Great deal for ATLeagle readers with Smathers & Branson

I am excited to announce that for the next two weeks, Smathers & Branson is offering atleagle readers a 20% discount on their BC products.

I've been wearing a Smathers & Branson BC belt for years. (It might be my favorite BC item.) Their needlepoint design and craftsmanship is unique among typical fan gear. Beyond belts, they also have keychain fobs, sunglass straps, bag tags, wallets, hats, coasters, etc. All needlepoint and with the BC logo. And it is not all just BC stuff. They have plenty of other college and pro teams, and styles and looks that are not sports related. They make great gifts (or just treat yourself). 

Between now and September 19, alteagle readers can receive a 20% discount on all BC items by using the promo code: BC2017. Apply the code at checkout.

I will also show the belt in the next few Periscopes. Get yours soon. 

Checking in on the true freshmen

In the past few years, Addazio has talked about the challenge of using players too early. In his opinion, BC is at its best when it can redshirt most of their players. I don't know if I totally agree with coach. The 5th year transfer rule has changed the dynamic and roster management. But that is topic for a different post. This is about who is playing this year. BC's official stats for the game only listed AJ Dillon and Travis Levy as the freshmen who played. But Alec Lindstrom also saw action as a substitute.

I have no problem with any of those guys playing. If they can help now, get them on the field. This won't be the end either. Addazio said he Petrula was supposed to play too. I am sure he will get in soon.

There will also be guys who redshirt too. And a few of those guys will become long-term impact players. But I believe Addazio needs to play everyone who can make a difference this year. Plan for the future once we get elite dept and don't need any of our true freshmen.

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In other news, here are the the general highlights of the game.

Herzy to IR and other links

On Saturday, the New York Giants placed Mark Herzlich on IR. That means he is ineligible to play for the Giants this season. Once he recovers, he could come off IR, clear waivers and play for another team. But this might be the end of Mark's NFL career. It sounds like the Giants are already planning a post-playing career for him as they want him working with players and still being around. I hope Mark gets one more shot on the field, but if this is it, it was truly a remarkable playing career. When his cancer was first announced, there was real question as to whether his leg would be amputated. Instead he survived, played again in college and then played in the NFL for six seasons. That is amazing. Good luck to Mark on all his future endeavors.

In other NFL news, the Lions picked up Brian Mihalik and the Colts picked up Ian Silberman.

Another remarkable BC athlete's story continues as Boston has declared September 5 as "Pete Frates Day."

The Field Hockey team swept Maryland.

Women's Soccer beat Northeastern.

Perspective on plays per game

During the offseason, I questioned how much Addazio would truly embrace the uptempo philosophy. For the first game he clearly did. BC had 92 total plays in the game. That's a lot in general and it is a ton for BC game. For some perspective, here are some other relevant total plays to show how active and fast BC was:

• 2016 Leader in Total Plays Average: Baylor -- 88.6 per game
• 2016 (Addazio Year 4) Boston College Total Plays Average:  67.8
• BC's Total Plays in QuickLane Bowl: 69
• 2015 (Addazio Year 3)  Boston College Total Plays Average: 64.8
• 2014 (Addazio Year 2) Boston College Total Plays Average: 67.8
• 2013 (Addazio Year 1) Boston College Total Plays Average: 62.0

And a few other BC related Total Plays Average:

• 2012 (Spaz's Last Year) Boston College Total Plays Average: 70.5 
• 2009 (Spaz's First Year) Boston College Total Plays Average: 65.1
• 2008 (Jags with Crane/Davis) Boston College Total Plays Average: 71.8
• 2007 (Jags with Matt Ryan) Boston College Total Plays Average: 77.9
• 2006 (TOB's final year at BC) Boston College Total Plays Average: 70.7

It is only one game, but it is a clear departure for BC and Addazio. However, changing for change sake is not what BC needed. We need to make sure the uptempo also includes more scoring. Running 90+ plays and only scoring 23 points will lead to plenty of losses. 

Nothing comes easy in BC's win over NIU

That was a long frustrating way to begin the season. The silver lining is the win and that Anthony Brown showed real potential in his first game. Everything that you feel good about the game also leaves you wondering if Addazio will ever fully deliver. For example, he really committed to the uptempo offense, yet we only scored 23 points and started resting our best defensive players in the 2nd Quarter. Another example: Addazio seemingly adjusted to his game management criticisms and used the clock well at the first half and went for it on 4th down. Yet there was some very stubborn and head scratching play calling. Finally, he has seemed to recruit elite skill players, but our traditional foundation -- the offensive line -- looked sloppy. He has a week to figure it all out.

