Why I don't hate the reported Blake James hire

Pete Thamel first reported that BC is close to hiring former Miami AD Blake James as our new Athletic Director. While it is always best to wait on official word from BC, Thamel's report means it is a near certainty. Reaction was mixed among BC fans and cause for laughter and pity from Miami fans. Even considering the Miami fans' reaction, I am fine with the hire. Here is why.

Blake checked all of BC's boxes
Football has been king in college sports for decades, but now even at BC, football is 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in focus and mindset. BC was always going to hire someone with real football experience. Even if a non-traditional candidate was considered (say Matt Hasselbeck), he/she was going to need some ties to football. This eliminated someone like Ed McLaughin and anyone else who didn't have operational football experience. 

You also knew that after the short tenures of Jarmond and Kraft, BC was going to over-correct and hire someone who was not in position to job hop, had ties to the area and was willing to sign a significant buyout. James had stints at Providence and Maine (New England ties: check), would probably not be in line for another P5 job anytime soon due to Miami baggage (won't job hop: check) and had no problem signing the buyout because he has enough foresight to read the room and the college landscape and knows no one is buying him out at BC. [BTW, how funny/sad is it that BC leaked the Kraft buyout numbers? They are proud that the last two ADs have basically paid for themselves.]

BC wanted a politician with ACC relationships. Lots of things are in play with the ACC from scheduling to how the conference will handle the SEC's breakaway threats and even the ACC's policies on NIL. BC knows that it needs someone who can walk the tight rope and knows all the parties involved well. James does that.  

What Miami fans are saying
Miami fans really dislike James. Their criticism seems to center on two areas (James' hiring decisions) and his personality. From afar, I give James somewhat of a pass on hiring. While not all of his hires panned out, they all made sense to me and were praised at the time. Plus, barring something unexpected, James won't have to make a major BC hire in the next few years.

A bit more concerning is that they shared that James is very political, very sensitive and holds grudges. He sort of sounds like their version of DeFilippo. While not a comparison any BC fan would like to see, I am willing to give James a fresh start and will just be on alert for GDF like behavior. 

What I hope to see
Is James perfect for BC? No. I would have preferred someone with a little more upside and less baggage. However, he seems like he can handle the internal BC politics and the ACC politics. That is critical in this time of transition and uncertainty. If he can raise money, empower the coaches and stay out of their way, this can and should work for the next four or five years. 

Jerry York let us all live the dream

There is no way Boston College, the BC community or any BC fan could every thank Jerry York enough for what he has done for all of us. We will have great coaches again. We will win championships again, but we will never have a legend who was one of us and who handled himself with the grace and class for decades. 

York didn't need to coach at BC. He won a National Championship and was well on his way to the Hall of Fame at Bowling Green. At the time, BC was such a mess that Mike Milbury quit before ever coaching a game. Not only did York take the job when things were at their worst, he rebuilt the team and then made it the premier college hockey program in the country. But even all that only scratches the surface of why we should be so appreciative of York.

Off the ice York was the ultimate "BC Guy." He supported the other teams and coaches. He was warm to the students and fans. As leadership and priorities shifted around him, he always put on a good face and didn't use his soapbox or leverage for internal power plays that happen with so many successful coaches in college sports. 

Like most winning coaches, York was a great recruiter and a great tactician. He could sell the school and develop players, but what stands out is that he also embraced a few great players that others dismissed because they didn't fit the physical mold of traditional hockey stars. 

I am glad he is leaving on his own terms. He earned that right. As much as he wants to be present for his family and grandchildren, I assume he will still be a regular at a variety of BC events...like he always has.

Every time there is a BC coaching search, a former Eagle or two gets floated for the job because we all love the idea of one of our own coming home and returning us to glory. We are spoiled and want another dozen Jerry Yorks. But there will never be another. 

Thank you, Jerry. 

Lots of Elephants in the room with BC's bowl cancellation

I am sure this will piss people off. Please read it all. And let me preface it all by saying: 1. I am fully vaccinated, as is the rest of my family. 2. I have nothing against Annapolis or Shreveport or East Carolina or anything else related to lower-tier bowls. 3. I have experienced plenty of cancellations in work, sports and life since 2020 and understand this will be more common than it ever was prior to 2020.

I feel for the BC players and their families. They missed Christmas with each other and one last chance to play for nothing. I am sure plenty of BC Football families lost money related to travel for nothing. All of this could have been prevented if we acknowledged the following: we need to end these nonsense bowls and we need to let the young, healthy and vaccinated live their lives with COVID.

