Predictability is offensive

I haven't loved the play calling by Tranq, but felt the bigger problem on offense is lack of execution and using a grab bag of plays and offensive philosophy. But some are starting to feel that BC is entirely predictable and at this point our players are tipping plays:

The stop of the Eagles' Montel Harris was particularly pivotal on Saturday --- and Maryland saw the play coming.

"The guards were kind of giving away their stances the whole game, so the two guards were pretty heavy up front," linebacker Alex Wujciak said. "I think we knew they were going to run the ball. Coach [Don] Brown had an awesome call for it."

Long time reader Patrick M. has a sobering assessment of our offensive ineptitude. Here is his research (which was already posted on Eagle Action):

BC is 112th in the nation in total offense --- which happens to be the worst performance of any BCS-conference school. We are converting 26.7% of the time on third down. We have been absolutely shut down by the ND defense --- 81st in the country --- and the NC State defense, 47th in the country.

There's only one ACC team that is even close to BC for offensive ineptitude --- Maryland. Maryland has converted 28.9% of third downs this season...so, they're not much better than us, perhaps owing to the fact that they too have a freshman QB. In fact, they weren't better than us until yesterday when they converted 10 out of 19 3rd downs. That stat, of course, does not include the 2 out of 3 4th downs they converted; those two were on the same TD drive, and one was a 4th and 7, where we gave up a nearly uncontested 8 yard pass.

We have scored 14 touchdowns on offense this season. To pick a point of comparison, let's go with Dana Bible at NC State: they have scored 30 touchdowns. That is, the offensive coordinator that we wanted to run out of town has been more than twice as effective as Mr. Gary Tranquil.

We have gotten 103 first downs this season, a little more than 14 per game. Thankfully, that doesn't make us the worst BCS conference team --- only second worse, as Vanderbilt is even more futile. Of course, I'm not sure we should be comparing the ACC Atlantic defenses to those of the SEC, but that's a more subjective matter. Maryland has only gained 104 first downs this year --- although that did not stop them from marching out to a 24-7 lead.

So, if you thought you were watching a historically poor BC performance this season --- you are. I have not tracked back to the 1995 and 1996 D.H. seasons, and those (judging by the scores in our media guide) had a similar level of offensive ineptitude. But we are undoubtedly watching the worst offensive performance in more than 15 years ---- and quite likely in more than 20.

Finally, and scarily, BC's groupings might be tipping off the other team. Also from Eric Hoffses at Eagle Action:

Each game I personally chart each and every play noting whether it was a run or passing play and what type of personnel package was in the game. In the 2nd half I noticed something disturbing---Maryland cornerbacks were turned towards the line of scrimmage with their backs to the sidelines on 1st downs when they saw anything but 11 personnel on the field. I thought to myself that this was pretty gutsy. However after analyzing some data I can see why the cornerbacks were lined up like that.

First, let's look at 1st down play calling. I took every first down play, regardless if the play was negated by a penalty or not to see if there were any trends. Out of 28 1st down play calls, BC had 18 running plays and 10 passing plays. Granted one of the running plays was actually a play action pass call that Rettig had to escape the pocket and run out of, but it might have been more effective to see that run to pass ratio closer to 50/50. Also, those statistics might be skewed a little bit since BC was forced to pass so much in the 4th quarter.

My problem was less with the ratio of runs to passes on 1st down, but more with how they came. The Eagles started the game by running on 8 1st downs in a row. With Harris running pretty effectively wouldn't that have been the perfect time for a play action pass?

Perhaps the most troubling thing to me though is how predictable the Eagles were with their personnel packages. Out of Rettig's 33 pass attempts, all but one was run with 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE) on the field. The one pass play not run with 11 personnel, came out of 12 personnel (1RB 2 TE). In 12 personnel BC had 1 pass attempt and 8 rushing attempts. Out of 21(2 RB, 1 TE) personnel the Eagles had 3 rush attempts, out of 22 (2 RB 2 TE) personnel they had 6 rush attempts, and out of 23 personnel they had 2 rush attempts.

So let's break all of this down. When BC did not have 11 personnel on the field they had 1 pass attempt and 19 rushing attempts. If I can notice that do you think the Maryland defensive coaches did?

Still think talent is the main issue here?

Attention ATL: Come drink with BC and Clemson fans

The BC Club of Atlanta has gotten together with the Clemson Alumni for a happy hour tomorrow (Tuesday) October 26. It will be at the Taco Mac on Roswell Road (the old Frankie's).

Clemson fans are always good people and you will probably be more happy with them now than you will be after Saturday.

Taco Mac is also donating two $25 gift cards to the two best-dressed Eagle and Clemson fans.

For any more details, hit up BCMike.

Vanilla Ice at Ice Jam?

As I tweeted this morning, Vanilla Ice is scheduled to be part of Ice Jam. I've hedged a bit because this all just seems "to the extreme" (bad pun intended). I could be getting played, but my source was adamant. I don't know how it will go over, but you can't blame BC for trying something different.

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Maryland

Some have said that I pin too much blame on Spaz and the coaching staff and not enough on the players. Watching the game back could certainly lead one to believe the players are at fault. They made numerous mistakes and got beat at key points. But some of those mistakes are because the coaches are not putting them in winning opportunities. And five straight losses are not because of talent or a killer schedule (see Notre Dame-Navy). Losing like this is mostly coaching. But there were some good individual efforts and a few nice moments from the coaches. However, I still think our in-game coaching, including pacing on offense and 3rd down defense are problems.

Offense: C

Rettig's INTs weren't his fault. Momah tipped the first and according to the Globe, Swigert broke the wrong way on the second. But even though he was blameless on those, he still had some bad throws. As noted repeatedly he was behind on the slants and floated some other balls. He is also missing some open men and not going over the middle enough. But he is showing good progress and, in general, making smart plays. He also has good pocket presence. He was only sacked once and did a good job to step up and look to make something out of a broken play.

Harris didn't have any big plays like last week, but put together a solid effort. Yes, the fumble was costly, but his overall contributions were more important. He made cuts when holes collapsed and also did his usually job of pushing the first tackle. His pass protection was good too. McCluskey got a carry! (It was actually a nice change of pace.) Williams and Phifer also got carries.

