Speculating with Spaz Part 2: We won't win another game this season

This is how filled Alumni will be if we are 2-8 heading into the UVA game.

I have talked to more than one fan this week that believes we will not win another game this season. For someone who thought the worst case scenario was a 6-6 season, this possibility is scary. So let me be clear -- I don't think we will finish 2-10. I also still believe we will stumble into a 6-6 season. But the 2-10ers do have a point: how can we win games if we cannot score points?

We have games against Syracuse, Duke, UVA, Maryland and Wake Forest. All of those teams have major issues like we do. Our defense is better than all of those teams. Most of those games will break our way. If we can find just a few executable plays on offense we should win at least three of those games.

We will be heavy underdogs against NC State, Florida State and Clemson. But none of those teams are well coached juggernauts. I expect at least one of those games will be close enough for us to steal a win. But then again, I pick BC to win every week.

I think coaching is hurting this team. I think we have real flaws. But there is just too much talent, too strong a defense, and too much pride among the players for us to bottom out.

All that said, if we finish the season with 10 straight losses, Spaz would surely be fired.

Gaughan commits and other links

Despite the mood after the loss to Notre Dame, BC added another solid recruit in PA OL Paul Gaughan. The class still needs some more bodies and more skill position/speed players, but it is looking like a decent group of kids.

BCeagles.com posted another excellent overview of the hockey team. The team debuts this Saturday against Northeastern.

Steve Donahue is not done in California. There are another few prospects we are targeting out west. I really like this strategy too. In basketball circuit playing in the ACC is very big for the west coast kids. Proving themselves against the Duke and UNCs is a great selling tool. Combine that with a great school like BC and a player friendly offense, and you can really create a pipeline in California.

The only news on the depth chart are the true freshman offensive line men on the second team. I doubt you will see them play.

Joe Trapani is one of the players on the preseason Wooden list. I like Joe but don't see him getting the numbers to win this award.

Blogpoll ballot

Because of real life obligations and the Ryder Cup, I watched very little college football this week. What I did watch was depressing. The biggest influence on this poll was seeing the updates on the Oregon-Stanford game while we flopped around against the Irish. For the fun they look like they are having and for coming back from an early deficit, I reward Oregon with my top spot.

Games I watched
Notre Dame-Boston College 100% (twice)
Ok State-Texas A&M 25%
BYU-Utah State 25%

Eagle in Atlanta Ballot - Week 6

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

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

Speculating with Spaz Part 1: Can he rally the troops?

One thing that I can say with 100% confidence is that if TOB were still coaching BC, his team would win this Saturday. Maddeningly that was just the way he was at BC. Once his rebuilding was done in 1999, he never lost three in a row. We had our backs up against the wall and had lost three out of four in 2003, but he started Paul Peterson and rolled off three in a row to end the season.

TOB's approach certainly put limits on our upside but it also kept us from truly bottoming out. TOB relied on consistency. He knew that a methodical approach would pay off.

Now the question remains, did Spaz learn enough all those years to rally his team? Can he come up with an executable gameplan that will stop the slide? Can he provide some enthusiasm for his lifeless players?

A head coach's job description is a little broad. There are a lot of moving parts and each coach approaches things differently. You can be a list maker like TOB. His orderly approach gave everyone confidence that things were not falling apart and were never as bad as they seemed. Take one play at a time and BC will win more than they lose. You can be a riverboat gambler like Jags. This is more chaotic and reckless, but you always feel like you have a chance. What does Spaz have? What approach will he take? Whatever he does, he needs to rally the troops this week or things could get out of hand quickly.

Advice to UNC: Hire Steve Logan

[Eds note: Allow me to take a break from BC venting. Since North Carolina football is in the other division and about to enter a long dark period, I don't feel like my advice will haunt BC in anyway.]


As the John Blake situation continues to unravel it looks like a certainty that North Carolina will face multiple sanctions and fire head football coach Butch Davis. On Barnhart & Durham last week, Mr.CFB said that the Carolina boosters are embarrassed, don't care enough about "big time" football to have it dirty the University's reputation like this. He implied that they will not go out and get a big name coach to replace Davis, but rather a safe, boring choice who will manage the program for a couple of years. I strongly recommend some who is safe but not boring: Steve Logan.

Logan will make the most of whatever is left at Chapel Hill. He'll hire a good staff. He'll do things the right way. And be a witty and good face of the program.

I am sure there are concerns about recruiting (or lack there of). Logan is smart enough to know that he would need solid recruiters, especially dealing with limited scholarships.

I am sure there are some Heels fans that cringe at the notion of hiring a former ECU coach. Let that go. Logan has more than proven himself and the ECU association probably helps. High school coaches in your recruiting territories know him. The media knows and likes him. His time building the program at ECU should be reassuring.

Age shouldn't be an issue. Logan is 57 and younger than TOB, Beamer, Spaziani, Grobe, and Friedgen.