The Current Bowl System needs to end
I love college football and I love having random bowl games and random matchups on as background noise during the holiday week. However, the whole enterprise is stupid and outdated. Even huge fanbases are not selling out their ticket allotment to prestigious bowls (see Ohio State at the Rose Bowl). Players on elite teams are skipping their games to avoid injury. There is no upside to anyone outside the playoffs. All the talk of reward for the players is hollow when tens of thousands are spent on travel to random undesirable destinations. The fabled "extra practices" are a tired fringe benefit that can't be measured and seem meaningless given the players are under some sort of development schedule year round. When the playoff expands, fans and players will care even less about bowls. 

The bowls are only around because of TV and greed from the people who do get paid (coaches and bowl admins). If ESPN wants to keep NIT level bowls after the expanded playoff, then let's get rid of these weird destination bowls and just have them host a series of inter-sectional matchups in cities with domes and/or good weather and hotel space to host game after game after game the week between Christmas and New Year's. In this example BC would play ECU in Orlando at noon on Dec 27, the next game would be in Atlanta at 3:30, the next in Vegas or Arizona or wherever. Fans who wanted could still travel, but the focus would be on the TV product and the convenience of travel to the site. And the players should get more than a gift package. Pay them the bonuses the coaches get or the money that goes to the host committees. These are just extra TV games. Let's stop pretending they are anything else.

These players should be able to play with COVID
The vaccine won't stop the spread. You can't get more compliant than BC football, yet we still had a significant outbreak. BC was not going to rock the boat -- especially over the Military Bowl -- but let's be honest, they could have played. The vast majority of positives were asymptomatic, young and in great physical shape. They were not going to harm themselves nor their opponents. Everyone knows that at this point. Should high-risk fans and family members comes to a game where there have been positive tests? Probably not, but let them make that decisions. Let the player who want to play, play. If we really cared about player safety we wouldn't even have football, because playing football is much more dangerous to these young men than COVID will be. 

What should BC do? 
It is against BC's nature to lead any risky change or take a stand that might bring controversy. So they will never be the school to lead the charge to end bowl games...but they should. We don't benefit from the bowls, so let's move to a system that benefits BC or at least gives us something productive and tangible to shoot for.

BC should lead the movement to let vaccinated college athletes play regardless as long as they feel healthy enough to play and want to play. (Our players suffered more from food poisoning in Cleveland Circle than this outbreak). The pandemic and the vaccine are politicized. The only way to work to deescalate and bring some pragmatism is for mid-size, mid-profile businesses and institutions like BC to bring some sense to the situation. How we treat young low-risk athletes would be a start. 

BC-ECU preview

Last year BC decided to stay home from the bowls and everyone was ok with it. This year we are playing and it doesn't feel like anyone cares (among the fans). I am always up for more BC Football, but admit a matchup against East Carolina in Annapolis on December 27 wasn't on my bucket list of things to do. I will gladly watch though. I am sure other BC fans will too (we always are a good TV draw). I just hope the players care. The last bowl game we played in -- Birmingham in January 2020 -- was miserable on every front. If you are going to bother going to a game, make it count.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)

When we used to win bowls, BC made a big deal of it. Our bowl record since the streak ended has been terrible (and BC obviously downplays it). But in general, I think the bowl record was a mix of the coaches at the time and where BC stood in the college landscape. TOB's BC teams did well in bowl because we usually played teams worse than us and TOB, for all his issues, was pretty good with a month to prepare. Jags lost a chaotic game amidst a chaotic professional week for him and GDF. Spaz was not a good coach but also faced two better teams. Addazio record was bad because he blew two different Pinstripe Bowls with coaching mistakes. This is a fresh start for Hafley and BC. I don't think he brings the baggage of recent losses. If anything this feels a bit like the TOB days where were are the favorite against a lower-level team.

Three Simple Keys

1. Run the zone read ten or more times. Our Oline is a strength and their run D is not great. By doing the zone read, you keep the ball in Jurk's hands and you open up things later in the game.

2. Stop their run game. They are a passing team. We have good pass defense. If they try to shake things up and keep it on the ground, we can't allow big plays.

3. No Special Teams mistakes. As I have pointed out, a few Special Teams mistake led to games unraveling for us. We can't let that happen this week.