Momah made a big catch in our comeback but is still letting too many catchable balls bounce off his hands. Swigert's catch off one of those tips was amazing. I keep hearing that our receivers have trouble with separation. It is not that simple. If you watch it back, you will see guys get a little space (like Swigert). But the windows are closed quickly, which means the WRs are just going to have to win one on one battles. Pantale had a solid day and could have been thrown too more. Coleman was fine. Phillips was involved in kick returns but didn't get a catch. Amidon was also silent.

The offensive line was okay. The problem now is consistency. They will look good on one play and overmatched on the next. Castonzo gave up a rare sack. Claiborne played well but was also blown up on Harris' fourth down run. Spinney airmailed a snap that killed a drive. Yet even with those problems they were better. Castonzo-Richman-Spinney-Claiborne-Lapham is probably our best combo going forward.

I actually didn't hate Tranq's playcalling. There were some good moments and he is finally using run plays that play to Harris and the line's strengths (like zones). He also had Rettig run out of the option. The passing routes still leave a lot to be desired. Calling the slants over and over when we had trouble executing was curious. I will have a post later today about our predictability on offense. My biggest problem with Tranq and our offense was tempo and pace. We were still very methodical down 14. I know we got it close, but we should have been passing earlier. This is my simple logic: 1. BC has trouble scoring points. 2. We've shown no ability to overcome a big deficit. 3. Increasing the tempo when down gives us more chances to comeback. Essentially we ran out of time. I also didn't like the fourth down calls in the fourth. You have to view those as 4-down possessions, so mixing things up on third down would have been more appropriate.

Defense: C-

I feel for Alex Albright. He was having a great season and now his career ends in crutches. If he had been healthy during his career, he might have been one of BC's all-time greats. In his place Holloway played well. Scafe also had a good game. Newman was very quiet. The rotations was tighter and hence the backups didn't get much attention.

The LBs are now becoming a liability in the pass game. Herzy's great when he can rush the passer and disrupt the throwing lane, but I think he's having trouble covering space large spaces (like he did so well before his medical issues. He's a step slower so Maryland was able to get some short passes. With Albright out, I think we should use him as more of a stand up DE. His instincts around the QB are still amazing. KPL let some short passes keep drives alive. Kuechly didn't get burned this week and was very solid in tackling. Devitto played but most of the game was just the first teams LBs.

After having such a great game, the DBs had a bit of a letdown. No big plays and too many short completions allowed. First I hope Davis is back quickly. BC needs him in the backfield directing traffic. Noel was quiet this week. Okoroha was fine. Gause was okay, but for some reason giving the other team too much space. Fletcher wasn't tested as much. Fox looked good in limited play time.

There are conflicting reports over who is actually running the defense but whoever it is did not do much to help the team out this week. I know that they were left with a short field on some of the scoring drives, but in general, this scheme was in effective and also the adjustments weren't great. We couldn't get them off the field and couldn't really get pressure on O'Brien. Where were the different looks from last week? Why weren't we disrupting him more in the pocket. This is a guy who threw three picks last week. It is almost as if we said "let's play base and watch him fold." Instead he proved to be pretty accurate.

Special Teams: C

Quilgey was fine. Freese was fine. We improved our kick coverage. Our punt coverage allowed one long return.

I also liked seeing Montel on PRs and Shakim Philips on kickoffs. Might as well give our best players more touches!

Overall: D+
Once again we got down early. I am glad we came back but I wish we had increased the tempo early in the game. Methodical against Florida State makes sense. Against Maryland? Not so much. Plus once we started passing more, Rettig adjusted and started to get the offense to move. In my opinion the defense was as much of a problem. I know we only allowed 222 yards, but their efficiency on third and fourth down was frustrating. We have different looks, it is just a matter of when and how to use them. Spaz has been a DC for a long time. He knows that more than anyone.

I the post game Spaz mentioned our razor thin margin of error and not having a winning edge. I hope those are just cliches he throws to the press and not what he really believes. This was not some Maryland powerhouse. If our in game approach is to play ultra conservative because or our "thin margin of error" this guy will never win. We have some play makers and smart players (just look at Swigert's instincts on the tip). We need to give them more opportunities at big plays and open things up a bit on both sides of the ball.

There are plenty of factors that led us to this point, but there is really only one person who can save Spaz - himself. As lost as this season seems, there is still plenty to play for. I think he needs to do something with our approach to games. It is October and he's emptied the bench. Any player who could make an impact is on the field. Now let's find out what they can do well and do it over and over until then other team stops us. These kids are playing hard and deserve that much from the staff.

For those who fear coaching turnover, I give you the counter argument: Stanford

I still think Frank Spaziani will be our head coach in 2011. I've always felt that only a 2-10 record (with 10 straight losses) would get him fired. But I think many share my opinion that he is not the right coach for BC. But most BC fans assume the school won't and shouldn't make another coaching change after just two years. The belief is that the PR hit and the shakeup would hurt BC more than another bad year under Spaz. I disagree. I think when you have the wrong guy in place, you are better off making a change. Find the right guy and people won't care about public relations or fairness. There is no better example of this than Stanford.

Following three poor seasons from Buddy Teevens (2-9, 4-7, 4-7) they hired an established head coach in Walt Harris. Harris seemed like a good fit but went 5-6 and 1-11 in two years. Stanford realized their mistake and made another change. They brought in Jim Harbaugh and are now winning and recruiting like they haven't done in years. Do recruits care about past instability? Do fans clamor for the old days or say that Harris didn't get a fair shot? Of course not. Everyone has a short memory and is happy with Harbaugh.

I don't know if Gene thinks Spaz is the long term solution. But I hope that if he no longer thinks Spaz is the right guy, that he doesn't hesitate to make a change. We try to emulate Stanford in so many things. Maybe copying their coaching turnover will lead us back to winning and exciting football.

(Shrugs)

At this point you can just cut and paste my reactions from some of the other games. What is left to say? I do want to make note that I hope Wes Davis is okay. He's a great kid and embodies what is right with the program right now.

I will hopefully have more thoughtful comments later. I was glad that we (and Chase) fought back, but there is still no justification for the overall performance of the team. Do people still think it is a talent issue? Or purely a raw QB issue? Maryland has a better record than us and they have shuffled QBs. I am looking forward to the excuses and Spaz spin.

I will have my second viewing thoughts and grades late Sunday. I may also have any additional post late Saturday night (I feel some venting coming on).

In-game comments post: Maryland

"Must wins" are sort of out the window when you are 2-4 but both teams really need to turn things around this week. I hope BC is the one to turn the corner.