I have no idea if Logan would want the job. He reportedly is pretty content in Tampa. I don't know if the BC experience soured him on college football again or if he wants to rebuild anything at this point. I do know he interviewed for the BC job after Jags was fired and wanted it. These coaches are naturally competitive. If someone can get him to Chapel Hill for a discussion, I am sure the competitive juices will start flowing again. I don't think it would take much for him to want the job.

Probation is going to be a long hard road for UNC football. There will be questions if the program will ever recover. But there is no doubt in my mind that bringing in Steve Logan would make the recovery process fun and fast.

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Notre Dame

The Spaz issue is going to grow, so I will not use this post to discuss how we got here and how to fix it. But I will sprinkle in some thoughts on Spaz as a head coach in my grading. How can I not? We had another horrid performance in a big game and he doesn't seem to have the skills or insight into how to fix it. This is not a second year coach rebuilding a program in his own image. It is a lifelong assistant letting other guys' work fall apart.

After watching the game back, I am even more frustrated. There were some bad breaks and bad calls from the officials, but this game was winnable. The talent difference between the teams is not that big. And in game management could have turned the game at different points. Getting six points off of two turnovers and blowing the last possession of the first half and the first possession of the second half, killed us.

Offense: D

It is too early to declare anything about Rettig. After starting rough, he settled in and looked promising. I hope he recovers quickly, because I would like to see more from him and still think he has great potential. Miike Marscovertra played ok, all things considered. He made some horrible passes, still doesn't have great pocket awareness, but showed enough to let me know we can beat bad teams with hi as QB. He seems okay on the slants. The deep and intermediate stuff is a killer though. He also needs to get rid of the ball faster.

I can't really fault Harris. The other teams are keying on him, so there is not much he could do. Phifer was okay. On the third down play after the second fumble, McCluskey pass blocked on the left while the pressure came from the right. I don't know if he should have been right to help Marsco, but is sure looked like he made a mistake that cost us a TD.

I can see why Matt Millen is confused. With the way most of the WRs played, you would think we would have a tough time beating a flag football team. But this group of WRs is better than nearly any combo BC has had in the last 15 years. They are not all stars but they are good enough to beat a bad Notre Dame team. Saturday night was not their best night. Swigert stepped up, but Lee, Momah, and Coleman all had drops. The TEs were fine and perhaps a little underused.

Notre Dame loaded the box. That was going to put a lot of pressure on the OL regardless of who was the QB. I understand that and good teams have done it to our great OLs in the past. My problem with this line is two fold. The penalties (AC, Spinney and Lapham all got flagged for costly mistakes). The repeated mistakes (when are we going to give Lapham help with speed rushers? Letting delayed blitzers waltz through the middle of the line). I know it is tough to run against a crowded box, but our push is not up to BC standards. I also don't like the shuffling. Claiborne was on the bench, then came in while Cleary sat. In the 4th quarter the left side of the line used second teamers. What's going on? I've said this in other places, so let me put in on record here: this is on Sean Devine. I hear different excuses -- "he's not teaching his system," "it's Tranq's fault," "the talent level has dropped off" etc. Devine may be a great coach shackled by other bad coaches. I don't know. What I do know is that the line has not performed to BC standards or consistently for two years. There is talent there. Regardless of system, Devine needs to get these guys going and performing. The BC OL job is one of the best on staff. We've had great OL coaches in the past and it can be a springboard to better things. We need a better coaching for these guys ASAP.

I am not going to rehash all the gripes about Tranq. I will simply state the obvious and the disappointing. We don't have even five plays that we can execute under any circumstances for positive yards. It is pathetic. The other issue is Tranq's inability to adjust. Notre Dame was stacking the box waiting for use to throw on them. But we couldn't. Simple passes. Short slants. Curls for the TEs. That is a coaching issue. Also, he kept trying things that didn't work -- like screens instead of things that did -- bootlegs. And then there are simple, pop warner level issues. We run the zone-option read consistently. Yet the QB never, ever keeps it to run. That makes the play useless. Don't get me started on the bazooka/wildcat. Notre Dame got killed by Denard Robinson running in space, yet we only Wildcat once and in the first series?!?

Defense: C

I feel for Alex Albright. He's been one of the nice surprises of the season so far (although he did get swallowed up on Crist's TD run). He put decent pressure on Crist. I like Edebali. He is showing good instincts and hustle. Quinn was a little jumpy and didn't do much. Newman was okay. Scafe was good, although they did gut us up the middle with shovels and draws. Newman was fine.

I saw some chipiness from Kuechly early in the game. I don't know what that was all about. Luke was good but missed a few tackles (which is rare) and got blocked out a few times. Millen captured Herzy situation well -- he's still a little stiff, but getting better every week. In pass coverage he seems a step slow. And on his blitzes he almost got there. But he still has great instincts and seems to know where the play is going. KPL wasn't as good as past weeks. He missed some tackles. Devitto saw action but didn't do a whole lot. I remain disappointed we are not doing more with our LB depth. Why not use more 3-4 packages? Or why not rotate more? Kuechly doesn't need to come out, but Herzy and KPL could use some breathers and you never know if one of the backups might make a play.

