracture and will heal before Weber State.
2. It is a minor fracture that will take longer to heal but still in time to take on Virginia Tech.
3. It never really heals and Mark plays through it all season while resting during the week.

Regardless, Mark will play this season.

If this injury is nagging and Mark never reaches his full potential, it will be sad and frustrating but not a reason to doubt this team's upside. We are deep at LB and can shuffle the depth chart if Mark is limited. Also remember that Matt Ryan played most of 2006 on a broken foot. Now the demands and mobility of a QB ad LB are entirely different, but Matt showed that once the adrenaline gets pumping you can play through the pain.

I feel for Mark, but don't blame BC for dragging their feet. If this leads to a 100% healthy Herzy then it will all be worth it. We obviously know that Mark is tough and a survivor. He showed great faith and intelligence during this whole process. Now let's hope that the patience pays off.

Heights Twitter with the scoop and other links

When I was a student and on campus, we always knew more news and gossip than the traditional media. Even though I was involved in WZBC, we rarely took what we knew and broke news. It was a different era -- we only had gameday broadcasts and a Monday night show. The Heights schedule also meant they rarely broke news. The internet has obviously changed that and no more so than with the Heights being the first to report Kaleb Ramsey's return via twitter. (Once again, if you are not on twitter, you should get on it before the season starts.) Other internet reports followed that said Ramsey was at practice but worked off to the side with the S&C staff. I guess they are testing his fitness. As for what his impact means, I am not expecting much. It will be nice to have depth and it will be gravy if he becomes an impact player. I am just leery of guys playing in these sorts of circumstances. If your heart or head is not in it, the odds are you won't make a difference on the field.

It is nice to keep reading about Shinskie's maturity and comfort with football. I'll have more on Shinskie's adjustment in my QB preview due this weekend.

Brad Newman's time at the Heights has flown by. Think of it this way, Newman along with Castonzo and Gause were some last minute recruits pulled together by Jags' transition team in 2007. All played as true freshman and all are set to play their final season.

Like the NFL.com, I was at the Falcons Camp today. Like the NFL.com, I think Matt will have a break out, get to the next level, type of season. Now I wasn't there to see practice, but the vibe in the building is that they and Matt are ready.

Finally, congrats to BCI for making the Twitter 200. (Yet another reason to get on twitter.)

Who has the best Oline? and other links

Why is everyone so excited about Florida State's offensive line? I don't think their talent is that much better than ours and they were just as inconsistent as BC last year. Hopefully our guys will use this sort of stuff for motivation. The anchor of the line -- Anthony Castonzo -- will have a unique fall as he prepares for the Rhodes interviews. I know this might seem silly to some but I think he should skip the interviews if it conflicts with the UVA game. Not that we can't win without him, but he is set to break the total starts and consecutive starts record at BC. That is a big deal in the football sense.

BC lost out on Ohio Lineman Chase Hounshell. BC target Darius Jennings seems set on visiting a lot of targets. Jack Tabb is still looking at BC but talking up other schools.

One of Montel's fans in Jacksonville asked SI why Harris doesn't get more publicity.

With the Saints in town to take on the Patriots, JoLonn Dunbar and Matt Tennant were able to stop by practice. Herzlich still could not practice.

Bookmark this link for College Football Sports References. It has deep links for player and teams.

Even among ESPN's rankings, we are in the "others" category.

New captains, Herzy news and other links

The football team elected Alex Albright, Anthony Castonzo, Wes Davis and James McCluskey as captains for the 2010 season. I am curious how they arrived at four, since we've had two, three and four at different times over the past decade. All guys are what you want in Captains and should serve the team well. A few people were surprised that Mark Herzlich was not also elected. Don't read too much into it (health of personality related). Herzlich missed practice again today and according to the Herald has a stress fracture in his right foot (his left leg had the tumor). If it is a stress fracture, this will be a lingering story and injury. The only thing that heals stress fractures is time and low impact stuff. I am sure he can play through it...let's hope it doesn't slow him down or progress.

[Pushy Eagle Insider links coming ahead!] In addition to getting content from me and others, the cool thing about becoming a member at Eagle Insider is that you get recruiting scoop from across the network. For example BC is already targeting 2012 QBs and 2013(!?) QBs. The 2013 kid isn't even a the fulltime starter at his high school but already has an offer from BC. That's got to be a good feeling.

Here is one of the better previews on the team.

This analytical look at the ACC predicts that BC will finish fourth in the division. HD has us 7th overall.

As expected Josh Haden will be joining his younger brother at Florida. No idea if a good tattoo artist will be able to make the BC logo look like the Gator logo.

BC just offered Massachusetts athlete Manny Asprilla.

The BC Draft guys go through their wish list.

Herzy's foot and other links

No one was more frustrated Monday than Mark Herzlich as his first official day back was postponed due to a nagging foot injury. All the reports say it is unrelated to the cancer and he could play through it if needed. But I do agree with the doctor's orders to get him to 100%.

In cooler news, BCeagles.com's photo gallery gives us our first glimpse of the new Under Armour practice jerseys.

Assuming he stays healthy Montel Harris could pass Derrick Knight on the all-time rushing list this season.

In his notes section Blaudschun mentions Momah playing both ways.

BC was one of the first to offer Worcester WR Canaan Severin.

This is what HD is following at our camp.

Caudill commits to BC

Steve Donahue received a verbal commitment from California big man Kyle Caudill. Caudill gives BC some much needed bulk and rebounding. Most of the scouting reports claim that he lacks athleticism and upside, but there is no reason he cannot be a good cog in this system. Welcome aboard Kyle.

