BYU preview

I thought I would take a different approach to the game previews. I’ll take the three aspects of the game and write what I think BC will do and what I think they should do.

Offense -- what BC will do

BC starts the season on the road, at a high altitude, with a starting QB coming off a redshirt and a loaded offensive line. Is there any doubt what they are going to do? BC is going to run, run and then run some more. Hat on hat, push the ball, with the hope of wearing down the Cougars. My fear is that this is what Notre Dame tried last season, on the road in a season opener. The result? 11 net rushing yards and an Irish loss. BC has been very conservative in openers. I don’t expect them to do anything different this time. If they successfully establish the run, look for a lot of play action and the occasional bootleg. I also think BC will give Porter the green light to run on passing downs if his first two reads are covered.

BYU runs a 3-3-5 but will mix in some 3-4 and even 3-5. They are breaking in new faces on the d-line and their backfield. They also plan on blitzing like crazy. BC’s been pretty good at picking up blitzes. And I think the 3-3 will play to BC’s desire to run.

Offense -- what I think BC should do

Quinton Porter’s best series of football came in his second start in 2003. On the road, they caught Penn State by surprise with a series of play action passes, almost all of which were 15-20 yards darts to tight ends and receivers crossing over the middle. I would love to see them try that again. BYU is going to focus on the run and dare Porter to make plays. So if BC came out early with short passes to Miller and Blackmon, it would loosen things up for the running game. BC doesn’t have to go deep. Just have Lester run deep routes on the weak side over and over. Make BYU honor his speed and keep a defender or two away from the diamond patterns we’ll run with Palmer, Miller and Blackmon on the opposite side of the field.

Regardless of what BC does (Bible’s way or my way), this game will be won on the line. If they pick up the blitz and open holes in the running game, BC will control and score.

Defense -- what BC will do

Our defense is solid and almost as bland as the offense. Look for little blitzing and plenty of zone. I think they'll drop a lot of linebackers in coverage. Fortunately we're deep at the position, so we’ll sub a lot to keep guys fresh.

Defense -- what I think BC should do

If it ain’t broke... I complain about the predictability of the bend but don’t break defensive mentality, but in a game like this, where we don’t know exactly what BYU will do, it is a safe strategy. Plus if they use their old vertical passing game, it will give Kiwi time to get to the quarterback. If they use the Texas Tech style, they’ll score and move the ball, but they will also be surprised by the coverage ability of our linebackers. The only thing I don’t want to see is a lot of nickel. Maybe I am overestimating our linebackers or underestimating the effectiveness of BYU’s new offense, but I think our linebackers can handle the short, underneath stuff.

Special teams -- what BC will do

Special teams at high altitudes are a different ball game. There’s not much BC can do about BYU kicking away from Blackmon. What is in TOB’s hand is how to handle Ohliger. The kid struggled last year. I expect them to keep him comfortable in this game. If we face a fourth and long outside of 40, look for BC to punt or go for it. I think they don’t want to ruin his confidence this early in the season.

Special teams -- what BC should do

I’d take the opposite approach. Sink or swim time. Find out if he is still a liability before we get into the meat of the schedule. Plus the kid showed promise from long distances. The gimmes gave him trouble. And the altitude and extra carry should be a positive. If he makes a 50+ field goal against BYU, maybe he won’t get the yips on the 25 yarders.

Final Prediction

BC will move the ball and score. BYU will move the ball too. The question is will BC wear them down and keep them from setting the pace? I think BC steps up. BC wins 27-23.

Blog Aid

College Football Resources is promoting “Blog Aid.” The disaster is shocking. I don’t have anything profound to say or add. Participating in Blog Aid is the least I can do. If you are looking for a worthy charity, try the Salvation Army. They’ll take almost anything (money, clothes, food) and they have great track record of low overhead and making sure donations reach the people who need them. We dropped off some clothes last week and will be dropping off more this week.

Thoughts on Wednesday’s news

Here is a feature on the early results of the BC-Fenway Sports Group partnership. It is very encouraging. They have expanded the reach of our radio network and brought in some new sponsors. However, two things concern me. First, it looks like BC priced out some of its older, long-time sponsors. This happens, but I worry about becoming too dependent on the Red Sox. If our sponsors are Sox sponsors first and BC sponsors second, we are vulnerable. I don’t think it will happen in the next few years, but in this relationship the Red Sox could ask for a bigger piece of the pie or scrap the Fenway Sports Group altogether. Then BC is left to mend fences with our old sponsors and rebuild sports marketing.