Donnie Fletcher played well. He wrapped up and did well in coverage. People were blaming Gause but two of those calls against him were bad. Also he didn't get much safety help. Wes Davis -- who I like -- left Gause hanging a few times and also lost Ruddolph on the TD. Noel looked very good. LeGrande was okay. Fox was good.

We actually blitzed a fair amount and when Crist had to scramble his throws were off the mark. Yet we still had trouble getting to him. Also our goaline defense -- usually a strength -- looked lost. As I mentioned, I don't think the safeties did a great job helping out the corners. I don't think the defense is the problem but Saturday night was not their best.

Special Teams: C

The kick off coverage was poor and gave Notre Dame a huge boost in field position. Quigley got a few lucky bounces, but still kicked well. Gause was okay on returns. So is Swigert.

Glad to see Freese nail long FGs. He may end up being our only offensive weapon.


Overall: F
In my post game reactions, I said Spaz was either cowardly or incompetent with how he handled the final possession before the half. He sent a message to everyone in the Stadium that he didn't believe his team could win. He can pass blame to the players and say they screwed up, but he was letting the clock just run. If we score there we enter the half done five and have the ball to start the second half. Despite all the issues, the game wasn't over. The other bad move was going with the second teamers with about 10 minutes left. The comeback would have been a long shot, but Spaz didn't even go hurry up or do anything to get us back in. Whatever lesson he is teaching the team with this stuff is lost. Whatever strategy he is imposing is not a winning one. I won't even get into how flat the team looked to start the game and on the sidelines. This is Notre Dame. In prime time. Most BC teams would need to be calmed down by their head coach. Why was ours so dead?

This is going to be the toughest week of Spaz's coaching career. His fledgling head coaching career is at a crossroads. He needs to rally the team and win or else this year could fall apart.

Delayed...

Second viewing thoughts and grades will be up Monday morning. Real life got in the way this weekend. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Pathetic

Where do I start?

This team is not as bad as it has looked the past two weeks. Spaz will do a TOB impression and lower expectations with the media. He'll play down our talent and make it seem like things are much worse than they are. But the problems we have start with the coaching. The final possession before the half was either incompetence or cowardice. Neither is good.

Our offensive line -- the lifeblood of this program -- is in shambles. That is not a talent issue either.

But regardless or how you feel about Xs and Os or talent or QBs, this team is not even fun to watch.

I feel sorry for Chase Rettig. He wasn't given much to do and looked promising with what he did. The defense looked good in stretches, but clearly started in a fog.

I still think our schedule is forgiving enough for us to go to a bowl game but we will never win the ACC with Spaz as head coach. He won't take the risks or manage the game or season in go for broke mentality. He loves BC but he shouldn't be our head coach.

Like the TOB era, I don't think we will ever bottom out under Spaz. Instead we'll just have frustrating football for a few years.

I'll hopefully be in a better mood Sunday and will have my second viewing thoughts and grades late Sunday night.

In-game comments post: Notre Dame

Another Notre Dame game. Another turning point for BC football. The Irish are struggling but so are we. Spaz needs this win to change the atmosphere around the program and to hopefully start Chase Rettig on a path to stardom. It could be a momentous night. Leave your thoughts and comments throughout the game.

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

During the game, I may have the occasional comment on Twitter.

Basketball overview and other links

Like many college bloggers, I always get so caught up in football, that I probably don't give hoops and hockey enough coverage during the fall. I will hopefully bump up coverage in the next few weeks. In the meantime, check out this overview from BC.

The hockey team will have some regular appearances on TV this season.

Because Rettig hasn't played a down, I thought we should look back at Chase the prospect in anticipation of his start.

Here is a Q&A I answered for NBCSports regarding the BC-ND game.

Game Watches: Notre Dame

This is always a big weekend for BC clubs across the country. If you can't get excited about a 1-3 Irish team at least go to witness the start of Chase Rettig's BC career. Also, many of you won't get this game at home, so a sport bar is your only option. Check out this coverage map to see if your market is showing BC-ND or Stanford-Oregon.

Atlanta Game Watch
Central City Tavern
1801 Howell Mill Road, #400
Atlanta, GA

Austin Game Watch
BD Riley's
204 East Sixth Street,
Austin, TX

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

Honolulu Game Watch
J.J. Dolan's
1147 Bethel St.
Honolulu, HI

Jersey Shore Game Watch
Murray MacGregor’s
132 East River Road
Rumson, NJ

Kansas City Game Watch
Jack Gage's American Tavern
5031 Main St (just south of the Plaza)

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

Las Vegas Game Watch
Steiner's Nevada-Style Pub
8410 W Cheyenne Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89129

Minnesota ("Twin Cities") Game Watch
Cooper Pub
The Cutting Room (reserved for BC Alumni Group)
1607 Park Place Boulevard
St. Louis Park MN

Nashville Game Watch
Lorraine's Restaurant at the Marriott Cool Springs
700 Cool Springs Blvd.
Franklin, TN

New Jersey ("Jersey City") Game Watch
Zeppelin Hall Beer Garden
88 Liberty View Dr at 285 Grand St.

