Looking rough in Littlejohn

I rarely attend BC games in person, so much of what I glean is based off of TV feeds and what I read or hear. What's nice about the occasional in-person basketball game is seeing how the team interacts with the staff. Saturday's loss to Clemson was ugly but it did help build a little more faith in Jim Christian. Despite the continued losing, the team has not checked out. As much as it was frustrating to watch the offense settle for bad 3-point attempts, Christian was imploring them to drive. The staff is also very active during the game -- at least compared to some past BC basketball huddles. Here are a few other thoughts:

-- No touch, no strength. BC was off all over the floor, but it was uncomfortable to watch them miss so many shots close to the basket. The bigs couldn't do it. The guards missed plenty too. I would blame Clemson's D, but too often it was just our guys missing. We desperately need a guy who can just go up and either slam it home or draw a foul.
-- I think I overrated Hanlan. Changing offenses certainly hurt his numbers this year as does playing more point. But maybe Hanlan is just very good but not great. He was fine Saturday, but BC needed him to step up early. He didn't. They also needed him to drive more. It didn't happen -- in part to how Clemson was defending him.
-- The team misses Clifford. He still not 100% and that left Carney playing long minutes. We could have used him on the boards and if he had been healthy, he might have finished some of those shots in the paint.

How Howard came about

BC scheduled Howard because that is what Brad Bates and Steve Addazio want. One could point the finger at the ACC's flip-flop on conference games, the ripple effect of Army cancelling a few years ago, the ripple effect of Syracuse becoming a conference game, or the ripple effect of New Mexico State rejoining a conference. It doesn't matter. BC's leaders surveyed all their options and this one made the most sense.

New Mexico State's return date has been on the schedule for a while. However, no one ever really thought it would happen. Once the Aggies rejoined a conference they were left with too many non-conference games. Of their potential games, BC remained their least lucrative and therefore most likely to be cancelled. Brad Bates knew that. BC had time to find a replacement. But none of the solutions made sense.

Solution 1: Play a one off against a Power 5

These games are always available. TV will usually help out in flipping around schedules and most Power 5 programs will gladly buy a game if they don't need a return date. Even recently Tennessee needed a game when UAB folded. This would have been my preference. But I am not AD. BC doesn't need a big payout and doesn't want to set a precedent of not getting return games from peer conferences. Addazio also didn't want to stunt the team's growth by going on the road against heavy weight, especially when we are already playing Notre Dame out of conference

Solution 2: Schedule another one for one with any FBS school

Scheduling one for ones out of the conference isn't that difficult for BC. We are a respectable, but not threatening opponent with a good TV partner in a desirable destination. If Bates calls most programs they will consider future opportunities. The challenge this go-around was finding one who was willing to come to Alumni in 2015.

Solution 3: Buy a game

Every team has its price. BC could have paid some team to come to Alumni for a one off. The problem is that it would have been very expensive. Even with the money from the New Mexico State penalty, it would have been hard for BC to pay SEC dollars to a visitor. We just don't have the ticket revenue. I am sure there were a few eager teams willing to come to BC to beef up their own resume without a blockbuster payday. However, I don't think Addazio wanted test the team like that.

So BC ended up with Howard: a team willing to come to BC at BC's price. The obvious downsides -- outside of losing -- is a disappointed fan base and not getting enough wins for bowl qualification. But the demand for tickets seems to be pretty inelastic. Even with USC and Clemson on the schedule, we didn't sell out Alumni. If we replaced Howard with an Alabama, would Alumni sell out? Would our season tickets packages skyrocket? Probably not. It is going to take a series of things -- including winning -- to improve attendance. The bowl issue could be troublesome but I think BC can politic out of that issue too. If we go 6-6, I think we will still go bowling. There are just so many slots and ESPN remains in our corner. What NCAA team is going to protest if a 6-6 BC team goes to some bottom tier bowl?

Playing two FCS teams is not ideal, but I don't think it will be the norm. BC has scheduling issues ahead, but I think Bates and Addazio will navigate those issues as they try to build a winner.

Tweets of the Week

Christian says Clifford still isn't 100 percent but Magarity would've started anyway because of how well he's playing.

— Austin Tedesco (@Tedescau) January 29, 2015

One week until NSD. Rest assured that your HC will sign a class that "fits all of our needs" and has him "very excited about the future."