For now, I am going to use this win to dream about a bright future for Brown and BC Football.

I also did a post-game Periscope. Thanks to all those who interacted. Because of the holiday weekend, I don't know when I will rewatch the game, so grades might not roll out until Tuesday.

NIU win post game Periscope. https://t.co/Ha61fpLU0K

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) September 2, 2017

In-game comments post: Northern Illinois

Another season and maybe a new era of BC Football starts tonight.

Leave your thoughts and comments below.

You can also follow me on Twitter.

Friday picks

Here are the ten games I like this weekend:

Navy-9.5 at FAU

Colorado State+3.5 at Colorado

NC State-5 at South Carolina

Michigan-5 at Florida

Temple+18.5 at Notre Dame

UMass-2.5 at Coastal Carolina

Florida State+7.5 at Alabama

Vanderbilt-3 at Middle Tennessee

Texas A&M+3.5 at UCLA

West Virginia+4 at Virginia Tech

Herald thinks Brown will start

From Friday's BC summary. No byline attributed, so there is plenty of hedging:

2. No matter what gametime decision Addazio makes at quarterback, BC will have an inexperienced signal caller under center. A consensus of neutral observers during training camp agreed that redshirt freshman Anthony Brown will get the nod over graduate student Darius Wade.

We will all know shortly. Good luck to both.

One last Landry hype video to get you ready for Friday

Game Watches: Northern Illinois

I am bring back Game Watch posts to help those BC fans looking for other fans. If your local BC Club is hosting an event email or tweet the information and I will post it the day before the game. If I miss you info, post it in the comments section. As I have written before, watching a game with other fans can be worthwhile. Only they understand what you are going through.

Chicago Game Day Bus
The BC Alumni Association is offering bus transportation to and from Chicago for the NIU game on Friday Sept. 1st. Round trip fare is $30 per person. All bus riders are to arrive at Tobacco Road Tap Room (2249 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago) at 2:30 p.m., and the bus will leave promptly at 3:00 p.m. The bus will drop riders off at the location of the BC Tailgate in DeKalb, Fatty's Pub & Grill. Following the game, all bus riders will immediately board the bus at Fatty's Pub and will return to Tobacco Road Tap Room in Chicago.
To sign up, click on this link: https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1627/index01.aspx?sid=1627&gid=1&pgid=4794&cid=7954

Denver Game Watch
The Whittier Pub
2000 E 28th ave.
Denver, CO 80205

Los Angeles Game Watch
2615 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403

Phoenix Game Watch
Gallagher's Sports Grill
7575 N. 16th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85020

San Diego Game Watch
Striders
100 J St
San Diego, CA 92101

San Francisco Game Watch
2064 Polk St
San Francisco, CA 94109

BC-Northern Illinois preview

As I stated already this week, I hate the idea that Addazio is not naming his starting QB. Why does the guy do this to himself? He's not hurting Northern Illinois. He's hurting himself. The only film on Brown is BC's own Spring Game. The only film on Wade is from two seasons ago against crappy opponents and under a different offensive scheme. What does Addazio think NIU will change in response to either QB? Instead Addazio is wasting his own time, focus and energy on being coy and secretive. I hate to break it to you, Coach, but you are focusing on the wrong thing. BC wins this game regardless of the starter. And if they don't, it will be in part because the staff did not have them ready to play.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
In a recent interview about his new job, Martin Jarmond said he didn't talk to Urban Meyer about Addazio. His explanation was that he wanted to form his own opinion. I don't think that is how I would approach things. If a friend and colleague has a close relationship with your soon-to-be most important employee, who is responsible for your highest-profile unit, wouldn't you pick the brain of that trusted colleague? Or even get a general opinion? Jarmond will have to make a big decision about Addazio some day. Why not get all the quality information you can? I obviously don't talk to Addazio, but from second hand sources, he clearly reached out to his Ohio State network to check up on Jarmond. He wanted to know what kind of leader he was getting. I wish Jarmond had done the same.