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

Thunder Jackson's
Bleecker and Sullivan

Orange County, CA Game Watch
Mutt Lynch's
2300 West Oceanfront
Newport Beach, CA

Palm Beach Game Watch
O'Shea's Pub
531 Clematis Street
West Palm, FL


Philadelphia Game Watch
Fox and Hound
1501 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA

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

Rochester Game Watch
The Winfield Grill
647 North Winton Road
Rochester, NY

San Diego Game Watch
La Jolla Brew House
7536 Fay Avenue
La Jolla, CA

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

Sarasota Game Watch
Gecko's Grill & Pub
5585 Palmer Crossing Cir.
Sarasota, FL

Seattle Game Watch
Buckley's in Belltown
2331 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA

Tampa Game Watch
Champp's at International Plaza

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

BC-Notre Dame preview

I would like to thank Frank Spaziani for giving us the Chase Rettig storyline this week. Instead of the usual BC-ND narrative or the Brian Kelly returning home stuff, we get a potentially big BC moment as the focus on Saturday night. I've heard people lament that if Chase struggles, this is the type of game that could ruin his confidence and in turn ruin his BC career. Nonsense. The good ones always bounce back. Matt Ryan lost the 2004 Syracuse game in his first start. He seemed to put it behind him. I've also heard people say we might be wasting the season by playing Rettig. I also say "nonsense" to that. I was very high on the potential of this team. But after three games it was clear Dave Shinskie was not going to lead us on a 10-2 season. So if we are not winning the division with Shinskie we may as well try to win it with someone else. We still have the defense good enough to win it. If anything Spaz gets his bar somewhat lowered by rolling with a Freshman. We should be able to go at least 3-1 against Duke, UVA, Syracuse and Maryland. Then we would only need to go 1-4 against NC State, Wake, FSU, Notre Dame and Clemson. That is all we need to be bowl eligible. If Rettig can't do that and Spaz can't do that, then we have bigger problems than who redshirted and who did not.

Overlooked storyline for the game: the battle for Cincinnati recruits
Cincinnati was once a Notre Dame feeder area and the Irish still get key players from southwest Ohio (like Kyle Rudolph). It became a huge recruiting territory for us once TOB and a few other Ohio born staffers came to BC. Spaz has kept up good connections there and we've brought in some great players from Cincy (like Kuechly) but Kelly has stated he plans to hit the area hard. I imagine the winner of this game will use it as a selling point when battling the other school for a kid from Cincinnati.

Three Simple Keys
1. BC's second-level blocking. Notre Dame's defensive line is not very good. Their LBs are pretty good. To successfully run the ball on them we are obviously going to need good blocking up front but also need our guys to reach the second level of defenders. If Montel is not getting touched by Teo, BC will have a big day on the ground.
2. Stop the big pass play. The biggest problem the BC defense had against VT was a few broken plays that led to big passes. Notre Dame is dangerous in that respect because Crist has a big arm and a few deep threats. To stop this, the safeties need to be smart and disciplined and the front four need to get to Crist.
3. Do not dumb down the playcalling. My fear is that Spaz/Tranq will only give Rettig a handful of plays so he doesn't make mistakes. That's not going to do him nor the team any good. I think they need to run the offense with balance and not be afraid to pass the ball. If BC is going to win, Rettig needs to pass at least 20 times.

Gambling Notes
-- Kelly is 4-12 against non-conference BCS teams.
-- BC has not lost two consecutive home games since 1998.
-- BC has not lost two in a row to Notre Dame since 1998.
The current line is BC+3

Factoid
We've had fun against the Irish, but none of the games have been masterpieces. Did you know neither team has scored more than 30 points in a BC-ND game since 1999?

Scoreboard Watching
I am not going to use this area just to follow TOB all year, but most BC fans should pay attention to the NC State-Virginia Tech game. The Pack are for real and are our next opponent. If they win in Blacksburg, BC will be a big underdog going into next week.

I hope to see...
BC run the ball effectively. Harris has been doing most of the running on his own. I think for BC to win we need the Oline to have a big day and open up holes for Montel and the back ups. I would also like to see McCluskey get a carry or two as a change of pace. And we need to let Rettig run a bit too.

BC is in trouble if...
Mike Marscovetra sees the field. This is nothing against Marsco, but if the players split snaps or if Spaz gives Rettig a short hook, I think this game will be lost and this season could go down the tubes.