The second thing that concerns me is that there is still no announcement on the television broadcast of the Ball State game. The Sox own NESN, so there is no reason they cannot force this on the air. There is no Red Sox conflict (the Sox are on Fox that day). My guess is that they are waiting to see how our season starts. If BC is 4-0, they’ll put us on. If the team struggles, no TV. The guys at FSG are smart and realize that whatever they put on against Red Sox-Yankees in October will get killed in the ratings, so why bother with an expensive live BC broadcast. BC shouldn’t take that. With the money FSG can get from other outlets (Gameplan, possibly some other regional sports nets) for the game rights, there is no reason for NESN not to step up. In my mind a break-even broadcast shows good faith and builds the BC brand (which should be a FSG concern).

These are the risks of handing over a big part of your operation to a company that has more power. You are often on their terms. The partnership was a good move for BC, but I just hope the athletic department never forgets that FSG cares about the Red Sox first.

The other little news item was SI.com’s experts roundtable on the college football season. B.J Schecter lists BC as his surprise team. Thanks for the encouragement, but at this point I don’t consider BC a surprise team. Maybe I’ve just read too many “look for the Eagles to soar in the ACC” articles this summer.

Learning curve

Past results are not a guarantee of future success, but sometimes it is all you have to go on. In thinking about Quinton Porter and his ability to succeed this season, I tried to think of any recent QB whose experience mirrored Porter’s. So I looked for someone who played parts of four years with at least one as a starter, preferably had a mid-career redshirt, and struggled prior to putting it all together his senior year. Only one stood out -- Carson Palmer. Great news, right? Porter for Heisman! Not quite.

Yes they have my original qualifications in common, but then the major differences start. Palmer was playing for one of college’s greatest teachers (Chow), his redshirt was about injury…not getting outplayed and he had much more experience than Porter prior to his senior year.

Now that I got the disclaimers out of the way, look at Palmer’s Junior Year and his Senior Year.

Carson Palmer

Year	Comp %	Yards	TDs/INTs
2001	58%	2,751	13/12
2002	63%	3,942	33/10

Porter’s last season as a starter

Year	Comp %	Yards	TDs/INTs
2003	56%	1764	14/6

The differences are many, including USC’s much more talented and prolific offense, but it is encouraging to see that it can come together in a quarterback’s final season.

In an effort for balance, I also wanted to mention a situation where it didn’t come together -- Chris Rix. Now grouping QP with this nutjob is not really fair, but I wanted to show both sides. Rix’s situation is not as similar to Porter as Palmer, but he was an experienced starter heading into his senior year. He finished his final season in Tallahassee with stops on the bench and an unimpressive stat line.

Chris Rix Senior Year

Year	Comp %	Yards	TDs/INTs
2004	51%	865	3/7

My guess is Porter’s senior year will be somewhere between these two extremes. As I have said over and over, he doesn’t need to be amazing, just keep the defenses honest and avoid mistakes.

Things to read

Here are some articles of interest.

BYU thinks they enter the game with the element of surprise. Call me a contrarian, but installing a new offense can be as confusing for the offense as it is for the defense. And not to burst BYU’s bubble, but BC will most likely come out with the same scheme (pressure from the front four, linebackers dropping into coverage and a lot of zone) whether the Cougars run their new offense or their old one.

Here’s a long-overdue feature on Brian Toal. If he improves this year, his potential is scary.

The AJC posted a recruiting update from Rivals. Nothing new, but they will continue to provide Rivals content for free throughout the season.

Basketball blogger Yoni Cohen continues his work for Fox with this ACC season preview. Like me, Yoni is not too worried about our anonymous recruiting class.

Monday news clippings

If there is an overriding theme to this season in the ACC, it is “how is team X’s quarterback going to play?” It seems that ever team is either breaking in someone new, handing an experienced guy a new offense or waiting for a starter with a past to get his act together -- either on (Ball or Porter) or off the field (Vick). This article runs through the challenges and questions facing the ACC signal callers.

I am ready for the season to start just so I don’t have to read another ACC is now a football conference story. As this article shows, money was a big factor in the conference shift. The Kiwi story is also growing old. He has been the subject of the same angle at least 20 times this offseason. I’d imagine he is sick of it at this point too.