— Paul Myerberg (@PaulMyerberg) January 28, 2015

Hmm...what to wear? #Juno pic.twitter.com/nEtxEFuaJm

— Boston College (@BostonCollege) January 26, 2015

I'm taking Boston College over the Buffalo Bills on September 12. pic.twitter.com/rjRujCYkZA

— BC Interruption (@bcinterruption) January 29, 2015

Football releases 2015 schedule

The ACC and BC finally released their 2015 schedule. The only real news on BC's front is that New Mexico State is officially out and replaced by...Howard. This is not a good schedule. It doesn't line up well. It doesn't help sell tickets. The only thing it does well is set BC up for a true transition. We are breaking in a new, young QB and a new play caller. The team will be fairly young. This soft schedule enables them to bottom out, yet still keep up momentum and still continue winning.

September 5 -- Maine
September 12 -- Howard
September 18 -- Florida State
September 26 -- Northern Illinois
October 3 -- at Duke
October 10 -- Wake Forest
October 17 -- at Clemson
October 24 -- at Louisville
October 31 -- Virginia Tech
November 7 -- NC State
November 21 -- Notre Dame at Fenway Park
November 28 -- at Syracuse

Home Sweet Home
BC will play seven home games and a game at Fenway. That leaves only four true road games. And the first road test doesn't even come until October. BC wasn't great at home this past year, but that doesn't mean playing at Alumni is not always preferred. As the roster matures, the home-road will be less of an issue, but for now it is a good thing.

Howard?
Brad Bates is going to take heat for scheduling this game, but it is not all his fault. Addazio wanted a light schedule too. When New Mexico State bailed on their return game, that left BC scrambling. We didn't want to buy an expensive home game. We didn't want to travel. We didn't want to face a traditional power. So after not being able to find a lower-level FBS school, we were forced to look to FCS again. With some of our other FCS games, you can spin the matchup as a regional rivalry or traditional opponent. This isn't. Howard won't sell any tickets and won't bring any juice. This is a glorified scrimmage. But if that is what Addazio thinks we need to build the program, let him do his thing. Playing two FCSs also makes bowl eligibility that much more difficult. We now have to win seven regular season games.

Scary October
On the surface, the toughest stretch is at Clemson, at Louisville and then playing VT at home on Halloween. BC needs to get win one of those. A three-game losing streak going into the final month could be a huge momentum killer.

FSU Friday
I think BC fans have accepted the idea of an annual Friday game. However, hosting the most exciting opponent on a Friday upset some ticket holders. There is not much BC can do on this front. Per contract BC hosts a Friday game every year. Also per contract, every ACC team has to play a certain number of Friday games over the life of our ESPN TV deal. It was just a matter of time before the 'Noles were slotted for one of our Friday games. Ideally the Friday game would always be Labor Day Weekend or the Friday after Thanksgiving. That will happen soon, but for now this is just part of the new reality of college football.

RIP Tatyana Abrams

For those who did not hear the mention on the radio broadcast or missed it on Twitter, Tatyana Abrams died after her long battle with AML and the side effects of her treatment. Tatyana was the daughter of BC Hall of Famer and radio analyst Danya Abrams. The BC community was very supportive of Tatyana, including many Eagles who tested their bone marrow when the family was looking for a match. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Danya, Deanna and their sons.

Is loss to Louisville a "Tipping Point loss"?

We all know about "Moral Victories." BC's loss to Louisville could fall into that category, but I am wondering if we haven't come across something different. Undermanned again yet still showing plenty of fight, I am wondering if we are at the fork in the road. After a series of close losses to some of the better teams in the conference, does BC start to pull through more games soon? Or do they stop fighting and start mailing it in? I believe we are close to a break through and that maybe this is our tipping point. Here are a few other thoughts:

-- Christian's Defensive adjustments. It is too early to consider him some sort of defensive guru but I thought Christian did a good job with the defensive calls. We used zone well and rebounded well considering Clifford's limited minutes.
-- Needing more from Hanlan. If BC is going to break through, we need Hanlan to play better. His shots weren't falling, but that wasn't the problem. His defensive concentration down the stretch stunk.
-- Heckmann coming into his own? Here was another game where he played well without making any glaring mistakes. I don't know if he's more focused on not trying to do too much, but he made some smart plays.