Bottom Line
I don't feel great about this game. I liked the Rettig move and I like how we match up with Notre Dame on paper. What concerns me is all effort going into hiding who our QB will be. You are coming off a shutout. Your team is lacking confidence. What is the big secret? I want our coach to have confidence and conviction is his decisions. Right or wrong but never in doubt. But my homerism and love for BC still has me thinking that Rettig looks great and we win.
Final Score: BC 31, Notre Dame 20

"Eagles take flight" (literally)

Last spring at the Matt Ryan cocktail party here in Atlanta, Gene held a Q&A with alumni. Inspired by Auburn's pregame ritual, fellow Eagle, Ted Hodan made a great suggestion to have a live eagle circle Alumni Stadium before games. Ted felt that a stunning tradition, like Auburn's, might motivate tailgaters to get to their seats on time. At the time, Gene casually brushed off the suggestion as silly [Eds note: Ted said "he acted like it was a terrible idea"]. Well Gene must of had a change of heart since BC has enlisted Challenger the Bald Eagle to perform his pregame flight prior to the Notre Dame game.

Challenger is a regular at NFL and MLB games throughout the year. Hopefully his flight is as cool as it sounds. If the response is positive and people get to their seats, I think we should get our own live eagle for every game.

Guest Blogger: The Return of Blue-Gray Sky

Blue-Gray Sky was an innovative blog that served as a template for many you see today. The crew there did a great job of mixing analysis, humor, and the passion of being a fan into a daily read. Sadly they hung it up earlier this year. Fortunately one of their founders, Jay, agreed to answer a few questions regarding this year's Notre Dame team. My questions and his answer below.

ATLEeagle: I've been very surprised by how much Kelly is passing. To me it seems like he is putting a lot on Crist's shoulders. Do you think there will be more emphasis on the run game this week or will Crist chuck it 40+ times again?

Blue-Gray Sky: Much of that is predicated on talent at hand. We have a novice, but capable quarterback in Crist, a very good tight end in Rudolph, a potential All-American wide receiver in Floyd. Add in a couple of exciting younger receivers in Theo Riddick and T.J. Jones, and it's natural to play to our strengths. Also, we're transitioning from a pro passing attack into a pass-first spread, so I think the continuation of passing is somewhat expected, no matter what Kelly might have claimed in the preseason.

I think the biggest issue right now in achieving balance is the precarious backup quarterback situation. We have no credible replacement for Crist, and after he got hurt against Michigan the backups promptly started throwing interceptions. I don't think Kelly wants to expose himself like that again, so he's erring on the side of caution in not running with Crist. The read option/quarterback keeper is an important cog in his offense, so the lack of a credible running threat at QB is definitely putting the kibosh on the running game.

ATLeagle: The Irish seem to have real problems stopping the run. Is it the new scheme or is it a talent issue? How do you think they will adjust this weekend?

Blue-Gray Sky: I know we're not doing a good job statistically, but keep in mind that Michigan, Michigan State, and Stanford are all top 20 rushing teams this year (especially Michigan), and in each game we held them to lower than their rushing average. Cold comfort, I know.

But I actually think we are improved -- or, improving. On runs up the middle, I think we look very stout, with hard-nosed sophomores Carlo Calabrese and Manti Teo cleaning things up. (Teo, by the way, had 21 tackles against Stanford. He's everywhere.) It's with the outside runs that we're having the most problems: we don't get to the edge fast enough, we take poor angles, and we don't get off our blocks well.

ATLEagle: You are only four games into the Brian Kelly era. How are you feeling about things? Are there any signs of what the future holds?

Blue-Gray Sky: I farmed this question out to some ND friends. Here are some selected quotes.

"I think it's way to early to make too formulate any feelings. We aren't that far away from 3-1, in fact we probably should be but can't say that I would feel much different. I am a little concerned that Kelly wasn't able to put MSU or Michigan away but that happens. I think how the team responds will tell us more about how Kelly's tenure turns out than the first 4 games."

"I don't think anyone can watch the last four games and come off with positive feelings about where our program is right now. Given that we're in a different offense, I hesitate to make comparisons on that side of the ball - although I think Dayne Crist looks good for a first year starter - but defensively, I think tackling is much improved from previous years. You don't see a lot of "throw the shoulder into the guy" type tackles anymore - the players wrap up and take them to the ground. That bodes well."

"Personally I think its far too early to make long term judgments on Kelly at ND at this point. History shows that even elite coaches need a year or two for their systems to take root. Saban lost to Louisiana-Monroe at home with a Crimson Tide roster that had their opponent outmanned at every position. Afterwards, he lamented, "I can't play my defense". It takes time. Carroll went 6-6 and had USC fans screaming for his head as well as Garrett's in 2001 for another failed hire."

"What comforts me is that unlike previous ND coaches, Kelly has done this before. He's not a rookie learning how to be a coach. He's a guy who has 20 years of experience at the CFB level. He knows the pitfalls, he knows what he wants to do, and he's been successful everywhere he's been. All we can do is sit, watch, and hope that his plan of action works."