Gambling Notes

-- BC is 1-1 against current AAC teams in bowl games

-- BC is 14-13 in bowl games

-- BC has never played East Carolina

The current line is BC-3

Factoid

BC's last trip to Navy-Marine Corps. Memorial Stadium was September 22, 2001. That was our first game back after September 11. BC is 9-3 all-time in the Stadium.

Scoreboard Watching

To be honest, I will watch a lot of football in the next week, but there are very few games that are must watch. I hope the Playoffs provide some excitement and I am definitely in the anyone but Alabama stage of fandom. I guess: "go Dawgs!"

I hope to see...

A healthy Jurk. The Georgia Tech game was glorious. That is what he can be. That is what he should be. If he is healthy like that he is one of the best QBs in the country and BC can beat anyone.

BC is in trouble if...

We turn the ball over more than the Pirates. ECU thrived off of turnovers this season. We need to be careful with the ball.

Bottom Line

I am not worried about this game. I think we will be healthy and have something to prove. Hafley is extended. He has his first bowl game. He needs this to be a statement about his team and his future. I think BC pounds the ball and gets a few picks to win with ease.

Final Score: BC 35, ECU 17

The most important things Jeff Hafley said about his recruiting class

 

Jeff Hafley just signed one of BC's highest-rated recruiting classes since the various internet sites started tracking these things. [ An aside about recruiting...While I do believe that bigger, faster and stronger makes a difference, I remain a skeptic of the recruiting services. There are just too many players out there and too many variables in development to put that much faith in the services. Where I think they have importance is in the positive momentum that they generate among high school players and coaches. Players want to join a winner and if they think other big-time players are headed to BC, it makes Hafley's pitch that much more persuasive.]

We won't have a true measure of this class for a few seasons. In the meantime, I found Hafley's post-Signing Day media appearances very insightful. He is clearly rehearsed and smoother than his predecessors, but still candid. What he had to say was almost as important as who he signed.

1. Hafley admitted he pays attention to the recruiting services and rankings. This is a first for BC. He even pulled back the curtain and said all coaches say they don't pay attention to the services but they all do. While I appreciate his honesty, I thought how he uses them was telling. He said that he asks his staff not to share with him any info on the recruit prior to Hafley's chance to watch the player's tape. Only after he has watched the tape, does he want to know what the services are saying and who is also allegedly recruiting the player. This was music to my ears. It shows a level of detail and doing your homework on a guy but not dismissing other relevant information. I also appreciated Hafley explaining that he only looks at a player after the position coach and coordinator have evaluated the player. Will this system work? I don't know. Hafley has proven to have a good eye for evaluation, so I don't know if he would be more valuable early in the screening process, but it is his team and his system.

2. BC is going to zig instead of zag when it comes to the transfer portal. In my mind, I thought the transfer portal would be a boon for BC. We could clean up on other teams' washouts and get some reclamation products like Jurk. I think a place like BC sells better for a kid who is older and might have been burned. However, that is not what Hafley is going to do. While we will still take transfers, he is going to build the program on traditional high school recruits. What I found interesting is he thinks the transfer portal has made it easier for BC to recruit high school players. He explained that all the colleges are working the portal and somewhat ignoring the high school talent pool. He also explained that fewer high schoolers are getting scholarships. This means BC's pitch is well recieved.

3. He is not yet locking BC into a certain geography or recruiting strategy. While other regimes hit the Midwest hard or tried to build a wall around New England, Hafley is not putting one area above others. He said getting the best players from New England is important, but after that he wants to recruit nationally. We didn't even have our usual allotment from New York and New Jersey. With communication and travel it is probably easier to evaluate kids across the country. But I do think having friendly areas or programs will be needed long-term. Some of our best players have come from either knowing a school real well or getting a tip off from a friendly and trusted high school coach.

Hafley gets off the Coaching Carousel

After a season of speculation, Jeff Hafley finally addressed the coaching world gossip. When asked, Haf said: "I do not plan of leaving. I plan on being here a long time." And with that we are assured of Year 3 of Jeff Hafley at BC.

I am glad Hafley is staying. For all my frustrations with how this season played out, I still feel strongly that he will succeed at BC and in the rest of his coaching career. The parts of the job that might be more innate -- relating to recruits, seeing talent that others might not see, and clock management -- Hafley has. The parts that primarily come from experience (managing a staff, roster management, making in game and in season adjustments when things are spiraling) will hopefully improve. Based on his work ethic and personality, I still have faith in Hafley. I think this year was a learning experience. Year 3 will tell us everything.