Three Simple Keys
1. Control the line of scrimmage. Even with our potential offensive line rotation, BC has a huge size and talent advantage in the battle between our OL and their DL. We need to pound them and open up holes for the running backs.
2. Get Jeff Smith at least six touches. Smith has the speed and elusiveness to be special. We've shown the willingness to give him special plays in the past. Let's make it a priority this game. He should have a few end arounds and maybe a chance to make a pass.
3. Good clock management. We will see how committed Addazio is to his new 'tempo' offense. My concern is that despite playing at a quicker pace, Addazio will still make questionable decisions in the two minute drill.

Gambling Notes
-- BC leads the series 2-0
-- Addazio is 9-11 on the road while coaching BC
-- Addazio is 3-1 in season openers
The current line is BC-3.5

Factoid
The last time BC played on CBS Sports Network was in 2012 against Army. Before that, it was UCF in 2011. That was the game where Spaz allegedly got in a fight with Rogers. So lots of good memories for BC fans!

Scoreboard Watching
Alabama vs Florida State is important for conference supremacy, but also a good glimpse into FSU. If they beat Bama, you know we will have more than we can handle when they come up to Alumni.

What I hope to see...
A dominant performance signally that we are a different program and Addazio is ready to fulfill his promise of a five-year rebuild.

BC is in trouble if...
Whoever starts (Wade) throws some early, ugly INTs. That will shake the team's confidence and give NIU hope.

Overall
I expect a low scoring, somewhat sloppy season opener. I think BC plays conservatively and is strong enough on D to overcome some questionable plays and decisions on Offense.
Final Score: BC 20, NIU 10

Preseason Periscope

Below is my Preseason Periscope. The first of 2017. Thanks for all those who joined in. It is all a work in progress, so I appreciate any feedback and support. Also, let me know what time works for people to join. I tried a noon ET once last year and had a small audience. 10 pm ET seems a bit late. Can and would people watch mid-afternoon like 2:30 ET?

 As for what I discussed, for those who don't have the time to watch:
-- Addazio not naming a starting QB publicly is silly at best and a sign of panic at worst. No one has any significant film of Wade or Brown. Naming one doesn't offer up an advantage to NIU. I know Harbaugh is doing it too, but all these guys are out thinking themselves.
-- The shuffled OL also gives me concern for the similar reasons. When has a rotation worked well?
-- I think our Running Backs will carry the team.
-- I think we go to a low-level bowl.
-- Using more zone coverage will prevent blowouts, but also might lead to fewer sacks.

Preseason Periscope https://t.co/jMqeXmdwOJ

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) August 30, 2017

Once again, I appreciate the support and hope BC has a fun season.

[UPDATED] Season Prediction Part III: what will happen

[Thanks to all those who pointed out the problem in my W-L math. My mistake. I apologize. I had different drafts. I still think we go 8-5 (3-5) in the ACC. The Notre Dame game has been corrected to a win.]

This is Addazio's team now. All the players are his recruits. He's created a staff of loyal colleagues. He has an AD ready to support him and he has a great recruiting tool in the new Indoor Practice Facility. Whatever he accomplishes this year is probably as good as it is going to ever get at for him at BC. I am not predicting a breakthrough. I think it will be just more of the same.

This will serve as my official prediction for the season.

at Northern Illinois. Win. The team doesn't look great, but Addazio is lucky that our D matches up well with their offense. Low-scoring, ugly win.

Wake Forest. Win. I know the games have been even the past few years, but I think this year BC's talent advantage makes it a fairly comfortable game.

Notre Dame. Win. This game will help make or break the season. If Addazio wins, we start 3-0 and have the fan base pumped. If we lose, it will feel like the same old, same old. I think we win but he disappoints later.

at Clemson. Loss. Closer than last year but not close enough. Instead of playing to win, we play conservatively and it costs us.

Central Michigan. Win. A good overall win as the team plays well in all aspects of the game.

Virginia Tech. Loss. This is the rough part of the schedule. I think many fans start to lose hope during this stretch.

at Louisville. Loss. I think we will be due for a blowout at some point. I predict it will be Louisville who kills us.

at Virginia. Win. It stops the bleeding and feels like a decent road win.

Florida State. Loss. I think this will be a real heartbreaker. We lead throughout but blow it late.

NC State. Win. I am on record as thinking NC State is ridiculously overrated. I think we handle them.

UConn (at Fenway). Win. I think this is one of those games where we make their Offense look incapable of scoring.

at Syracuse. Loss. I think Addazio will trip up against one of our peer programs. I think it will be Syracuse just to make the season that much more frustrating.