Because most of you will be watching the game online at ESPN3.com, feel free to pop over here during the game and leave a comment.

You can also join the discussion on the Eagle Insider message boards.

I will probably have a thought or two on twitter during the game.

Game Watches: Maryland?

This game is on ESPN3.com which means most sports bars won't give BC clubs the time of day. I only saw a note for Chicago. Is any other club having something? Post it in the comments or let me know via email.

Chicago Game Watch
Trinity
2721 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL

New looks for basketball uniforms and other links

The Under Armour team that designed the new basketball uniforms explained what they did for BC. I love the small details like the "Ever to Excell" stitching and the stained-glass inspired numbers.

If you want to get an early look at the basketball team, check out their open scrimmage Saturday morning.

Andy Katz has some quotes from Donahue at the ACC meetings.

The PAC 12 will hold their Championship Games on campus. Why didn't the ACC do this from the start?

BC-Maryland Preview

Considering we are 4-1 in this ACC series, my fear of Maryland is not really justified. (The BCI guys have certainly teased me about it in the past.) The basis of my fear is that even in the lopsided BC wins it was more about our defense scoring off of turnovers as opposed to shutting down the Terps. Even last year's game against their worst team ever was ugly and decided in the final minutes. Maybe I am giving too much credit to Friedgen's offensive mind and not his current talent level. Let's hope my anxiety in not founded this year. BC needs a win Saturday if we want to turn things around.

Three Simple Key
1. Stop the run. This is pretty straightforward. In their two losses, Maryland's ground game was slowed and they were forced to try to win in the air. Since BC tries to stop the run weekly, this should work to our advantage.
2. Run with Rettig. This might seems risky since Rettig has a bad ankle and is our only hope. But I think him running three or four times out of the zone option will open all sorts of things for Montel.
3. Blitz pick up. Maryland is going to come hard after Chase. It will be up to Montel and the the Tight Ends to help out. The WRs will also need to read the blitz and adjust their routs accordingly.

Gambling Notes
-- BC has not been favored when under .500 since 2000
-- Maryland has not won in Chestnut Hill as a member of the ACC
-- BC has been favored in every ACC meeting between these two teams
The current line is BC-4

Factoid
This is the first meeting of two ACC Under Armour teams.

Scoreboard Watching
Clemson is our next opponent so their game against Georgia Tech has extra importance. Although they are coming off a win, the Tigers are still in a rough place. If they lose to Georgia Tech again, I could see things falling apart by the time they play us.

I hope to see...
Chase Rettig take the next step. I know it is only his second game, but I do hope that he can start to make more plays. He needs to find more of the open guys over the middle and move the ball in the redzone.

BC is in trouble if...
We keep getting field goals in the redzone. Getting three points instead of seven has been costly already. I fear more of the same issues if we get bogged down again this weekend.

Bottom Line
I don't think it will be easy, but I do think BC will win this weekend. I expect the defense to force O'Brien into some mistakes and turnovers. I think Rettig will be better. I predict BC takes control in the second half and gives us hope for the stretch run.
Finale Score: BC 28, Maryland 13

Ice Jam promo and other links

Everyone is concerned about our basketball depth (preview 1, preview 2) but I think we will be okay with a short rotation. I think the bigger concern is how we adjust to the new style of play.

BC finished 10th in the preseason poll.

Jim Noel is hoping to build on his performance against Florida State.

For recruiting information on BC targets: John Harris, Jarron Jones, and Leantoe Carroo.

Hoping for a second chance in the NBA, Sean Williams is working out with the Dallas Mavericks.

Guest Blogger: The Terrapin Nation

You would think that after a decent start things would be good down in College Park. But a lopsided loss to Clemson has Maryland fans wondering if another collapse is eminent. To get a feel for things, I've asked Scott from Theterrapinnation.com to guest blog this week. My questions and his answers are below.

ATLeagle: Friedgen threw his players under the bus after the Clemson game. Was it deserved? Do you think they will respond?

The Terrapin Nation: Ralph Friedgen's tirade was absolutely uncalled for. For several years now he has gone into a presser after a loss with excuses galore. He says they are young, he says the players have to make plays, he's always laying the blame with anyone but himself. On offense, while MD is starting a freshman at tackle on the offensive line and a freshman at quarterback it's still the responsibility of the coaches to put the players in a position to succeed and personally I don't feel they are doing that.

ATLeagle: Don Brown was known for his aggressive blitzing. Now in his second year, has he tweak his scheme at all?

The Terrapin Nation: Oh, believe me, Don Brown is still bringing the blitz package every week. Having said that, the Terps are really struggling with it, namely due to poor recruiting on the defensive line. The Terps get virtually no push up front on a lot of plays. Kenny Tate and Antwine Perez are one of the best safety tandems in the nation and Don Brown likes to bring them on blitz packages quite often. But like I said, they have a really hard time getting to the quarterback for the strip or the sack due to a lack of push in front of them. One adjustment that seems to have not been made that I think should be is to find a way to help the linebackers out so they are not stuck in 1 on 1 coverage so much with some of the backs and tight ends. As much of a tackling machine as Alex Wujciak is he sometimes needs help in coverage. I think running more zone would really help mask this deficiency.

ATLeagle: How much of a hotseat are Fridge and Franklin on? Did the AD change buy Ralph more time?

The Terrapin Nation: At this point the entire staffs seats are absolutely on fire. Friedgen did a tremendous job coming in and winning immediately at a school that had been terrible at football for more than a decade. But the results have simply not been there over the last six years. Since 2003 the Terps are a game under .500 overall and 20-31 in ACC play. The lack of creative play calling and a defense that gives up huge chunks of yards has also really turned off fans. Attendance has been abysmal so far this season. As for James Franklin I really believe he is probably soon on his way out of College Park. His play calling is absolutely baffling at times and the decision to bring Jamarr Robinson in for a single play on possessions makes absolutely no sense. He has been given the 'Head coach in waiting' tag, but I fully expect the Terps to buy him out either this season or next.

At this point Ralph only has one more season after this on his contract. So I think its safe to say either this season or next will be his last. To date, Kevin Anderson's claim to fame has been his hiring of Rich Ellerson at Army who is poised to take the Black Knights to their first bowl game since '96. I expect Anderson to be looking to put his own stamp on the program with his own hiring of a new coach. On top of that, Franklin's offense has not impressed and at this point he's associated with one of the worst seasons in school history. Factor in new luxury suites at Byrd Stadium and Kevin Plank and Under Armour wanting to see a winning program for their flagship University and I think it all adds up to a new regime very soon in College Park.