Season in Review: Biggest Surprises

We all had expectations for the season and a few players we thought might shine. However, I doubt any of us predicted the impact these three guys would have. Here are the biggest surprises of the 2014 season.

1. Sherman Alston

When he committed, Alston seemed like a nice player to round out the recruiting class. He showed good speed and smarts, but didn't project to a true position in college (mostly because of his size). Here was a New Jersey player that Rutgers didn't recruit. Yet as soon as he got on campus, the rumblings began. Addazio and his staff realized they had something. They just didn't know what he was. And with that they did what ever they could with him, using him on punt returns. as a WR and most effectively as a Split End getting the ball on jet sweeps. Alston proved most effective when he got a little bit of daylight. Once he got some space, he could use his speed and elusiveness to turn little plays into big ones. His breakout game was USC, but he drew attention anytime he got on the field. In fact a common complaint as the season wore on was that we were using him too often as a decoy instead of getting him the ball. Other players had bigger years, but Alston was the biggest bonus since so little was expected.

2. Justin Simmons

In August did you expect Justin Simmon to lead the team in tackles? The junior had a nice career prior to this season, but nothing to indicate that he would make such a huge jump in productivity. Simmons wasn't just a pile jumper getting lots of tackles. He saved the Wake game with a critical INT and also got to the QB when asked to blitz. Simmons also showed versatility as he split his time between corner and safety. He wasn't our best defensive player, but he was the guy who made the leap during a crucial transition season.

3. Aaron Kramer

An after thought who had never started a game, Kramer was thrust into the spotlight when Harris Williams went down against UMass. It seemed like our Offensive Line might crack, but Kramer played well against UMass and then followed the solid play throughout September. He might not have been as consistent as some of the other starters and had some tough games later in the season, but overall Kramer played well and much better than most of us would have expected.

Women's Hockey keeps rolling and other links

The Women's Hockey team cannot be stopped. Monday they took down Princeton. With the snow storm brewing, the stands were basically empty. Let's hope as the unbeaten streak continues, fans start to rally around the team.

ESPN thinks we need to improve our WR play in 2015. Even with a new offensive coordinator and some new talent, I don't see us every becoming pass happy.

Jim Christian and staff are pursuing German prospect Lukas Meisner . He would bring some much needed size to the 2015 recruiting class. At this point Christian can be selective with the class and only add players he really wants. I still expect a transfer or two to help fill out the roster next year.

Christian gets first ACC win

Something had to give. BC finally had a close game go their way. BC finally stopped a late collapse. Most importantly, BC finally won an ACC game. This was Christian's first in the conference and it was well deserved. Despite the problems down the stretch and missing Clifford, I felt Christian managed the game well and made enough adjustments for BC to close out the game. Here are some other thoughts:

-- Defense keeps getting better. Georgia Tech is a terrible offense and a bad team, but BC still looked better on D. They switched well. They helped well. Magarity shot out on pick and rolls and still recovered. It gives me hope once we get more talent.

-- Hanlan's shooting. He improved from the line and made some killer 3s. Let's hope his slump is over.

-- Playing through bad spots. BC couldn't make a basket early and allowed a 7-0 run late in the second half, yet held on. Holding on and fighting through those moments are critical as Christian tries to build a program and change the attitude.

Men's Hockey beats UConn and other links

BC needed a hat trick from Ryan Fitzpatrick Fitzgerald to beat UConn.

The NHL added Johnny Gaudreau to the All-Star game. Of course in Ohio they are making Johnny Football to Johnny Hockey comparisons.

The Women's Hockey team remains unbeaten.

Women's Basketball lost to Pitt.

I appreciate BC trying to get hockey hightlights into the Top 10.

We think Thatcher's save near the 1:00-min mark of this clip's #SCTop10 worthy. Hopefully you do to, @SportsCenter! https://t.co/3JyDOcUL8Q
— BC Hockey (@BCHockeyNews) January 25, 2015

Tweets of the Week

The BC women’s basketball team celebrates the upset victory over Duke. The Eagles defeated the Blue Devils 60-56. pic.twitter.com/GeypYVghH1

— Heights Photography (@heightsphoto) January 23, 2015

Thanks to our great Conte Forum crowd who cheered us on to a victory tonight over Duke. Our players truly fought for each other. #WeAreBC

— Erik Johnson (@BC_CoachJohnson) January 23, 2015

@BCHysteria @bcinterruption Ryan Day maximize the potential of the Boston College offense the last two years kudos to him and new endeavor

— Mute (@smute1214) January 23, 2015

@bcinterruption We need @steveloganshow Best OC I ever had.