This leaves BC 7-5 (3-5 in the ACC). BC goes to the St. Petersburg Bowl and plays USF. Although it is a quasi-home game for them, we dominate and finish 8-5. It is not another 7-6 season, but it will sure feel like it.

Season Prediction Part II: best case scenario

If Addazio has any real substance as a head coach, one year he will have a season when it all comes together and all breaks his way. If he ever has a season like that, this is how it might play out.

As a reminder, this is not what I think will happen. This is more of a "what if." My real prediction will come later in the week.

at Nothern Illinois. Win. The D looks tremendous and creates all sorts of turnovers. BC's QB situation still seems a bit unsettled, but the OLine creates big holes for the running backs.

Wake Forest. Win. This is a good matchup for BC. BC gets to the QB all day. The passing game looks okay, but BC's deep and talented RBs remain the stars.

Notre Dame. Win. Needless to say, this is a big game and a big win for Addazio. The 3-0 start earns BC some votes in the polls.

at Clemson. Loss. Both teams are undefeated and it gets a primetime slot on ESPN. The game is low scoring, but BC cannot move the ball against an elite D.

Central Michigan. Win. Another relatively easy game. BC's OL and DL control the game.

Virginia Tech. Win. A huge confidence builder. This proves the hot start was legit. With the win, BC is ranked.

at Louisville. Loss. The Cardinals tear up BC's top D. This is the worst we look all year.

at Virginia. Win. I just don't expect much from UVA this year. I think BC controls throughout.

Florida State. Loss. A real letdown in front of a solid Friday night crowd.

NC State. Win. As I have mentioned, I don't get the NC State hype. I think we win this game with ease.

UConn (at Fenway). Win. We just run on UConn all day. This is fun to watch.

at Syracuse. Win. This is very close, but BC holds on in the end.

This would leave BC 9-3 (5-3 in the ACC). Clearly not among the elite of the ACC, but it would show that Addazio can compete when he has his players. Because we still don't sell tickets, I think we end up in the Sun Bowl against Oregon. BC wins that to finish 10-3 and just outside the top 10.

Season Prediction Part I: worst case scenario

Here we go! Time for my annual tradition of forecasting BC's ceiling, basement and what will probably happen. As always, I start with the worst case scenario. This season is Addazio's 5th year. It is the one he has been pointing to since the day he arrived. If everything falls apart now -- at a time when it is should be turning the corner -- then the guy is done at BC. I don't think the following will happen, but this is how it could go bad.

As a reminder, this is not what I think will happen. This is more of a "what if." My real prediction will come later in the week.

at Northern Illinois. Loss. Both QBs play and both look bad. The Offense is stagnant and the D allows a few big plays.

Wake Forest. Loss. Another low scoring Defensive game. But BC's D is not what it was a few years ago. An 0-2 start basically ends Addazio's career with the BC fanbase. Lame ducks status depends on his new boss.

Notre Dame. Loss. BC comes out fired up and the fans show some signs of life. But it is not enough as the OL is a problem.

at Clemson. Loss. Another loss, but like ND, it is a close game so apologists have plenty of rah rah nonsense to spin the record.

Central Michigan. Win. The first W provides a little relief. The D plays well and BC gets a few big plays from the Offense.

Virginia Tech. Loss.  BC drops another close game. The team looks more cohesive since the opener, but their record now stands at a putrid 1-5.

at Louisville. Loss.  We slow the Cardinals down, but can't pull out the upset.

at Virginia. Win. I don't think we are going 0-fer in the ACC again. This is solid road win. There is talk of another late season rally.

Florida State. Loss. This is a bad game. FSU blows us out at home.

NC State. Win. There is a lot of preseason hype around NC State, but I just have a feeling they will be a little overrated and we will play spoiler here.

UConn (at Fenway). Win. I think UConn will be terrible this year and we smash them at Fenway.

at Syracuse. Win. Everything looks good. BC controls the tempo and scoring and seems to have the Orange's offense figured out.

With this BC would finish 5-7 (3-5 in the ACC). This would be a huge problem for Jarmond. Does the strong finish and strong recruiting class earn Addazio enough goodwill to comeback one more year? I would be against it, but could see how the new AD would want to give him a chance.

Moore, Baker named Captains

On Friday, BC announced that the team elected Kam Moore and Jon Baker as Captains for the upcoming season. I always like when the team elects the Captain, as it shows who they view as leaders and who they expect to have a big season. Both Baker and Moore are critical to the upcoming year, so I hope this is a good sign. Congratulations to both on the honor and I hope they both serve BC well.