ATLEagle: What is your prediction for the game?

Blue-Gray Sky: After hanging up my BGS jersey, and having been a front row witness to the last five years of Irish football, the only thing I can predict is that the game probably will not go according to any predefined script I have rattling around in my head. On paper, you'd have to think Boston College is the weaker squad coming in. I think ND should win the game, but as always in this series, it's best to chuck any expectations out the window.

Rettig to start

As I said on Twitter last night, Rettig will start this weekend. The coaching staff is remaining coy for a variety of reasons, but I've heard confirmation from some pretty good sources. I don't know if or when Spaz will make the official announcement but barring some unforeseen issue or injury, Chase Rettig will make his BC debut as a Boston College starter this Saturday night.

[Eds note: I don't like "breaking news" like this because of the flack and blowback I get if wrong, but I think this is pretty solid.]

Hockey No. 1 and other links

Expectations are high for the defending National Champion Hockey team. They were voted No. 1 in the preseason USA Today poll.

Here is a nice feature on Steve Donahue. My gripe though with the oncoming narrative is how the cupboard is bare and we are setting expectations low. I don't think we have a Final Four team, but we shouldn't be in the bottom of the ACC this season. We will see how things play out.

For those who missed it, our game against NC State will be a noon kickoff on Raycom. With the way we are playing and with Duke, Maryland, Syracuse and Virginia ahead, we could be looking at a lot of ESPN3.com games this season.

While we look to our QB of the future, former Eagle Justin Tuggle committed to Kansas State. Best of luck to him.

Revisiting QB controversies of the past

I really hate any time BC has a quarterback controversy. It really means one of two things:
1. The talent level is much worse than we ever imagined
2. The coaching staff is lacking perspective and leadership

Neither of those alternatives are good. In this case I think the staff mishandled the QBs. We will find out shortly. Regardless, a change usually provides a breath of fresh air and helps the team progress. Here is a look back on the QB controversies since the Henning era. In most cases, making the change paid off for BC.

1995: Mark Hartsell vs Matt Hasselbeck
The situation: Hartsell was the big armed incumbent. But his problem was never his arm, it was his decision making (sound familiar). He looked lost at times. Hasselbeck was an afterthought. He was the backup while the QB of the future Scott Mutryn redshirted.
What happened: Hartsell was giving games away -- most blatantly against Michigan State -- and Hasselbeck showed promise in a few mop up series. Hartsell missed a start against Army and Hasselbeck got his chance. BC got killed by the Black Knights that day and Hasselbeck didn't look like the QB he would become. Hartsell would take back over, continue to play bad football and BC would have a losing season.
Verdict: Hasselbeck should have played more. As we would soon find out, Matt was a very good QB. He didn't have the pedigree or the biggest arm, so the coaches didn't want him, yet he showed that QB is also about pressure and in game decisions.


1996: Matt Hasselbeck vs Scott Mutryn
The situation: Mutryn was the chosen one and Hasselbeck was the guy who "wasn't as good as Hartsell."
What happened: After a competitive summer camp, Mutryn was named the starter for BC's opener in Hawaii. He struggled and Hasselbeck came off the bench in relief. He led BC to a last minute win and won the job.
Verdict: BC has a terrible year but it wasn't Matt Hasselbeck's fault. He played well and kept us in a few games. In the whole scheme of things Mutryn was a pretty good QB, just not as good as Matt.

2003: Quinton Porter vs Paul Peterson
The situation: Porter was the groomed product of the TOB system. Peterson was a undersized JUCO transfer.
What happened: Porter was the starter, while Peterson got a series or two in the second quarter to get him game experience. To many fans, Peterson looked good in his limited time but he never did anything to set himself apart. Porter injured his hand against WVU and Peterson nearly helped BC steal the game in a comeback. He started the next week and ended up being one of BC's most effective starters.
Verdict: In a way I think this situation is closest to what we have now. The coaching staff had a lot invested in Porter and wanted him to succeed for many reasons. Peterson was new on campus and "not ready" or whatever rationalization they told themselves at the time. Ultimately Peterson's ability to come in and win despite being smaller and not having the arm, show how you can't always measure a QB based on practice.

2005: Matt Ryan vs Quinton Porter
The situation: Porter was the fifth year SR ready for his time. Ryan was just a goofy kid who looked overwhelmed in the Syracuse game the year before.
What happened: Porter looked terrible and got injured against Florida State. Ryan came off the bench and looked good. He also played well in his start against Clemson. Once Porter got healthy, the job was his again. He had a terrible game against Wake Forest. Ryan came off the bench and led a miracle comeback. Porter blew the UNC game the following week. Ryan was named the starter and had a great close to the season.
Verdict: This will always be the biggest mistake of TOB's tenure. If we had won the UNC game we would have gone to the ACC Championship Game. After the Wake game it was clear to the whole world that Ryan was special and better. Yet the staff stuck to their guns. I will give Spaz credit for not making this mistake. It didn't take him two losses to admit Shinskie was not the guy.