Here’s a quick ACC overview from the Charlotte Observer. It doesn’t compare to the AJC’s coverage. But I am obviously biased.

As far as actual game prep in concerned, BC is not overlooking BYU. The Cougars are a tough opener. But Mr. Routine TOB is not taking his young team out early to adjust. I agree with not going out early. I just don’t want to hear it as an excuse if BC loses.

Welcome new readers

For anyone discovering this blog for the first time, thanks for stopping by. Check in throughout the season for my thoughts and comments on BC football, basketball and news. Once play begins, I'll inlcude some number crunching posts and different looks at the team.

If you're a fan and just reading the big sports sites, you're missing out on some insightful and entertaining writing on college sports. Here are a few of my blog recommedations:

Every Day Should Be Saturday. These guys have been called the court jesters of college football. Yes they are very funny, but they also slip in the occasional analysis.

Michigan blogger Brian started the blogger poll. He also covers everything Michigan (including college hockey).

Any Georgia fan who is not a regular at Westerdawg's blog is missing out.

I'd like to think that State Fans Nations' style is similar to mine, only for NC State.

As a BC fan, it pains me to admit what a good job the Notre Dame guys at Blue-Gray Sky do covering the Irish.

There are just too many good blogs to list here. Go to College Football Resources and Fanblogs for more examples. Their lists are extensive and the first place I look when I am tracking down bloggers from other schools.

Once again, thanks for reading and be sure to come back.

Saturdays in the South

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published its annual College Preview this weekend. They did their normal bang up job, with in-depth coverage of the ACC and SEC. The paper also included a collection of features on the sights, sounds, passion, and history of the sport. I was fortunate enough to be included in one of the pieces on fans. The write-up follows:

BC just a blog away

You're 28 and separated from your team by a whole culture. The cure?

You blog.

Several times a week, year round, Bill Maloney writes his thoughts on Boston College football on his Web site "Eagle in Atlanta."

"Capturing the highs and lows of being a BC fan living 1,000 miles from Chestnut Hill," is its motto.

"My passion was stoked by being far away, and being in Atlanta where college football is king," said Maloney, who fell for the team at age 8 when he saw Doug Flutie's famous pass. "It's a way to take the passion in the South and mix it with the northeastern sense of doom we have with our team."

His musings at http://atleagle.blogspot.com draw fans curious about the Eagles as they debut in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Maloney introduces them to TOB (bland head coach Tom O'Brien), Kiwi (star defensive player Mathias Kiwanuka) and Spaz (defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani).

He critiques the team's "robotic stiffs." He praises those who exemplify the school motto, "Ever to Excel."

"It's an outlet, just like calling a sports talk station or sending in a Vent," said Maloney, who worked on the team's radio broadcasts before he graduated in 1998. "No one will publish 2,000 words on BC's kicking game, but I can."

You can read the rest of the article here. I'd like to thank the writer, Michelle Hiskey, for including me.

BC's real newsmakers showed up throughout the coverage.

Here's an article on ACC playmakers that leads with Kiwi.

Tony Barnhart listed TOB as one of the better coaches in the ACC. Barnhart also included BC in his preseason Top 25.

ACC fans can look forward to trips to Boston. And this list proclaims that Gene D. is the best ACC AD to work for.

Saturday news roundup

A few links of note today.

Here is the Patriot-Ledger's season preview. The Patriot-Ledger has not given BC much press over the years. This summer they've written a few BC-ACC stories and any additional coverage is welcome.

Jason Lilly got some coverage from his home-town paper. Despite flashes of potential, Lilly has been lost in the shuffle at BC. He's got the size, but just didn't get the snaps. This year is his chance to break out, however, I don't think we will pass very much this season.

Here's Matt Hayes ranking of college head coaches. He lists TOB as a "rising star." Hayes has been really high on TOB in the past, even mentioning him as a potential successor to Paterno. TOB is a good fit for BC and I predict he'll end his career at the Heights. He's not getting any younger and his runner up finishes for the Washington job and Georgia Tech job a few years ago shows that he has a hard time wowing boosters.

Here another list -- this time for college qbs. The Porter/Ryan combo checks in at No. 33.

Friday links

Sportsline's Dennis Dodd wrote a nice feature on Kiwi.

Here is the transcript from the Will Blackmon chat.

Blogpoll Roundtable No. 6

Here are my answers to the latest blogpoll roundtable. Check out Heisman Pundit for other bloggers' take on greatness and Saturdays.