ATLeagle: What is your prediction for the game?

The Terrapin Nation: While the Terps had some problems on on special teams and struggled to move the ball or get stops at key times, they did outgain Tigers in yardage last week. On special teams I expect to see Tony Logan get back on track and have a big punt return at some point. I also expect the defense to show a lot of blitz packages facing a freshman quarterback. I also expect the defense to force a few turnovers. As long as the offense can convert a few of those turnovers and Danny O'Brien can avoid turnovers of his own I expect the Terps to come out of Chestnut Hill victorious in the first annual ACC Under Armour Bowl. Terps 27-BC 20

Recruiting update and other links

One of BC's top targets Brandon Clemons has BC and Pitt in his top two. Clemons has yet to schedule an official visit but plans to after his season is over.

Robert Trudo, who seemed like a great fit for BC, verballed to Syracuse.

Another BC target is Trayion Durham heading to Wisconsin.

Maryland thinks this is a "must win" game.

HD thinks we can rebound from our recent slide and make a bowl game.

Blogpoll ballot

The one positive of the noon game is that I get into football mode early and often get to watch a lot of different games. This weekend I caught the end of the Auburn-Arkansas game and it certainly influenced my ballot. I have the Tigers as No. 2. I am still keeping Oregon No. 1 and continue to slight Boise. Even though BC played Florida State close, I think the 'Noles are pretty good and will probably cruise to the ACC Championship Game.

Games I watched
BC-Florida State 100% (twice)
East Carolina-NC State 25%
Michigan-Iowa 25%
Auburn-Arkansas 25%
Alabama-Ole Miss 25%
SMU-Navy 25%
Wisconsin-Ohio State 25%
South Carolina-Kentucky 25%
UCF-Marshall 25%

Eagle in Atlanta Ballot - Week 8

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Oregon Ducks	--
2	Auburn Tigers	2
3	Michigan St. Spartans	3
4	Oklahoma Sooners	3
5	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	4
6	Utah Utes	2
7	TCU Horned Frogs	6
8	LSU Tigers	-3
9	Wisconsin Badgers	12
10	Boise St. Broncos	2
11	Missouri Tigers	-1
12	Alabama Crimson Tide	3
13	Nebraska Cornhuskers	-11
14	Ohio St. Buckeyes	-11
15	Florida St. Seminoles	-1
16	Stanford Cardinal	7
17	Arizona Wildcats	--
18	Iowa Hawkeyes	4
19	Mississippi St. Bulldogs	--
20	West Virginia Mountaineers	--
21	Kansas St. Wildcats	3
22	Michigan Wolverines	-4
23	Virginia Tech Hokies	--
24	USC Trojans	--
25	South Carolina Gamecocks	-14
Dropouts: Nevada Wolf Pack, Arkansas Razorbacks, Air Force Falcons, N.C. State Wolfpack, UTEP Miners

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

Clemson gametime and other links

The Clemson game will have a noon kickoff on the ACC Network (aka Raycom). Sadly this could be our last televised game of the year. We need to start winning if you hope to see Duke, UVA and Wake on anything other than ESPN3.com. Syracuse has a chance to be on real TV.

The hockey season started in a strong fashion with a series sweep over Denver in Colorado.

It is interesting that both the beat writers took the bowl eligible storyline today. If they are saying that, it means the staff has hope even if general expectations have been lowered by the losing streak.

Former Eagle Tony Sanchez has a blog on MLB.

HD moved us up in her power rankings.

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Florida State

I don't know how things were where you watched, but pacing returned to the ATLeagle house this weekend. That is a good thing. It was nice to have game that was still in doubt in the 4th quarter. But we are well beyond moral victories and need to play better. I also hated watching Florida State eat eight minutes of clock to put the game away, especially after we killed clock on them the past two years. There were lots of positive notes and accolades to go around, but the big story is what Rettig didn't do. He didn't force many bad passes. That is a good sign for a QB. I don't know how fast he will mature and if he can save the season, but I think we can all agree the right QB is finally playing.

Offense: D+

As I mentioned Rettig was poised. Even on the second play of offense he and Harris had some sort of miscommunication and he took the sack. It was a bit of a drive killer but a turnover would have been worse. And as the game progressed he started to buy a little time (the long pass to Swigert). His throws weren't bad in general. He missed a few open guys but overall showed good decision making and decent accuracy against one of the better defenses will will face this year. It is still way too early to tell much about his future but I do think he showed glimpses of competence. He also needs to throw more of those intermediate balls over the middle. They were there and he has the accuracy. And he and Tranq need to let him run once or twice a game on those zone-option plays. They are wide open for him to get positive runs and will help Montel overall.

I can't believe that some people are getting on Harris for getting caught from behind. The guy carried the team on Saturday and had his best game in weeks. Aside from the long runs, he had some tough carries where he pushed for extra yards. He also did a good job in pass protection. Phifer dropped a catchable ball. Williams had a nice run. We used less I-formation so McCluskey wasn't on the field as often.

While others have been calling our WRs mediocre, I've been one of the few claiming they are a deep and talented group. This game didn't help my argument. Florida State's defense is good, but I think the WRs could have done more. Sharper breaks. Adjusting a route. Coming back to the ball. All the little things that might have helped Rettig. Momah had two different redzone passes that he should have come back for. Swigert was okay and probably did the best job of creating space. Phillips looked okay in limited action. Pantale was good and needs to be one of Rettig's main targets. Anderson was okay when running routes but he had a rough day blocking. There were a few different plays when Anderson either got blown up or beat by FSU LBs and DBs.

Due to injuries this was our offensive line for most of the game (LT-Castonzo, LG-Cleary, C-Spinney, RG-Claiborne, RT-Lapham). That should probably be our lineup going forward. They played better than they have in weeks. They got good push. They got to the second level. The tackles still had trouble in pass protection but did well enough to give Rettig a little time. Claiborne had a stupid penalty but he was crisper than he's been. I expected more holding calls with their pass rush, but our guys did a good job. Spaz has talked a lot about the Center change having huge impact. Not to slight Richman, but maybe Spinney should keep the spot and shuffle Richman back to G.