2008: Chris Crane vs Dominique Davis
The situation: Crane was the physically talented guy who had waited his turn behind Ryan. Dominique Davis was a flyer recruit that had moved up a very shallow depth chart.
What happened: Crane was pretty bad from the start. When BC lost to Georgia Tech, the staff struggled with every option and elected to roll with Crane. Fans, including this blogger, felt they should have given Davis a chance. Just as Crane was improving he got hurt and Davis took over.
Verdict: Although Davis did enough to get BC into the Championship Game once he played most fans realized the staff was right to stick with Crane.

I wish Spaz had handled this process differently, but I think playing Rettig Saturday will benefit everyone now and in the future. I just hope he plays well enough that we look back on this and say, "we found the right guy."

Blogpoll Ballot

If Oregon played Alabama this week, I think the Ducks would win. So they got my No. 1 spot. Most of the ballots falls in line. The highest debut came from NC State. I am a TOB doubter, but I love Russell Wilson and think this team might be good enough to win the ACC. I have a series of questionable slottings but the one that is hardest to justify is leaving off Southern Cal. I just don't think they are as good as their record.

Games I watched
BC-VT 100% (twice)
Pitt-Miami 50%
ND-Stanford 20%
LSU-West Virginia 50%
Boise State-Oregon State 20%
Auburn-South Carolina 20%

Eagle in Atlanta Ballot - Week 5

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Oregon Ducks	1
2	Alabama Crimson Tide	-1
3	Nebraska Cornhuskers	--
4	Stanford Cardinal	7
5	Ohio St. Buckeyes	-1
6	Oklahoma Sooners	-1
7	Michigan Wolverines	5
8	Auburn Tigers	8
9	N.C. State Wolfpack	--
10	TCU Horned Frogs	-2
11	LSU Tigers	-2
12	Boise St. Broncos	2
13	Wisconsin Badgers	--
14	Michigan St. Spartans	1
15	Arizona Wildcats	--
16	Utah Utes	1
17	Florida Gators	1
18	Missouri Tigers	5
19	Nevada Wolf Pack	3
20	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	--
21	South Carolina Gamecocks	-11
22	Arkansas Razorbacks	-16
23	Miami Hurricanes	--
24	Penn St. Nittany Lions	--
25	Clemson Tigers	--
Dropouts: Texas Longhorns, West Virginia Mountaineers, USC Trojans, Boston College Eagles, Temple Owls, Northwestern Wildcats

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Virginia Tech

This was a bad one to watch back. Hopefully it will all be worth it at the end of the season.

Offense: F

When I watched the game live, my first impression was that Shinskie started off okay and then got worse as the line started falling apart. That wasn't the case. He was pretty bad from the start. He forced passes, missed some reads and obviously made some bad decisions and bad throws. It wasn't all his fault, but another QB might have been able to salvage a score or two. I feel for Shinskie. Maybe we will see him again, but at this point we've seen enough. He's gotten more than his fair share of starts. Despite the criticism of Marscovetra, I don't think he was terrible. His throws were on the mark. He checked down a bit too given the circumstances. The biggest problem was his ability to feel pressure. He needs to be more aware of the pocket and get rid of the ball a bit quicker. As I said in an earlier post, I think Rettig should get the starter, but Marscovetra might still be a serviceable option.

Montel Harris was the only offensive player who could hold his head high. He did his usual job of fighting for extra yards and finding holes. He also did a better job in pass protection, especially as our line started to get overwhelmed. Phifer was fine in limited use.

The wide receivers weren't blameless in this debacle. Amidon tripped over his feet on what should have been a TD. Momah dropped one of Marsco's passes. Lee couldn't stay in bounds when he had a wide open field after catching one of Shinskie's passes. Lee had a drop. Anderson was okay. Pantale didn't get thrown to.

I don't know what to make of the offensive line. As usual the tackles had trouble with the VT speed. Lapham's man stripped Shinskie on one fumble and Castonzo never took control of his matchups. Claiborne didn't start but looked good when he played. Richman was ok as was Cleary but we are not winning enough battles at the line of scrimmage.