But amidst all the talk, I wasn't bothered by any of it. Lots of it is speculation. Much of it comes from agents trying to drum up interest or new deals for their clients. Sometimes schools will leak targets to get some public vetting done and to gauge their fanbase's reaction. I was told the Washington and USC chatter did not come from Hafley's reps. (I don't know if I believe it.) But it doesn't matter. He is not getting the USC job and closed the door on the Washington job. 

But I wasn't bothered by this talk because I never expected Hafley to be here long. When you hire young, ambitious, charismatic people in this profession, you can't count on them staying long. Maybe you will get the lifer but more often than not you will get the guy who is looking for the next challenge and the next payday. That is just the nature of the profession. Maybe one day BC will have its very own Beamer or Bowden, but I don't see Jeff Hafley as that guy.

Now we get to see if Hafley can be something special. I hope he is and if he is, there will always be some speculation. But in general, I will take that trade for attention getting success.  

 

Gameday Info: Wake Forest

What you need to know

Weather: Cold and in the 30s

Radio: SiriusXM 202

TV: ACC Network

BC-Wake Forest preview

The mood on the message boards and BC twitter last week was one of disappointment. And there was a surprising amount of criticism for Hafley and staff. Some felt BC didn't adjust to FSU's gameplan fast enough and also were frustrated by some of the game management and clock decisions. Maybe I am still in the Honeymoon phase or still a Hafley apologist, but I took last week's loss in stride. Was it a bummer? Sure. I wanted the 8-4 finish for bowl reasons and momentum reasons. But what I appreciated is that the team was down big and clawed back to make it a game. I've seen way too many BC regimes that were incapable -- both strategically and philosophically -- of mounting a comeback of more than 20 points. Last week I felt we still had a chance. How much of that is Jurk vs Hafley? We won't know until Hafley is using another QB. But for now, I am still happy. I will be a lot happier if Hafley proves that he can get the team focused on beating the best Wake team in a decade. 

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
Our fellow New England FBS teams both made recent new hires. UConn made the leftfield hire of Jim Mora Jr. UMass went with familiar face Don Brown. I wouldn't have gone with either but both jobs are very tough and I don't know if any person or prototype would guarantee anything. It is an uphill climb at both and they are going to need good scheduling, great player development and some luck. Although I have no love for UConn and I am indifferent to UMass, it would be good for both to be somewhat competent and competitive. The demographics on the future of youth football in New England is terrible. Having good college programs will help keep the sport relevant to the next generation. 

Three Simple Keys
1. We need interceptions. Wake is explosive. They will score in bunches. We are going to need to get stops but turnovers would be ideal. Not only does it stop a drive, but they might start to alter their gameplan if they are getting picked off.
2. Get Zay the ball early. I sort of got into this on twitter postgame when I said FSU did a good job containing Zay. I know he still had a big game, but they held him a lot, kept Jurk off balance and we up 23 before Zay even touched the ball. I think we need to get him the ball early, even if it is a jet sweep, just to establish momentum.
3. Fewer protection breakdowns. You can debate whether is was scheme, coaching or the players, but last week FSU got the better of our OLine. Wake is not as talented up front, but Oline needs to be better.

Gambling Notes
-- BC is 2-4 against the spread the last six weeks
-- BC leads the series 14-11-2
-- Clawson is 3-3 against BC
The current line is BC+4.5

Factoid
Wake hasn't won two in a row in the series since 2011-12.

Scoreboard Watching
The ACC is an afterthought at this point this year. I will be paying attention to Michigan-Ohio State. Ryan Day will always be a BC guy.

I hope to see...
Some sacks. We've generated so little pressure this year. Wake still does a lot of those rubs and delays in the backfield. It would be nice to make them pay for it.

BC is in trouble if...
We settle for field goals instead of TDs. Wake will score. We need to keep up.

Bottom Line
Last week was just a set back. I think this week BC rises to the occasion and Hafley gets the biggest win of his tenure.
Final Score: BC 38, Wake 31

Gameday Info: Florida State

What you need to know

Weather: Cold and in the 40s

Radio: SiriusXM 194

TV: ACC Network

BC-Florida State preview

Last week was the model. BC was supposed to be an explosive team that did just enough on D to win. We know it didn't work when the injury bug hit, but now it is our time to shine. We are not playing for anything other than respect and fun, so let's go out there and end the season lighting up scoreboard!