What criteria do you use to determine if a team and its players are good?

This might not meet the haughty standards of Heisman Pundit, but to paraphrase former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart “I know it when I see it.” (BTW, Stewart was talking porn, not football greatness.) Let me explain further.

Wins and losses are my first indicator, but I always consider who the team played. I usually respect a 9-2 team that took on the big boys more than a 10-1 team that fattened their record on teams the dregs of division 1A football. Ultimately, I go by what I see and who you beat.

As for player greatness, while I think size and speed and arm strength are important, I come up with something much more objective: can you do what you are supposed to do when everyone is trying to stop you? And when I consider that question, I do account for scheme. Any serviceable back could be a thousand yard rusher in BC’s system. Few have been great. But the offensive line, who blow guys off the ball over and over, and don’t miss assignments have been filled with greatness (Woody, Koppen, Columbo to name a few).

I am more impressed when someone like Reggie Bush returns a punt on the road, in fog and seemingly weaves through all 85 Oregon State players on scholarship than I am when he explodes untouched through a big hole on a run play.

I also have a soft spot for smart players, guys who hustle and do something that you haven’t seen before.

If you could choose one coach to build an offensive system for your school, who would it be? Conversly, who would you choose to devise the defense? Why?

Offensively, I’d go with Norm Chow. You can take your spreads/option hybrids. Give me Chow’s mixed bag of passing schemes and 30-year track record. He may not look as brilliant now that he is going against the best 32 defensive coordinators in the world, but the man can do no wrong at the college level.

He’s taken his game elsewhere, but I’d probably go with Nick Saban for defense. He learned from the best, understands the college game, and does a great job combining talent with schemes.

Describe your typical college football Saturday.

I wake up around 9 am EST. I am on some treadmill, ellipse or stairmaster by 10. I catch the end of Sportscenter and the beginning of Gameday. After sweating my ass off, I ruin any good it did me by going to pick up burritos from Willy’s (the only place in Atlanta to go; all you Chipotle and Moe’s fans can save it).

Once we’re home, I shower and then dive into the Willy’s just in time to see Corso put on a Mascot head. The BC game usually comes on at noon, so we turn the channel and keep it there for the next few hours. Like Larry Sanders -- no flipping. I don’t care what other game is on, I am totally focused on BC. Once the BC game ends, I’ll turn to the most interesting game of the day. We like to head to 5:30 mass, but if there is a really good game, I’ve been known to skip church. We usually have some sort of social plans for Saturday night. Fortunately in Atlanta every party or restaurant or place you might go has a college football game on in the background.

Once we get home Saturday night, I’ll watch the end of the ESPN game and then fall asleep to the late night WAC Gameplan game. This schedule repeats itself until December with variations coming into play if we go to the game or if BC plays on Thursday or Saturday night.

BC lingo and things to know

I’ve had a few readers ask about the abbreviations I use. They are all shorthand nicknames that developed on Eagle Action. None are particularly original or inventive. Sometimes writing TOB is easier than writing Tom O’Brien. So for those readers who are new to BC, here are the common terms, things to know and nicknames:

TOB = BC head coach Tom O’Brien. When TOB was hired, our basketball coach was Jim O’Brien and referred to as OB. Tom O’Brien was called TOB. The "T" stayed even after Jim O’Brien left.

Kiwi = Mathias Kiwanuka, our preseason All-America defensive end. This is his nickname with the players too. Would you want to say or type Kiwanuka over and over?

Spaz = Defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani. Offensive coordinator Dana Bible receives the lion’s share of fan criticism but people will take shots at Spaz or Spazi too.

Gene D. = BC Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo. Gene is known for his people skills and politicking. His half-full, “all is well” attitude earned him the nickname Smilin’ Gene among some BC fans.

QP = Starting quarterback Quinton Porter. Many of our previous players were referred to by their initials on the BC message boards.

The Heights = The nickname for the campus. Also the name of the school newspaper.

Alumni = the football stadium.

BC is not BU. This may seem obvious to most northeastern readers, but you’d be surprised how often things are confused down here. Boston College is a university, but not the Boston University. BU is a few miles down the road from BC and a few light years apart in culture, campus and student bodies.

We are the Boston College Eagles. Not the Golden Eagles. Not the Bald Eagles. Not the War Eagles. Not the Screaming Eagles. Just Eagles. However, our mascot dresses like a bald eagle.