Can Addazio handle the distractions and pressure of Hot Seat talk?

None of us know what Martin Jarmond's expectations are for this season nor his vision for who should be leading the Boston College Football program. But that isn't stopping the coaching agents and media from floating names and predicting which jobs will open.

Ready for some bold coaching predictions? Chip Kelly at UCLA and Joe Moorehead at Boston College in 2018. CC: @OldTakesExposed

— Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB) August 24, 2017

I don't know McGuire, so I don't know if he has talked to Moorehead or is just spit balling. As far as Addazio is concerned, it doesn't matter. This kind of talk will go on until he has a breakthrough season. My fear as a BC fan is that the coach will let this sort of talk distract from the mission at hand, which is winning games.

Coaches tend to be a sensitive lot. I find Addazio especially so. If you watch his Coach's Show or press conferences, or even his locker room speeches, it is clear he reads and hears the criticism. That's not good. If you are expect your players and staff to focus and block out the noise, you should hold yourself to the same standard. There is so much going on during the course of a season, that losing focus or worrying about job security is not worth his time. Losing focus leads to losing games and it all becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Last year, Addazio rallied the team late in the season. It helped secure his job and breathed new life into his recruiting. While I always welcome a strong finish, another rocky start and more blowouts will be a bad standard to establish. But if he wants to persevere, I suggest he doesn't spend any time reading or listening to what we all are saying. Just focus on the team and the games.

An anecdotal ticket demand story

Two weeks ago the University of Georgia sent me an emailing inviting me to buy season tickets for this year. If UGA is sending me ticketing emails, you know the marketplace for tickets is changing.

For some background, Georgia sent me the email because I am technically an alum. I have never bought tickets for any UGA event through the school and have never donated. I should be low, low, low on any priority list. But the SEC Power with a huge fanbase is chasing ticket buyers because the demand for the ingame experience is changing. The secondary ticket market is now trusted, easy to use and so efficient that you can go to most of the games you want to attend and skip the uninteresting games, all at close to the face value of the tickets.

It wasn't always this way at Georgia. When I was a grad student in the mid-00s, there was a waiting list for regular season ticket packages and grad students could enter a lottery for the chance to purchase student season tickets. The odds weren't good and the demand was high.

If UGA is wasting their time with me, I can only imagine things are even tougher at BC. Our fanbase is smaller and our local sports and entertainment market is more competitive.

There is something great about attending a game in person. You see things you can't see on TV and their is the unique energy of a crowd. If I lived in New England I would probably have season tickets. But I understand why more don't. There is really little need to commit like that.

It will be interesting to see how attendance is for BC this year. Winning will help. So will the new booze policy. But there will be challenges. Hopefully Jarmond will be more aggressive and creative than the folks at Georgia.

Addazio should name a starting QB this week

It is almost time. This is the last week of summer camp. Next week is game week. Now is the time to pick a QB. Yet Addazio seems in no hurry. 

Wade still remains the favorite for the job. The fact that he hasn't made the competition a slam dunk case is really a half-full/half-empty proposition. It is great that Brown has shown enough promise to make it a tough decision. it is disconcerting that Wade isn't a clear cut choice.

Addazio will decide soon, so you might ask: "what's the rush?" I think this is Addazio's chance to get the team ready and behind one guy. A few extra days will change the mentality around the team. 

Plus, there is very little downside to naming a guy now. Whoever gets the No. 2 slot will need to understand that he is only one snap away. The backup needs to buy in. If anything, waiting might just anger the No. 2. 

Whoever wins is going to be on a short leash. Addazio needs to win and can't let one guy fall apart when a similar option is on the bench. This season could be a bumpy ride. Let's start to get through those bumps now when there is still time to fix things. 

Walk-on soccer player to handle kickoffs

One thing that has been brewing this summer is the success of former BC soccer player Max Schulze-Geisthovel. The German has finished his collegiate soccer career and decided to try football. And at this point, it looks like he's been so good that he will handle kickoffs.

Schulze-Geisthovel is not accurate enough to handle field goals, but Addazio won't rule it out. Addazio claims the kid has the biggest leg of any kicker since Addazio has been at BC.

I don't really care who kicks. I just want success. Addazio has struggled finding someone he can trust and considering how few points we score, every attempt counts. Field position counts too, so that is where Schulze-Geisthovel can make an immediate impact.