Talking points part 2.

This is the second is the Talking Points series. As I said, this is my response to the things the announcers are sure to mention.

• Talking Point: "Boston College has the longest bowl winning streak in the nation" or some variation there of "Boston College winner of four straight bowl games."
• Reality: While we have won four straight, the reality is that these games were not the Rose, Fiesta, Sugar and Orange Bowls. Yes, it is an accomplishment to win a bowl game. But not the Herculean feat it is and will be portrayed to be. As any fan of college football knows there are too many bowl games. This has allowed BC to get into third and fourth tier games. Of the four victories, only the 2002 Music City Bowl provided a worthwhile opponent -- Georgia. As further proof of these overrated accomplishments, only once in those four years has BC finished in the final Top 25 rankings.

  
  There is something to be said for big game preparation. But I don't attribute BC's bowl success to TOB and staff firing up the troops and providing unbeatable gameplans. Sure that is part of it, but I also think the bowl wins have been a cases of underachieving BC teams finally playing to their potential against flawed mid-major teams ('02-'03 Toledo and '03-'04 CSU) or weak BCS teams ('00-01 ASU and '01-'02 UGA). This year's Tire Bowl is more of the same. BC lost its shot at a real bowl game by getting pounded at home against Syracuse (underachieving: check). Our poor travel record led to a Gator Bowl snub and a trip to the Tire Bowl (third tier bowl: check). Where we will face UNC (weak BCS squad: check). If formula holds BC should win. I'll give my prediction closer to kick off.