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I haven't mentioned the men's basketball team, but the early start showed some promise. The defensive efforts and system is much improved. The offense is still a work in progress but that is to be expected with the new faces. How they play in Florida will be a great early indicator. Too often in the last decade we looked overmatched in these seasonal tournaments. I am hoping Grant gets them playing hard the whole time and there are no letdowns or checking out.

Three Simple Keys
1. Keep attacking downfield. We knew Jurk would target Zay deep but getting the other WRs and the Tight Ends into the deep routes was refreshing. We need to stay aggressive. It will open up things for everyone.
2. Slow their run game. We are giving up too many big plays on the ground and can't have them control the tempo. We need this to be fast paced. A grind it out run first game plays to their strength.
3. Keep forcing turnovers. Bend but don't break is not good for our nerves, but it is all we can do with the talent available.

Gambling Notes
-- The road team is 8-7 in this series since BC joined the ACC
-- FSU leads the series 12-5
-- The teams did not play last year
The current line is BC-2.5

Factoid
This is the latest in the season that FSU has come north to play at Alumni.

Scoreboard Watching
Clemson vs Wake. I know Wake lost to an ACC team already but that was a non-conference game. I would love to see them 7-0 in ACC play going into our game.

I hope to see...
Jurk run a bit less. He was impressive and tough but in an ideal world he would take less of a beating.

BC is in trouble if...
We give up another special teams TD. We are lucky it didn't sink us last week.

Bottom Line
I really like this matchup for BC. FSU can run the ball and showed against Miami that they can hang around, but I don't think that will be an issue this week. As long as we don't have mental lapses or special teams breakdowns, I think we can pull away in the second half.
Final Score: BC 35, Florida State 20

Gameday Info: Georgia Tech

What you need to know

Weather: Comfortable and in the 50s

Radio: SiriusXM 384

TV: Regional Sports Networks

BC-Georgia Tech preview

New life. That's what we have. Jurk wasn't revolutionary last week. He didn't look like a future First Round Draft pick, but his presence and rusty skill set were more than enough to energize our offense. And with the win, a hopeless situation suddenly seems promising. We missed our window into something truly special (and that will be a topic for another time) but we still can finish strong and leave everyone happy. To do that, we need keep rolling against Georgia Tech.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
The rollercoaster of QB management is not unique to BC. Just look at some of the crazy things that have happened this year at Oklahoma. But unlike the Sooners, we are not just rolling through a roster full of elite 5-star recruits. The good news is Jurk's reclamation project tells a great story to QBs wanting to transfer to BC. The bad news it will be hard having depth QB if we recruit over the in-house talent. 

Three Simple Keys
1. Contain the big plays. I sort of see this like the Syracuse game. We need to make sure that they don't break out any long runs.
2. Stretch the field more with Jurk. The deep balls are huge, but I would also like to see some more intermediate passes. The more threats we show, the more it will open up things all over the field and in the running game.
3. No special teams mistakes. If we are not going to be explosive (hopefully that changes), we need to avoid the costly, game-changing special teams mistakes.

Gambling Notes
-- GT leads the series 7-3
-- GT is 1-3 against the spread as favorites this year. 
-- BC is 4-5 against the spread this year
The current line is BC+2

Factoid
Matt Ryan and Scott Mutryn are the only BC QBs to lead BC to victory in Atlanta against the Yellow Jackets.

Scoreboard Watching
Miami plays FSU this weekend. The entire ACC division was based around this matchup and it means next to nothing now. I will still follow out of curiosity. As someone who is not invested in either program, I can't fathom why both have been so mediocre to bad for so long. 

I hope to see...
Jurk play really well. He had his moments last week, but didn't look sharp. This is likely his last stretch of games for BC (SPECULATION), so I would like him to go out with a blaze of glory.

BC is in trouble if...
If Georgia Tech controls the pace of the game with their rushing attack. I don't expect us to score 77, but we do need to create tempo and be aggressive with our offense. Put up big numbers and avoid an grind it out game with them. 