I really don't understand our offense or our stubbornness. Even without Shinskie's decisions, we've shown that we don't have good redzone plays. Our line looks good on one play and terrible the next. We bring in Marscovetra and yet go conservative down 16 points. I know I've harped on this but I think part of the problem dating back to last season with the QBs and the oline has been the varied styles and approaches. To have success at this level, you need a certain degree of simplicity in your offense. The best offenses learn to execute certain plays, and their counters well. Yet we don't know what we do well and vear from one to another. Take for example, Marsco's first possession. The first play is the basic zone option stretch run to the left. The line executes and gets the smaller, faster, VT defense moving off the ball. Harris can run this play in his sleep, so he finds his hole and bursts down the field for 20 yards. The next play is another run. This time it is another delayed draw. In this case Cleary pulls to his right to try to kick something open and the other guys fill gaps to the left. VT is loading the box and ready for this that they all start crashing and we gain nothing. We then are forced into a passing down, they send the house, we get a penalty and the drive becomes a mess. Why can't our very experienced offensive coodinator find a basic package that we can execute? Why when VT started loading the box did we not do more short, quick outs? The offense has no identity and I think any Qb we have will suffer from it. I also keep hearing excuses and finger pointing regarding the offensive line. I don't know who is at fault but this is shaping up to be the worst BC line in 30 years. Someone needs to fix it soon.

Defense: B+

The defensive line did a very good job with Taylor. We got good penetration from Ramsey, Scafe and Gallik. Newman did a good job on contain. Albright had another very good day and is showing good speed and awareness. Altough he is not loading up the stat sheet, I think Edebali is looking good. Holloway made a few nice plays.

KPL had a very good day. I was surprised by his speed and I think he does a good job on his angles. Kuechly excellence is becoming so predictable, I have to remind myself that he is only a sophomore. Herzy is getting better with each game. I know there were a few plays were it seemed like he was a step slow, but I still don't know if he would have caught Wilson or Evans from behind two years ago. I think Mark will have a huge day against Notre Dame. Devitto got his first extended playing time. He made a few plays, but looked a little off in pass coverage. I would like to see more guys get on the field, but right now we have an embarassment of riches at LB.

Gause and Fletcher both played well. LeGrande made some nice plays in run support but lost his man on Taylor's big scramble pass. Davis was okay but not near the action much.

We kept the defense as basic as I've seen it in a long time and were very effective. W barely blitzed. We barely dropped 8 into coverage. It was the classic BC 4-3 for almost every snap. I thought all the units played well and we slowed them down for the most part. My fear going forward is that that D will start pressing thinking they have to score points to win games.

Special Teams: B-
Quigley punted well.

Fox looks good on the kick returns. I don't know if he will break one, but he seems pretty fearless.

Gause allowed one punt to roll but was okay. I was also glad to see Swigert take a risk on his one attempt.

Overall: D

I will try not to allow my feelings about Spaz or how he mishandled the QBs this offseason influence this grade. Regardless of how well the defense played and how many mistakes Shinskie made, I still felt Spaz mismanaged the game. On the final drive before the half, we burned TOs and we too methodical. I also think we should have been more aggresive when we brought in Marscovetra. But my biggest gripe was that we didn't use a hurry up when down 16 in the second half. Instead we kept huddleing wasting valuable time. I know comeback is against the odds, but Spaz didn't help the cause by taking his sweet time. The challenge was the same way. Someone must have told Spaz it was a dropped pass, but he still challenged anyway, which burned another timeout. Did we need that timeout? No. But Spaz didn't know that at the time. Finally and this might be silly but the punt at the end of the final BC drive drove me nuts. Why not at least let the kid rip it on 4th down?

Spaz had two weeks to prepare for this game and laid an egg. He had two years to find a functional QB and hasn't. He mishandled the QB situation form the start of spring ball and now is paying the price. Now he has a week to get things right.

The right move is to start Rettig

I tweeted the Rettig news this morning as soon as I heard it. BCMike asked if Chase would started and I replied that I couldn't confirm. Come to find out, Spaz is leaving the job open for Marscovetra or Rettig. This opens up a whole (welcome) can of worms that we will discuss and digest all week. Although he is getting thrown under the bus by some fans too, I have not given up on Marscovetra yet. But I think the move this week should be to start Rettig. Here is why: it's Notre Dame. This game means everything and it means nothing.

Everything. Rettig will be under the most intense spotlight you can imagine. He will make his first college start in primetime in a game that means more to BC fans than any other. He will be taking on college football's most revered program. If he can handle the pressure and succeed, you have the foundation for a great career. Conversely there is so little downside.

Nothing. Notre Dame is bad this year and has a porous defense. The game means nothing in the ACC standings. If he has a rough day you can always bring in Marscovetra in the second half.

As important as the starter is the attitude and plan of the coaching staff. Shinskie and many parts of the offense were not good on Saturday, but I think we didn't do anyone any favors with our game plan. I understand that execution is part of it, but so are adjustments and finding some basic concepts and plays that work. BC didn't do enough of that on Saturday.

I can't speak to Spaz's motivation or why he mishandled the QB spot so far. But I can say that this season is still very manageable and still has the recipe to be special. We have a very good defense and a very forgivable schedule. I understand that Rettig might be a disaster. That is the chance you take and that is the responsibility Spaz took on when he made the move from DC to head coach.

But this is BC. Strange things can happen. If we are going to have one of those special, "how did this happen," runs, it starts this Saturday and it starts with Chase Rettig.