— Matt Tennant (@MatthewHTennant) January 23, 2015

Congratulations to Ryan Day for being named QB coach of @Eagles from your #BCEagles family. #WeAreBC

— BC Football News (@BCFootballNews) January 23, 2015

Potential OC candidates

There are a few different ways Addazio can go with this new opportunity. He can promote from within and backfill the staff opening with hundreds of names. He can hire a first-time OC (like he did when he hired Day at Temple). Or he can hire a current OC who wants to come to BC. Most of Addazio's hires at Temple and BC have either worked with him in the past or had specific ties to the region or school. I expect this hire will follow that same pattern.

I don't know who Addazio will hire, but here are a group of names that might pop up:


BC Guys
(I don't think any of these guys would be Offensive Coordinator, but I could see them all come back as staffers if Addazio promotes Fitch.)
Jason Swepson
Paul Peterson
Dan O'Brien
Matt Hasselbeck
Paul Zukauskas
Brian St. Pierre

Friends of Addazio
(I don't think either of these guys would take the job -- for very different reasons -- but I bet Addazio will reach out to them.)
Kevin Rogers
Scot Loeffler

Guys who might want to be play callers
(The biggest appeal for some guys will be the title of the job and calling plays. That is the only way I see us getting some of these guys.)
Zach Azzanni
Brian White
John Hevesy
Billy Gonzales
Derek Warehime

Day to Philly; Daz looking for new OC

The Eagles hired Ryan Day as their new QB coach where he will be reunited with Chip Kelly. This is a great move for Day and a critical turning point for Addazio.

Although Day spent most of his career at BC, he's been considered a rising star by many outside of Boston. In fact, I would say he was probably under appreciated by casual BC fans. Just look at most of the comments during his stint as OC. I liked Day from the start and appreciated his role in the Jags days as well as his contributions to the offense the past two years. He got a raw deal under Spaz and then hooked up with Addazio at Temple. Having Day as part of Daz's transition also helped the new regime since Day was so familiar with much of the roster. Our offense under Day was a good blend of Addazio's philosophy as well as Kelly's innovations all while adapting to unique rosters.

The timing on these things is never good, but now Addazio has to close out his recruiting class without one of his best recruiters and find a new play caller. The most obvious internal candidate is WR Coach Todd Fitch. He has playing calling experience and could run the same offense. But Addazio doesn't necessarily have to settle on an internal hire. There are plenty of guys who would want to come to BC, especially given the association with an Urban Meyer power-run offense. Being an offensive guy, Addazio will always have influence on the schemes too. I expect we will still be run heavy with spread principles.

Whenever Addazio leaves BC, Ryan Day will be a candidate to replace him. This move to Philly only makes his candidacy better. It gives him NFL experience and some distance from BC. Now if Addazio struggles, Day won't be associated with those struggles. If Addazio succeeds and moves on, Day can also position himself as the candidate who can keep the best parts of Daz plus bring his unique perspective.

I wish Day the best of luck and hope Daz makes a great hire.

Hockey beats Merrimack and other links

In a midweek battle, the Hockey team held off Merrimack 2-1.

Stephen Gionta is sidelined with an injury, but is still getting attention from his hometown paper.

A new kicker is on the way. I will have more on him Thursday.

Confusion in loss to 'Cuse

The worst thing that could happen to BC was making some early 3s against Syracuse. When they stopped falling the offense became stagnant for the rest of the first half. Christian adjusted in the second half and they made it interesting late, but it wasn't enough to beat Syracuse. The Orange won 69-61. There was a lot of moments or trends of note. Here are a few:

-- Batten was all over the place. Overall he played well. He's aggressive and high energy -- which we need. But he also made some mistakes from being a little too reckless.
-- The bench let BC down. Odio made plenty of mistakes. Magarity couldn't provide much defensive help. Dragicevich finally got on the court -- presumably to make some 3s -- and didn't even attempt a shot.
-- This team still seems to lack chemistry. It was only one moment -- but as BC is making its comeback, Brown drove to the basket to potentially cut the lead to 5. He also could have passed to Hanlan. He took the shot himself and missed and Hanlan didn't even attempt a rebound. I don't know if it was one bad moment between two key players or a glimpse into a bigger problem. Either way it was a horrible possession late in a game. Neither guy looked good. Both looked selfish. These sorts of chemistry issues are why I am giving Christian a lot of leeway this season.