Bottom Line
Last week was a first step back. I think this week, we show what we can and might have been. Lots of big plays and BC pulls away in the second half.
Final Score: BC 35, Georgia Tech 21

Gameday Info: Virginia Tech

What you need to know

Weather: Cold and dry in the 40s

Radio: SiriusXM 83

TV: ESPN 2

BC-Virginia Tech preview

Let us start with the positive. Jeff Hafley built a lot of goodwill with fans, media and players last year. He lost his best player and still managed to pull off some early wins and nearly beat Clemson. He is also still a first time head coach who is learning. The bad news is that in my opinion he has botched the QB position the past month. I was relieved to see Morehead take the field since I have been begging for anyone other than Grosel to get a shot. As promised, Morehead was raw. But my frustration was the continued use of Grosel, especially when the game slipped away. I understand that Hafley is not in a good position, but I feel like every decision with the QB is making things worse. Or at least more frustrating. Does Morehead give us a better shot than Grosel? Maybe not. But we are not winning anything with Grosel, so you might as well give Morehead more time and sell it as building for the future. But Hafley seems like a learner and someone who will do everything he can to figure it out. I hope the plan this week changes the tide.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)

There is a lot of talk that the ACC could do away with divisions and move to a rotating schedule. I would hope that the end of divisions would also mean the end of the cross division game. In the post-Beamer era Virginia Tech doesn't have the clear identity they had under their old Legend. I don't know anyone who is excited about them as a program or opponent. Even in Beamer's last days, those games still had some juice.

Three Simple Keys

1. Stop the run. Virginia Tech is not as one-dimensional as we are, but they are close. If we stop their run, we should win. 

2. Contain Burmeister on passing plays. Don't allow him to run for positive yards when everyone has dropped into coverage.

3. Get Zay at least seven touches. I said it last week and it remains true. Even if the deep balls are not working, try a sweep or give him a flanker screen or crossing route. Get him the ball in space.

Gambling Notes

-- The home team is 4-1 against the spread in the last five games in this series

-- Hafley is 0-1 against the Hokies

-- Fuente is 3-2 vs BC

The current line is BC+3

Factoid

The Hokies lead the series 19-10

Scoreboard Watching

At this point we need to root for Wake. They play UNC this weekend. If they go undefeated and sneak into the playoff, it will be validation that a private school without history or huge revenues or large fan base can  make it. 

I hope to see...

More of Morehead. He did look lost at times last week, but you can see some future out there (or maybe I am just talking myself into it at this point).

BC is in trouble if...

We have another 10 minute collapse. There is so much going wrong that I haven't harped on the growing pattern of games becoming out of reach in a few short possessions. That is on Hafley to control and it will start with fewer Special Teams mistakes.

Bottom Line

I don't feel great about this game. However, I do still trust and like Hafley. I am hoping he figures out a formula this week and BC runs the ball while stopping the Hokies run. This turns into a real old school ground and pound and BC holds on.

Final Score: BC 21, Virginia Tech 17

Game Day Info: Syracuse

No comments this year

What you need to know 

Weather: Indoors, so weather won't be an issue 

Radio: SiriusXM 384

TV: Regional Sports Networks. Here is the link.

BC-Syracuse preview

This is bad. I've been an engaged BC fan for nearly 30 years and I can't remember a season where mood and expectations changed so dramatically. We've had situations where things fell apart, but many of us knew things were tenuous at the time. We've had major injuries before, but I can't think of one where the drop was so significant nor one where we could scheme around things a bit. The good news is that the season can still be saved. We won't win the ACC or go to a real bowl, but we have a chance to turn it around and finish the season on a high note. But to do that, we have to get a win here and stop the bleeding.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)

We are halfway into the season and nearing the Signing Day for football and you are not seeing much new news on paying players. Small deals keep getting made, but no blockbusters and you are not really seeing talk of players making their decision based on the new NIL rules. Maybe paying players won't be the game changer people predicted. You could speculate why. My guess is that many players were already getting paid and that others are still getting paid without their likeness being used for anything other than a reason to grease palms. 

Three Simple Keys

1. Get Zay at least seven touches. Syracuse has no one that can stay with him. Getting him in space should lead to multiple touchdowns. 

2. Don't let Syracuse get cheap yards in the running game. I think we can contain them in the passing game. My fear is that our Dline won't stop much...especially when they spread the field. We need the linebackers to be able to stop the run and take care of the underneath stuff. 

3. Continue to force turnovers. Last week we wasted a huge edge in this category. Can't do that again.

Gambling Notes

-- Syracuse leads the series 31-22

-- Syracuse is 6-1 against the spread in their last seven home games

-- Syracuse is 6-0 against the spread in their last six games

The current line is BC+5.5

Factoid

We have won three straight in the Carrier Dome.