Email me if there is any confusion or other things I should add to this list.

Interweb news

Finally healthy, Andre Callender continues to play well. I know TOB prefers a feature back, but I expect Callender to get more carries than any of our No. 2s usually get. Also note that they are already hinting about red-shirting Brooks.

Here’s an update on BYU. It looks like their new offense is starting to gel.

The State published an article on the superior defenses in the ACC. They correctly point out that these things tend to be cyclical. A defensive, low-scoring conference plays to our strength since I think we’ll have trouble scoring. Maybe we can steal a couple of close games.

Season prediction Part III: what will happen

Finally we’ve come to the end of my self-indulgent filler piece. While very plausible, the previous two entries will not happen. This is my official game-by-game prediction for the upcoming season.

What will happen

At BYU. Win. BYU’s 3-3-5 is useful in a pass happy conference, but not against a team like BC. The Cougars’ spread keeps Kiwi from notching a sack, but our linebackers clog passing lanes all day. BC pounds the ball on the ground in a tough road win.

Army. Win. Army is game, but still a year or two away from making this interesting.

FSU. Loss. A classic. The Heights are hoping. FSU realizes BC is for real. Yet we blow a close game in the end.

At Clemson. Win. BC faced Toledo a few years ago, so the solid defense is ready for Tigers’ new attack. BC also benefits from facing Clemson early in the season, before Bowden and team turn it on in order to save his job again.

Ball State. Win. Not even interesting this year.

Virginia. Win. In all of my predictions, I penned this as a win. TOB plays his cards close to the vest, but little nuggets here and there make me think there is and always will be a special place in his heart for UVA. And getting ignored when Welsh retired has got to stick in his craw. Throw in Groh’s recent huge raise for putting up a win total very similar to Welsh and O’Brien and I think you’ve got all the motivation you need. The teams are scarily similar: two great defenses and conservative offenses. I think we have the advantage at the offensive line, while they probably have the better QB and backfield. BC wins a low scoring game.

Wake Forest. Win. BC doesn’t mess around this year. Wins easy.

At Virginia Tech. Loss. TOB’s record against Tech stinks, but the games and series is closer than it appears on paper. BC’s losses always seemed to hinge on a few key plays (often in special teams or some 80-yard Vick scramble). I don’t see us winning here, but it will be close.

At North Carolina. Loss. We will lose a game this year we should win (our annual WTF? game). My gut tells me it is this one or Wake. I can’t take another Wake loss, so I am saying we lose in Chapel Hill.

NC State. Win. Am I the only one who thinks bringing in Marc Trestman was a bad move for NC State? Just because a guy has a connection to Bill Walsh doesn’t mean he can install an offense and call a great game (i.e. Paul Hackett). I think BC wins this one, as Amato continues to struggle with life after Rivers.

At Maryland. Loss. As down as I am on Amato, I think very highly of Friedgen. I don’t see them as a losing team two years in a row. If he gets average performance from his QB, they are a bowl team. I think we lose here.

These leaves BC as 7-4 at the end of the regular season. Firmly bowl eligible, but not entirely bowl desirable. We played our polictics card last season to get into Charlotte, so look for Gene D to take one for the team and accept the invite to Boise. I think we’ll face Boise St. in an exciting game on the Blue Turf. BC wins to continue the bowl streak and finish the season at 8-4 and in the Top 25.

Basketball schedule unveiled

The athletic department finally released the 2005-2006 basketball schedule. It is a nice mix of regional games, a few notable out of conference games and of course, our inaugural ACC games.

I think BC will be one of the better teams in the country. Even if we are a disappointment, the non-conference schedule should pad our win total enough to get into the Tournament.

BC makes its first trip to Atlanta January 8. By then my wife will be in her final month of pregnancy. Ever the trooper, Mrs. Eagle assured me she still wants to go to the game. If her water breaks at Alexander, at least there will be a lot of Tech guys around to help with the delivery.

Tuesday news and notes

Sunday Morning Quarterback published his ACC Preview. He is not as bullish on BC as I am.

The official Blogpoll is finally ready for its debut. BC begins the season at No. 23. Congrats to Brian for all his hardwork.

The Sports Network released their BC preview. Pretty fluffy.

Basketball recruiting note: The Herald confirmed that Shamari Spears is coming to BC. The move to the ACC and Tyrese Rice made the difference.