Ramsey, Facebook and Defensive Line

While most of us are celebrating the start of fall practice, it is a good time to remember that football is not always fun for those who play. At times it can be a huge pressure, burden and obligation. They don't play for love of the game. They play because they are big and strong and it is a means to an end. They didn't come to BC for the same reasons we did. They came because BC was often the best school to offer them a scholarship. I say all this because it appears that Kaleb Ramsey will not be playing football for BC this season. The Herald and ESPN both confirmed the long-speculated: Ramsey didn't show up at camp today.

Although Ramsey's status just recently hit the main stream news, it no surprise to those who follow BC on message boards, social networks and in blogs. For months now Ramsey has publicly expressed his desire to leave BC on Facebook. I got tipped off to it a few times, but never reported it due to the grey area that is Facebook. I am not Ramsey's friend on FB. He made his proclamations to his "friends." Not the media. Not the coaches. In a respect for his privacy I never said a word. But he, and others, should know that when you write something on Facebook, the whole world can see.

Finally, what does this mean for our defensive line. Looking at the fresh, new depth chart, we should be fine. We have plenty of big, raw bodies to clog the middle. Neither of the young guys are Brace or Raji, but Ramsey wasn't either. If Scafe comes back and one of the other guys steps up, I don't think Ramsey will be missed at all. He always showed good upside, but to be effective, you have to want to play for BC too.

Today is the day

Practice begins today! The 2010 season is just a few weeks away. Am I the only one who has a great feeling about this season? Regardless of how this plays out, at least we'll have some real games to talk about.

Problems at DLine and other links

One of the reasons I've waited to write the wide receiver and defensive line previews is because I had no idea what the staff was going to do with Momah. It sounds like they still don't know. I never understood why they moved him in the first place. He was a solid WR and his size was a difference maker. We'll see what happens. My guess is that he'll stay on offense...it is where we need him more. The Globe also had a piece on the Shinskie's development. Another key to Shinskie's season might be Bill Flutie.

The Giants are trying Kiwi at LB.

This is Rivals look at the ACC.

Here is an NFL scouting report on Anthony Castonzo.

Chris O'Donnell is coming back to BC for the Notre Dame game.

BC gets a future kicker and other links

Who knew BC would find multiple kickers in South Carolina? This weekend BC received a verbal commitment Alex Howell. He will be part of the 2010 recruiting class.

Despite missing spring ball, former Eagle Dominique Davis is expected to start at QB for East Carolina this season.

BC is already interested in 2012 recruit Colin Thompson.

No respect in Coaches' poll and other links

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

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

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

Freshman ready and other links

The Globe had a nice feature on our local freshmen. Many of these guys will redshirt, but let's hope they all develop and contribute. It would be nice if New England finally became a deep recruiting territory.

HD expects Kevin Pierre-Louis to make a big impact this year.

ACC Sports posted their Q&A with Anthony Castonzo.

BC target Chase Hounshell really enjoyed his visit to Florida.

People wonder why Dan Henning had trouble at the Heights...well this article on former DC Jim Reid gives some insight into how things worked.

Former Eagle Ron Brace's days in New England might numbered. Very strange that he's struggled to this extent and now can't pass a conditioning test.

Crawley's extension and other links

BC added two more years to Sylvia Crawley's contract. My initial reaction was: "why?" Nothing against Crawley, but has she done anything yet to earn a new/longer deal? Was she going anywhere? Let's hope her strong recruiting translates to more wins.

After a year covering the BC hockey team, BC alum Tom Grace is going back to Pittsburgh to be the voice of the Penguins again. You have to admire a guy who follows his dream.

Former Eagle Mark Nori is getting his first head coaching job at a high school in Ohio.

The notes section of this article mentions Chase Hounshell interest in BC.

Baseball assistant Steve Englert is staying on at BC under his former colleague Mike Gambino.

Position preview on Eagle Insider

Here is my preview on the linebackers. News flash -- they are good.

Growing Power Lawrence Academy and other links

In all the back and forth regarding Max Ricci's commitment, I was left to wonder when did Lawrence Academy become such a power. They currently have four BCS commits and might get a fifth. The odds are that some of these guys will not pan out. Let's hope we have the pick of the liter.

For those who missed it, NBC hired BC guy Mike Mayock to join their Notre Dame broadcasts. This is a great article on how it came together.

Here is the latest BC Draft special now in their new home.

CFN expects big things from Dillon Quinn and Johnathan Coleman

Jay Kenney is another late bloomer hoping to score a BC scholarship offer.

The football team visited Camp Harbor View. I am glad they continue to do these things. One afternoon can make a big difference.

Tony Thurman will be BC's honoree at the ACC legends event this year. I understand why they do it, but I still think it is silly that BC players who never set foot in teh ACC are now conference legends.

Herzy was on a North Carolina radio show and you can listen to it here.

Max Ricci talks to Eagle Insider

The BC Draft crew caught up with our latest commitment over on Eagle Insider. Please note that it is a premium article (all recruiting news will be). I know that will disappoint some of you but know that is Scout's business model. My goal is to have the occasional free recruiting article and some sign-up specials as the season approaches. As you've seen the past few days, there will be plenty of free content too.

As for Ricci, he seems like a very thoughtful and well adjusted kid. I was impressed with what he had to say and hope that other schools don't try to poach him.

New position preview and other links

Here is my write up on the running backs on Eagle Insider. There will be more this week and some interviews and recruiting updates.

Scout also has new on potential BC target Dexter Bridge.

Shinskie is an afterthought in this article on ACC QBs.