It wasn't a great game, but it wasn't terrible. Even though we keep losing, I am actually growing to appreciate some of Christian's adjustments. We are playing better basketball. We just don't have the right pieces right now.

Matt Ryan love and other links

My association with BC and location leads to a lot of Matt Ryan talk. People are not overly critical, but I still hear plenty of back-handed compliments and unfair comparisons...and of course plenty on the "elite" debate. What's interesting is this 538 breakdown of QB consistency and performances since 2006 and how high Ryan rates. He's basically in a second tier with Drew Brees and behind only Brady, Rodgers and Peyton Manning. Stats don't prove everything, but I do think Ryan is better than the perception of him around Atlanta and around the country. Ryan was also added to the Pro Bowl.

Predictably BC's vote against paying players is getting some media attention. I don't think that was BC's intent with any of this.

BC has yet to release the schedule, but Maine continues to announce our football game with them.

Welcome the new Heights Sports Editor

As a reminder, the Heights changes leadership at the end of the 1st semester. Included in all of these changes is a new Sports Editor. Michael Sullivan took over and will run the department until next winter. Be sure to follow him on Twitter and provide continued support of the Heights Sports site. They remain one of the best sources for what's going on among the players away from the field, courts and rinks. Good luck to Michael, all the Heights Sports writers and the rest of the paper.

Men's Hockey losses to Maine and other links

The Men's Hockey team came back down to Earth Sunday, losing to Maine 4-2.

The Women's Hockey team shutout Vermont.

Women's Basketball lost to Syracuse.

The Heights got a statement from BC regarding the Cost of Attendance issue:

“Boston College is concerned with continuing to pass legislation that increases expenses when the vast majority of schools are already institutionally subsidized. The consequence of such legislation could ultimately hurt student-athletes if / when programs are cut.
This legislation further segregates student-athletes from the general student population by increasing aid without need-based consideration. Legislation already exists for student-athletes in need through pell grants and the student-assistance fund. We have concerns that the Federal Financial aid formula is sufficiently ambiguous that adjustments for recruiting advantage will take place.”

I still think BC will end up doing what every other school does.

BC makes statement on paying players

The Power 5 moved closer to paying players. All the schools are for the effort -- except one: BC. We were the only Power 5 to vote against the stipend. Clearly BC knew the initiative would pass. So I have no problem filing a protest vote. Paying players will pass and BC will pay players too.

I am not sure why BC felt the need to vote against this. Maybe they wanted to make a statement too our own fans. We're the only people who really care about the BC vote anyway.

Looking better while losing

The Duke loss disappointed. The Pitt loss was frustrating. This loss felt encouraging. Despite UVA pulling away in the second half, I thought the team played well for long stretches. There were also glimmers of the team gelling and maturing. Virginia is a great team. They're well coached and consistent. Winning was a long shot, yet there were times when it seemed possible. Let's hope we are turning a corner. Other thoughts:

-- BC played solid D for most of the game. We are not Virginia but it is getting better. I also liked the Christian used different looks. Some 2-3 zone. A lot of man with switching. Even a 2-2-1 press. The only real problem comes when Clifford gets sucked away from the basket. We got beat on a few pick and rolls and a few backdoors.
-- The Perpiglia minutes have to end. This has been a theme on the BC message boards for a while. I've avowed it as to not pick on the kid. However, it is killing us. The team was -4 when he was on the court and it added fuel to Virginia's run. BC never got it close after Hanlan returned. There has got to be a better rotation that still gives Hanlan time to rest.
-- Heckmann played well. I kill him when he looks terrible, so I need to credit him when things go well. He cooled off, but for one stretch, he was red hot. Even his D was better.

BC missed too many close shots to win, but it was a good effort. We will pull off a win against one of the top ACC teams soon.