I appreciated the simplicity of the game plan. We played to our strengths (not much I). We used the zone option and the stretch runs where he can pick his hole. We also gave Rettig many safe plays. Yet we also had a few new wrinkles (like the Pistol). As for in game management, I didn't mind sticking with the run. I've been calling for ultra conservative gameplans for weeks and it worked for the most part. My problem though is in adjustments. Florida State started crashing down on the runs and we didn't really counter. They also jammed our WRs and we didn't run many combos or routes that might get the a little space. And our redzone play calling remains really ineffective. Why not have Rettig roll a bit or play fake?

Defense: B

Albright's comeback continued (although he faded a bit in the second half). Ramsey was good. O'Neal was good. Newman was active (and solid on special teams). The real surprise was Edebali. He chased down Ponder and showed good contain. Holloway was okay, but he lost contain on FSU's big reverse on the final drive. Quinn is hustling but didn't make a big impact.

Kuechly played really well -- although he bit on the play action again. KPL also let his man run free on FSU's first TD, while he tried to close on Ponder. I understand that both of these guys are fast and aggressive, but they need to be bit careful on those sorts of pass plays. Herzy is still making an impact. Aside from the tip there were a few other balls he forced bad throws on. I actually like the idea of him ruining a QB's line of sight and think it will produce more opportunities as we face bad QBs. Morrissey played a bit and missed a tackle. Devitto didn't see much time. Clancy and Thompson were playing on special teams again but not much live action.

The DBs were outstanding. Davis was good in run support and didn't allow any big plays. Gause had some nice tackles, but the game belonged to Fletcher and Noel. Fletcher was in Ponder's head most of the game, because he was reading those short outs very well. His INT was a great one on one play. Noel made some big hits and obviously had great instincts on the turnovers.

For years we complained about our vanilla scheme. That is changing a bit this year. We had numerous sets with just three down linemen with Albright and Herzy in two point stances on the ends. Sometimes they would both rush. Sometimes one would drop into coverage. It kept FSU off set and force Ponder into bad passes. We also played our normal zone behind it and made some plays there. My biggest frustration with the defense came when we couldn't stop them in the fourth quarter. As a DC, you've got to try something high risk and hope for the best.
Special Teams: C-

I criticized Momah earlier, but he was very good on special teams and made multiple plays on our short kickoffs.

Gause has guts and isn't fair catchig everything...just wish he was more elusive.

Quigley had an inconsistent day, but I think his positives outweighed his two shanks.

Freese was money and is a nice asset.

The biggest problem was giving Florida State a short field. I understand wanted to keep it away from Reid, but clearly Florida State adjusted and by the fourth quarter Reid was catching the pooches.

Overall: C
Things were better but as I've said still not good enough. We still need better redzone play and I still wonder about Spaz's game management. Like the pooch kicks. Don't you want the other team to have to drive the whole field when you have a lead? Don't you trust your special teams enough? I think starting Rettig and keeping him in there was the right move. Now he just needs to get him better play calling.

Even with all the disappointment, we still have plenty to play for. Spaz has to show that he can stop the bleeding.

Grades and thoughts are coming Monday morning

Thanks for your patience.

Better but still not enough

Do we celebrate moral victories at this point? Not the ending we wanted but encouraging on many fronts. The defense played a hell of a game but you can't expect to win when your offense only generates 9 points. Rettig's stats were Shinkie-ish but I liked many of the things he did.

We are effectively out of the division race and are in the midst of our longest losing streak in a decade. So we still have plenty of work to do.

I will have second viewing thoughts and grades up late Sunday night.

In-game comments post: Florida State

We hoped for a hero in Rettig's debut. Obviously he (and BC) got shortchanged. Can things turn around in his second start? We will see. Leave your comments and thoughts below.

You can join the conversation on the Eagle Insider message boards.

During the game I will probably have the occasional comment on Twitter.

Game Watches: Florida State

This game is on national TV, but it is always fun to watch it with others. For those in the Boston area that usually watch in person, you can head down to the Atlantic Beer Garden for their Game Watch. If I missed any, please post it in the comments.

Boston Game Watch
Atlantic Beer Garden
146 Seaport Blvd
Boston, MA

Chicago Game Watch
Trinity
2721 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL

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

Los Angeles Game Watch
Sonny McLean's
2615 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA

Milwaukee Game Watch
Zim's
770 N Milwaukee St
Milwaukee, WI 53202


New York City Game Watches
Vertigo
354 Third Avenue at 26th Street


Thunder Jackson's
Bleecker and Sullivan



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


San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly's
2064 Polk Street
(between Broadway St & Pacific Ave)
San Francisco, CA

Washington, D.C. Game Watch
The Rookery
2519 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC

Why don't we look more like Oregon?

Chip Kelly is changing the face of college football. His team is scoring more and faster than anyone else in the sport. Three thousand miles away we struggle getting a first down and cannot effectively run a two-minute drill. Why does this matter? Because outside of Oregon and UNH there is no other staff in football that has as much working experience with Kelly as BC does!

When I first mentioned the UNH clique my hope was that Spaz would emulate Sean McDonnell and Mike Belotti and empower his assistant to maximize BC's talent on offense. So far that isn't happening.

I understand that assistants aren't always able to emulate and replicate their mentors style and strategy. But I don't believe Sean Devine and Ryan Day have been given much of a chance. I don't think Spaz will ever change course midseason, but he needs to do some serious evaluation of his staff and team this offseason. He has guys who had front row seats to the cutting edge. I don't care if they themselves haven't proved it. Handing things over to them is no risk. What is the downside: losing by 40 instead of 20?

BC-Florida State preview

I could roll out a million cliches to capture my mood, but let me just say I am optimistic about Saturday. I even tweeted the thought Wednesday. I have a hard time rationalizing it. I hate intangibles, but I just feel like we are due for a break. Due for a breakout performance or two. Due for things to go our way. Maybe I am hoping too much. Maybe I am seeing things that aren't there. Maybe I want to enjoy the rest of the season. I don't know. I know we still have many problems but I just feel like things will go our way this Saturday.

Overlooked storyline for the game: Spaz and McGovern's familiarity with FSU's offensive line play
FSU's offensive line scheme, style and techniques are very similar to what BC ran under Jags. In fact, during exile last year, Jags spent some time in Tallahassee working with their offensive staff on the zone blocking. Since Spaz and his defensive staff went up against it so often scouting it and knowing how to attack it should be easy. Our defensive line play has been decent and knowing what they know, I think we can exploit some weaknesses in FSU's scheme and then slow down their offense.