Scoreboard Watching

Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech should be a good scouting opportunity. The Hokies are a mess. I wouldn't mind seeing them lose so they check out of their season and provide an easy W.

I hope to see...

A new QB. Hafley has been coy with the media and there is all sorts of gossip and speculation about who will start and who will play. In my opinion, if Hafley does start Grosel after last week and leaving him hanging with the media, he just wasted goodwill in the locker room and with the fanbase.

BC is in trouble if...

They can't throw over a stacked box. Regardless of the QB, we can't be one dimensional.

Bottom Line

I believe this offense has potential and talent. I do think QB play has hindered things. I also believe that Hafley and staff will right things this week. Hopefully that means with a new QB, but if it is Grosel, I hope they have figured out a winning game plan for him. I think this will be back and forth, but BC pulls ahead in the fourth.

Final Score: BC 28, Syracuse 24

Game Day Info: Louisville

No comments this year.

What you need to know.

Weather: Mid 60s .

Radio: SiriusXM 380 .

TV: ACC Network

BC-Louisville preview

We are a year and a half in on Jeff Hafley and it has been overwhelmingly positive. Last week you saw that the honeymoon was over for some of our fans. I am still a big believer and trust his long term plan. What will be interesting is how he handles the remainder of this season. In my opinion the difference between the very good coaches and the all-timers are how they salvage a game or season or program when things are not going their way or they don't have all their weapons. This is where we have to give Hafley time and see what and how he does it. He's never been a Head Coach before. He's also not as experienced on the offensive side of the ball, so he's never been knee deep in a QB controversy/issue. But hopefully he knows enough and is on the same page with his offensive staff so they can smoke and mirror us the rest of the way.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)

Perception -- unfortunately -- is still important in college football. In a usual year, the ACC being a mess would be a big issue. The media would be hammering the conference and us. But all of college football is struggling. It is a missed opportunity for the ACC not to fill that void, but at least the conference is being ignored during a messy chaotic season.

Three Simple Keys

1.  Protect Grosel. Louisville will bring pressure. Grosel needs good protection and needs simple reads.

2. Generate turnovers. If we are going to win, we need to be opportunistic and maybe even get some points off of turnover.

3. Don't allow Cunningham to beat them with his legs. We were bad against mobile QBs last year. If we want to win this week, we need a good plan to contain Cunningham.

Gambling Notes

-- BC is 4-2 against the spread in their last six games

-- Louisville leads the series 7-6

-- Louisville is 4-1 in their last five home games

The current line is BC+6.5

Factoid

The home team has won the last three games in this series.

Scoreboard Watching

As deflating as the last two weeks have been, it could be worse. Just look at Syracuse and Virginia Tech. Both are having frustrating seasons and play each other this weekend. It is relevant for us because we will face both. How they do against each other is important. The winner might have new life, while the loser might fire their coach.

I hope to see...

Carlson bounce back. A lot went wrong last week, but Carlson's muffed punt proved to be a huge momentum swing. Let's hope he puts that behind him and is ready to get back to placing the ball well.

BC is in trouble if...

Grosel is in the pocket too much. I know they have tried and are trying everything, but in my opinion nearly any play when he is in the pocket is wasted. He doesn't make good decisions. If we are going to win, we need to keep it simple.

Bottom Line

I am extremely frustrated with how Grosel has played and Hafley's decision not to throw someone else back there. They obviously believe Grosel is the best and only true option. I hope they are right. I think we keep it simple, the D gets opportunistic and BC holds on.

Final Score: BC 24, Louisville 21

Painful

That was one of the worst second halves I can remember. Everything fell apart. And on social media, the critics came out for Jeff Hafley. I give our coach a huge pass for what happened tonight. The Special Teams issues were not coaching...more just fluky. The D was out there a lot so somethings was going to give. I put a lot of blame on the Offense. I am doing everything I can from turning my twitter account into a "bash Grosel" feed, but he is the root of the problem on offense. We have a lot of talent but become so limited with him as QB that the talent is wasted. I think the staff is trying to coach around him but other teams adjust and then we are left with putting Grosel in positions that hurt us. If we don't run the ball down the other team's throat, we won't win with him. 

It will now be on Hafley to regroup and see how he can build a winning offense around a walk-on QB.

Game Day Info: NC State

No comments this year.

What you need to know.

Weather: Low 70s with a 30% chance of rain .

Radio: SiriusXM 193 .

TV: ACC Network