In BC Hockey news, Pat Eaves is leaving school to join the Ottawa Senators. Both Eaves brothers served BC well. Best of luck to Pat.

Season prediction Part II: worst-case scenario

A couple of readers thought I was overly optimistic with my best-case scenario. I was. That was the intention. I don’t think it will happen. I don’t think the worst-case (below) will happen either, but it COULD happen. I think both scenarios are viable given our uncertainty at quarterback and the new conference.

Worst Case Scenario

At BYU. Loss. TOB’s maddening tradition of not having the team ready for the opener continues. Post-game press conference includes pat excuses about travel, the altitude and inexperience on offense.

Army. Win. Ross’ team gives us a scare, but we hold on.

FSU. Loss. FSU welcomes us to the conference with a thrashing. BC fans say it would be different if they came in the November cold blah, blah, blah. Hope is fading.

At Clemson. Loss. Another bad road loss. The team and the fans get our first taste of real southern football in Death Valley. Opposing offenses realize that you can triple team Kiwi and nulify our defense.

Ball State. Win. Even in a nightmare season, BC is able to win this one.

Virginia. Win. This is TOB’s Super Bowl. Even in a nightmare season I think we would win a game we shouldn’t. Normally that would be against Notre Dame, but since we are not playing the Irish this year, I think TOB will put all his eggs in this basket.

Wake Forest. Loss. BC controls most of the Wake game only to lose in the closing minutes Version 3.0.

At Virginia Tech. Loss. Tech kills us. Porter’s season and confidence are in ruins. Eagle Action posters are calling for TOB’s head and for Matt Ryan to start. Big East fans flood our message boards with “I told you so”s.

At North Carolina. Win. Playing conservatily, the Eagles wear on North Carolina again. Fans start hoping for a strong finish and a chance at a bowl game.

NC State. Loss. BC’s bowl streak ends when NC State wins and hands TOB his first losing season since 1999.

At Maryland. Loss. You thought the team didn’t come to play last season against Syracuse? Wait until you see this mail it in job.

BC is home for the holidays. Media and fans wonder if the school is in over its head. TOB feels real pressure for the first time as a Head Coach.

Stay tuned for Part III -- what I think will happen.

Season prediction Part I: best-case scenario

I wish I knew how the season would go. There are times when I think this is going to be the miracle season where everything falls into place. Other times I think we’re headed into a buzz saw and a long offseason of “I told you BC couldn’t compete in the ACC.” My actual and official game-by-game prediction will come later in the week. In the meantime, here is my best-case scenario prediction. I’ll post my worst-case next. I won’t predict 13-0 National Championship or 0-11, as I want to keep the best and worst somewhat viable.

Best Case Scenario

At BYU. Win. The travel and altitude doesn’t impact the Eagles. BC rolls over a still adjusting BYU team.

Army. Win. BC overpowers Army. The team and Quinton Porter are playing with a lot of confidence heading into FSU.

FSU. Win. Riding the hot start and fan excitement, BC defeats FSU in the school’s ACC debut. FSU struggles at Quarterback and BC’s defense is shaping up to be one of the better units in the conference.

At Clemson. Win. Clemson, still adjusting to its new offense, struggles and BC remains unbeaten.

Ball State. Win. BC avoids the previous season’s nail bitter and soundly defeats the MAC cellar dweller. At this point, BC breaks into the Top 10 and pundits start asking “Can BC win the conference?”

Virginia. Win. In a game that means more to TOB than any other, BC defeats UVA in a hard fought contest.

Wake Forest. Win. After letting the previous two games against the Demon Deacons slip through their fingers, BC controls the whole way through. Quinton Porter and Will Blackmon erase any bad Wake memories by hooking up for three touchdowns.

At Virginia Tech. Loss. The road to Pasedena hits a bump. BC loses a matchup between two Top 10 teams. The ESPN Thursday Night crew hands out plenty of moral victory pats on the back to the Eagles for their hot start and adjustment to the conference.

At North Carolina. Loss. Even in a dream season, BC still has to have a WTF? loss. Instead of taking care of a team they defeated in North Carolina 11 months ago, costly mistakes keep the game even. The Heels steal it in the end.

NC State. Win. BC avoids the three game losing streak. The defense, cold and offensive line prove too much for the Wolfpack.

At Maryland. Win. BC wins as Maryland struggles for the second straight season.

Despite defeating the ‘Noles head to head, FSU finishes the season with a better conference record and represents the division in the first ACC Championship Game.