Three Simple Key
1. Use the Tight Ends in passing. One area where we don't have a talent gap is Tight End. Against FSU's zone packages Pantale and Anderson should be able to find some open spots over the middle.
2. Drop the LBs deeper into coverage. The LB play was a bit haphazard last week. We were blitzing so often and so keyed on stopping the run that both Kuechly and KPL got caught flatfooted in the pass game. I think they need to be more patient this week and force Ponder to throw into seven men.
3. Sticking with the run game I hope that even if we are down we stick with the run game until late in the game. I think we need to slow the tempo of the game. Give our D a rest and put as little of this on Rettig as possible. I also feel like patience with the rushing attack will pay off for the offensive line and Montel.

Gambling Notes
-- BC is 0-5 against the spread this year.
-- BC has never lost four straight games by 17 points or more
-- BC has only started 0-3 in conference play once
The current line is BC+21.5.

Factoid
Florida State has not lost three straight games in Tallahassee to an ACC opponent.

Scoreboard Watching
Keep an eye on Clemson-Maryland and Wake Forest-Virginia Tech. Like us, Wake and Clemson are ACC team's struggling to get back on track. We might learn a thing or two by how they respond to adversity.

I hope to see…
A close game. Yes, it has become that bad. As I told my wife the other day, "this is the least stressful BC season ever." We are never in games so my usual pacing, cursing, and twitching doesn't even start. The games are brutal to watch. I would hate to lose, but I would love to have us be in a game in the final minute.

BC is in trouble if…
Florida State gets up early. I am not questioning the guys' hearts. I just think losing is tough and they are not getting much guidance or hope. If we are down big early, I think we are in for another long, painful afternoon.

Bottom Line
We already know I am crazy, but picking BC this weekend should be enough proof to put me away. I know we are better than our record and better than we've played. We can do this. Rettig doesn't need to be a superstar. He just needs to make a play or two. I think the defense makes it happen this weekend and Harris makes a few big plays. We win and people finally start smiling about BC football again.
Final Score: BC 28, Florida State 23

Counterpoint

Eagle Action posted a article today blaming recruiting for BC and Spaz's current problems. I like Eric Hoffses's work in general but assume this was written in response to my "No Excuses" post and the general feeling around the message boards. I obviously don't buy the talent excuse and would ask the following two questions to anyone who claims talent is the issue.

1. Does BC have 2-3 talent?
2. Has the staff done a good job with the talent they have?

Guest Blogger: Chant Rant

Rich from Chant Rant is back to guest blog this year. The Seminoles look like they are ready to ascend to the top of the ACC again. But how does it look from the inside? My questions and Rich's answers are below.

ATLEagle: The offense seems fairly balanced between run and pass. Aside from being more efficient is there anything new that Jimbo has done this year?

Chant Rant: Almost everything has changed under Jimbo. From the morning after Bowden announced his retirement, the program evolved to be more like today's cutting edge college football powers. When Jimbo coached under Nick Saban, he absorbed what Saban calls "The Process." Jimbo installed that system at FSU and it's already paying dividends.

The Process encompasses everything from a new strength and conditioning coach -- and a different approach to physical development, to personalized nutrition regimens for each player. Jimbo has brought in sports psychologists to do motivational training. He broke down the dressing room division between offense and defense, assigning lockers at random for a cohesive team atmosphere. Practice sessions have a new format and urgency. And, of course, the addition of five new on-field assistant coaches help ensure that the staff is all on the same page, unlike the last few years when there was apparent dissension.

ATLeagle: After years of playing man under Andrews, you are playing much more zone. Do you think the team will still be able to generate pressure on BC?

Chant Rant: True, Mickey Andrew’s trademark was man-to-man, while Stoops has installed the zone as he knows it. But saying the Noles are all-zone all-the-time would be off-target. As defensive players have become more familiar with the system, Stoops has been able to throw more surprises at opponents, from mixing up zone and man coverage to creative blitz packages. One result is sacks -- enough to lead the nation. Jimbo Fisher emphasizes that those sacks are coming from three different areas: A fierce rush by the front four, blitzes, and by WR-blanketing coverage. So while offensive coordinators and QBs had little doubt about what to expect from Andrews’ defense -- especially in recent years -- Stoops is throwing curves and change-ups.

ATLeagle: I know you are only half a season into the Fisher era, but do you think he has Florida State back on a path to dominance? What is benchmarks are you looking for as he builds the team?

Chant Rant: For FSU fans there's just one benchmark that really counts, and that's beating the hated rivals from Gainesville (aka, the gators). Bobby Bowden did it in his second year at the helm of the Noles. As the season develops, FSU fans are becoming emboldened enough to think Fisher could do it in his first year.

Sure, ACC Championships are fine. And having a shot at a national title again would be a dream come true. But it all begins and ends with beating Florida. And because Urban Meyer's team has been a major factor in the championship race in recent years, a win over UF would be a key factor in Florida State's return to national prominence.

ATLeagle: What is your prediction for the game?


Chant Rant: It's easy for odds makers and sportswriters to predict an FSU win coming off Jimbo's first-year signature win over Miami. But this game has the recipe for a major emotional letdown by the Noles. Add to that the physical factor. As a contact inside the program told me before the game, "This will be a black and blue game, after which players on both teams will spend three days in the hot tubs."

On the other side, I expect B.C. to be fired up with something to prove to the ACC and the nation. So while I look for an FSU win, it won't be easy and could be down to the wire. Especially if the Noles start out unfocused and still recovering from the bumps and bruises of last Saturday.

Dan Lembke talks BC and other links

Dan Lembke committed to BC last weekend. Here is his interview with Scout.com. His point about "family" should be noted. I think we fans underestimate how important the other players and families are in recruiting. There is a lot of self selection going on.

Other than Rettig, the big news on the depth chart is that Swigert is now starting.

In other recruiting news, BC target Rob Trudo now has an offer from Pitt.

Jason Sylva is another BC target who is at Tabor.

No excuses

I know that many of you read this blog and purposely avoid the message board bickering. As you can imagine there is plenty of debate as far as what's wrong with our team and who is to blame. I know I am considered anti-Spaz. I like to consider myself more pro-BC but regardless I strongly dislike lame excuses. The Ws and Ls on this season's record will belong to Frank Spaziani. Not TOB. Not Jags. Not Gene. Not the empty seats at Alumni. It is his and his staff's job to take the pieces and players they have and make a gameplan accordingly. Every excuse is hollow. Let's review:

Recruiting: Excuse: We are suffering from the poor recruiting of TOB and Jags. Reality: Spaz and Bill McGovern were both part of staffs that recruited and evaluated every player on this roster. Mike Siravo has been the recruiting coordinator for four years. 80% of the players on the roster committed while Spaz, McGovern, Siravo, Ben Sirmans, Ryan Day and Jeff Comissiong were on the staff. These are their players. Any supposed "gaps" could and should have been rectified long ago.

Second Year Head Coach: Excuse: Spaz is only in his second year. Most first time head coaches get more leeway. Reality: Spaz is not your typical second year head coach. He was a longtime assistant who was promoted in part because he provided continuity from our winning years. That continuity means there shouldn't be such drastic drop in execution. If we had hired an outsider the expectations would be different.

The QBs are the problem: Excuse: We are just hitting a rough patch and if we had even a halfway decent QB some of these games might have been different. Reality: this team won enough with poor QB play last year. Dave Shinskie has not been good. But the staff tabbed him the starter and have yet to devise a functional offense around him or the other options.

This season has been a long time coming: Excuse: BC has had big problems for a long time. They've been masked by a few good players like Matt Ryan and a down ACC. Spaz is just fixing things now. Reality: that is hogwash. Many seasons teeter on the brink between great and disaster. Good coaches do the things along the way to make things better.

Florida State will be a real test. They are the best team we will face this year but are also a decent matchup for us. If Spaz can rally the troops, we may make a good run to close the season. However, if the 'Noles crush us, it could send the season spiraling out of control.

Blogpoll ballot

Even as undefeated BCS teams lose, I still have trouble moving Boise State up. I kept Oregon No. 1 and went easy on the ACC. I also came away impressed with Nebraska's win on Thursday night.

Games I watched
-- BC-NC State 100%(twice)
-- Nebraska-Kansas State 50%
-- Florida-LSU 25%
-- Auburn-Kentucky 25%
-- Michigan-Michigan State 25%

Eagle in Atlanta Ballot - Week 7

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Oregon Ducks	--
2	Nebraska Cornhuskers	1
3	Ohio St. Buckeyes	2
4	Auburn Tigers	3
5	LSU Tigers	14
6	Michigan St. Spartans	2
7	Oklahoma Sooners	-3
8	Utah Utes	6
9	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	--
10	Missouri Tigers	2
11	South Carolina Gamecocks	6
12	Boise St. Broncos	3
13	TCU Horned Frogs	-3
14	Florida St. Seminoles	7
15	Alabama Crimson Tide	-13
16	Nevada Wolf Pack	--
17	Arkansas Razorbacks	--
18	Michigan Wolverines	-12
19	Air Force Falcons	5
20	N.C. State Wolfpack	--
21	Wisconsin Badgers	2
22	Iowa Hawkeyes	3
23	Stanford Cardinal	-1
24	Kansas St. Wildcats	-8
25	UTEP Miners	--
Dropouts: Arizona Wildcats, Northwestern Wildcats, Florida Gators, Miami Hurricanes

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

Maryland kickoff time and other links

The Maryland game has a 1 PM kickoff and will be on ESPN3.com. If we don't turn things around many of our remaining games will be on ESPN3.com.

This is a few days old, but former BU star Vinny Saponari is heading to BC. Vinny was kicked out of BU for a violation of team rules. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't like this idea, but Jerry York has certainly earned the right to give guys second chances.

Hockey shutout Northeastern in its opener.

It was a good weekend for women's cross country as they won the New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association (NEICAAA) Cross Country Championship.

Here are some BC related recruiting links from Eagle Insider/Scout.com: Ohio OL target Anthony Stanko, Pennsylvania QB John Loughery, NJ Tight End Jack Tabb and NJ WR Mike DeTroia

Game Theory and Spaz

Unlike baseball where nearly everything has been decided, Game Theory in football is still very complex and in flux. However, there are little things here and there that we know make a difference. Perhaps it is time for Spaz to adjust some of his theories and practices with the hopes that it will change the final outcome. One area that I think needs to change is deferring after winning the coin toss. The theory in this strategy is that if you consistently receive the kickoff to start the second half, that over the course of the season you will have extra possessions. I am all for extra possessions when an offense is functional. In BC's current situation each possession is just extending the pain. Beside this is what we've accomplished with those second half possessions.

Kent State: 12 plays, 75 yards, TD
Notre Dame: 5 plays, 9 yards, punt
NC State: 3 plays, -3 yards, punt

My simple alternative is that BC should receive the opening kickoff whenever we can. This way we increase the chance of scoring first. We can start establishing a tempo for the game early. We can start to limit both teams' possessions. We can start to play field position game early. This mentality doesn't lead to exciting football but it makes much more sense to go conservative in a 0-0 game than when you are down by three scores.

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: NC State

I usually start these reviews with my mood after rewatching. "Was there hope for the future?" "Are things worse than I thought?" etc. Watching back today, I felt worse. A lot worse. Forget all the issues surrounding the program. Forget the tidal wave of criticism. I'll get into my Spaz game "theory stuff" later this week. What bothers me most is that we are failing at one of the basic jobs of any coach at any level and that is making players better each day. Some of the guys are playing better but many of our guys are not improving. They are making many of the same mistakes. That is not a talent issue. That is a teaching issue. When things are going wrong everything is magnified. I don't know if we have bottomed out but the next few weeks will be telling. Can the staff stop the bleeding and can they connect with their players? There are plenty of winnable games left on the schedule. BC has the pieces. I even think some of the coaches are very good. I just think the pieces are not working well together now. Let's hope that someone gets us turned in the right direction.

Offense: D

On Saturday I tweeted that Rettig with one leg would have been better than Shinskie or Marscovetra. Dave Shinskie is a lost cause. Do you realize now he has played significantly in 17 games? That's more time than Chris Crane ever got. It's approaching how much time Quinton Porter got. Do we really need to give it any more time. I understand that he was away from football for a long time, but his regression in some football basics is startling. As mentioned in the game, his footwork and balance are messed up. A few of the tips came as a result of him throwing in sort of a 3/4s motion. NC State totally confused him with where the pressure was coming from. He would point things out presnap and be completely wrong as the pressure came from the other side. This became a problem as he was checking down into the heavy coverage. To Tranq's credit, he gave him some easy throws to make. Shinskie couldn't do it. Marscovetra wasn't great. I don't think he is the answer as he still had trouble deciding when to stay in the pocket and still forced some bad downfield throws. But he seems capable enough of hitting some short passes. Maybe that is the best we can hope for (other than Rettig getting a bit healthier).

Harris played well enough. He made positive plays. In fact I don't think he is getting the ball enough. Really happy with Phifer -- he made people miss a few times. Williams's work was all done in garbage time, but he looked promising. McCluskey did a really good job lead blocking. If he can keep this up, he might get on an NFL roster.

The WRs were okay considering all the passes that we missed. Swigert seems to find enough space each time the ball gets near him. He should really be the focus of the QBs. Amidon's TD was in garbage time and he seems a little hyper in some of his play but he's got good upside as well. Even though he got the TD, Momah needs to do a better job holding onto the ball. Phillips is no longer a redshirt. Let's hope he makes a big impact. The TEs were fine but didn't really get a chance to do much good or bad.

There has been a lot of talk as to why Claiborne is not starting. I can say that he is not playing as well as he has in the past. Is it because they keep pulling him in and out? I don't know. I do know that when he pulls he often whiffs on his block. But when he is able to go straight ahead he still looks good. White has been playing more in place of Cleary and looking decent. The other starters were fine. There were fewer mistakes, but also not a ton of push.

Last year we broke nearly every BC rushing record in the book against this team. Last week Virginia Tech ran for more than 300 yards against NC State. We don't pass well, yet Dave Shinskie threw the ball 24 times. Harris only ran 14 times. I don't care that we were down early. I don't even care if they started crashing the line. Sometimes being effective on the ground is just about being stubborn until you wear them down or something breaks. Don't worry about being predictable running as players are already whining about how predictable our offense is. At this level predictability is not a problem. Execution is. Think of 2008 when Steve Logan was dealing with an equally frustrating QB in Chris Crane. Eventually he resorted to running the zone option 15-20 times a game because it was a play that Crane, Harris and the line could run. At this level, once you establish something like that you can then build on it. We have no bread and butter play. I've been harping on it because it is true. I don't know if Tranq is trying to adjust to each team but at a certain point you just have to worry about your own. Get some plays that work that any QB can perform.



Defense: C+

The defensive line is maligned but I think they played pretty well. In general they contained Wilson and even sacked him. Albright continues his strong season. Ramsey was good. Scafe was fine but had a dumb penalty. Newman was a bit quiet. O'Neal was fine. I keep waiting for Quinn to do something big. Holloway and edebali was hustling.

The linebackers had a bit of a letdown. Kuechly was very good although he did get beat on that one TD. KPL also struggled in pass coverage and seems to be overpusing a bit. Morrissey got lost contain on one of Wilson's scrambles and missed a few tackles. Devitto was okay. Herzy -- even with a bum leg and a busted hand -- is still pretty darn good. He was making good decisions, just a little slow. I remain frustrated that we are not rotating LBs more. Kuechly should play ever down, but there is no reason KPL, Morrissey and Herzy shouldn't get a breather for some of the other guys. Someone new might make a play.

Fletcher had another good game and is putting together a decent season. Davis's game was a little rough. He should have helped on the TD that went into Kuechly's area and missed a tackle. I know people are harping on Gause, but he was fine. LeGrande makes some good plays and is playing hard but the dumb penalties are killers.

I give McGovern credit. He mixed things up. We shifted the front four a lot. We blitzed a lot. We intercepted Wilson twice and slowed down their rushing. But we need to do more. I understand the philosophy but at this point we don't have the offense to compliment this type of scheme. We need to get the other team off the field faster.


Special Teams:C


Quigley is going to be the offensive MVP the way he is punting. He did a good job of pinning them in. The block was not Quigley's fault. I am actually surprised that NC State backed off after blocking the first one. I expect FSU to come after us since our first line guys let people walk in free.

Freese missed a FG but was still fine.

Fox and Gause got a lot of return chances and were fine.


Overall: D
Put aside some of the big picture things that are amiss and just focus on how Spaz handled this game. Why start the second half with Shinskie? Why start him at all? Why keep shuffling the OLine during the game? Why didn't we use the bazooka? Why are the QBs and WRs not on the same page? It just looked like another lifeless mess.

What is left to say?

Reader Matt K. provided this photo of his little eagle. Sort of captures the mood, doesn't it?

The defense played well considering the final score. The offensive line improved. The problem remains at QB. I understand that we have two bad options. But it is up to the staff to find something that works and also know when to pull the plug on one guy. Shinskie clearly didn't have it today. Did we have to give him so many possessions? If they still don't feel Rettig is mobile enough to play then I think you have to consider everything. Bordner? Flutie? Boek? A walkon. Whatever. But the whole thing is frustrating and makes these games hard to watch.

Hopefully watching it back will provide a few more slivers of hope. Grades and second viewing thoughts will be up late Sunday night.

At least it is officially hockey season.

In-game comments post: NC State

Two years ago in Raleigh, Chris Crane put together the one of the best single game QB performances in BC history. Can Carter-Finley provide the same sort of redemption for Dave Shinskie? I hope so. There is also part of me that thinks we will see Chase Rettig play a series or two. Whatever happens and whoever is under center, BC needs the win today. I am sure the game will be eventful. You can leave your thoughts and comments below.

You are welcome to join the discussion on the Eagle Insider message boards.

You can also follow me on Twitter.

Game Watches: NC State

This is a Raycom game so a Game Watch might be your best option. The game will also be on ESPN3.com. Who knows, this could be the one where we turn it all around. If it is, wouldn't you like to be around other Eagles. If I missed any watches, be sure to post it in the comments section.

Chicago Game Watch
Trinity
2721 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL

Dallas Game Watch
Christie's Sports Bar
2811 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, TX


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

Los Angeles Game Watch
Sonny McLean's
2615 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA



New York City Game Watches
Vertigo
354 Third Avenue at 26th Street


Thunder Jackson's
Bleecker and Sullivan



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


San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly's
2064 Polk Street
(between Broadway St & Pacific Ave)
San Francisco, CA

Washington, D.C. Game Watch NEW LOCATION**
The Rookery
2519 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC

Shinskie to start

The Herald is reporting Shinskie will start Saturday. With the way things are going I expect multiple QBs to play. More on Shinskie's return on Friday.