Any disappointment over missing out on the Championship Game is lifted when BC is selected for the Gator Bowl. The excitement reaches a frenzy when it is announced they will face Notre Dame. BC defeats the Irish…again. The team finishes with a 10-2 record and in the Top 10 in both season-ending polls.

Stay tuned for Part II -- the worst-case scenario

Bowl projections: good and bad

I’ve mentioned before that Bowl projections are good filler, but ultimately hot air. The records and revenue determine which team goes where. Here are examples of good projections and sloppy ones. SI.com Stewart Mandel does a pretty solid job (he has BC going to Boise). Sportsline does a crappy job (BC returning to Charlotte?). Why do I say it is crappy when this is merely a guessing game? Because some options -- like poor drawing teams returning to a Bowl site (i.e. BC returning to Charlotte) -- can clearly be eliminated and Sportsline didn’t do that. How hard is it to make a good fake list?

Notes from the weekend

Quinton Porter played well in the latest scrimmage. Will Blackmon’s adjustment to offense seems to be coming along too.

BC’s two quarterback recruits’ seasons got off to a rough start. Billy Flutie broke his ankle and Ross Applegate’s team got slaughtered.

The weekend highlight was Craig Smith leading Team USA to a gold in the World University Games. I hope his calf injury doesn't linger.

22 again

The AP released its preseason poll. Like the coaches poll, BC begins the season at No. 22. BC is one of five ACC teams in the Top 25.

Spring recap/preview Part VIII

Quarterbacks

I procrastinated over writing this post all summer. I want Quinton Porter to do well, but I am not optimistic. His career stats were not horrendous, but a little deceiving. The offense rarely clicked with him under center in 2003. Eagle Action poster Captain Coop surmised the situation well. His post follows. I’ll wrap up with my opinion below.

Captian Coop: "I just took a look at all the stats and game recaps from 2003 to refresh my memory as to exactly what Porter accomplished as QB that year. I think the sense around here [Eagle Action] (and, to be fair, in the media) is that Porter is an experienced, solid QB who just happened to get beat out by the stellar performance of Peterson, and that if Porter were to step back in this year and play like he did in 2003, we're a contender in our division. Based on what I found, if he doesn't make a major improvement, we're a .500 team at best this year:

Game One, Wake Forest: 22-39, 243 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int (2 fumbles, both lost). The numbers here look almost ok, but need to be taken in context. First, he lost the 2 fumbles, which more or less cost us the game. Second, 243 yards passing doesn't look so bad, until you consider that WFU gave up 280 yards per game in the air that year. Overall, a performance that was a lot worse than it looks on paper.

Game Two, Penn State: 10-21, 145 Yards, 2 TD, 1 Int. Had a nice 1st quarter and then was scattershot the rest of the game. This was not a good Penn State team, either.

Game Three: UConn: 14-27, 156 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int. Against a team not exactly known for its passing defense, and in a fairly close game, another unimpressive line.

Game Four: Miami: 6-18, 61 yards, 0 TDs, 1 Int. Horrific performance against a very good team. Just looked lost out there.

Game Five: Ball State: 17-25, 131 yards, 3 TDs, 0 Int. The three TDs were for a combined 6 yards. Throwing 25 passes and gaining 131 yards against a team this bad really speaks to the risk-averse decision-making that makes Porter such a favorite of TOB.

Game Six: Temple: 18-24, 308 yards, 3 TDs. Finally, a nice stat line. It came against a team that gave up 33 points per game that year, but it was a good performance.

Game Seven: Syracuse: 20-28, 249 yards, 2 TDs, 2 Ints. A big chunk of these yards came after BC was down 32-7 in the 4th quarter, so the yardage total isn't as good as it looks. Another solid performance, though.

Game Eight: Notre Dame: 13-25, 199 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int. Ho-hum game. [EAGLE IN ATLANTA NOTE: I am going to disagree with Coop here. Throwing was not impressive. But QP kept us in the game when special teams were falling apart. He hustled and ran around like a mad man. I thought this was going to be his turning point. Sad to say, it was not.]

Game Nine: Pitt 12-29, 186 Yards. 0 TD, 0 Int. Why even have a QB? He basically made no impact on this game with that stat line. His best contribution was not throwing interceptions. We scored 13 points and lost.

Game 10: WVU 8-14, 86 yards, 0 TDs, 0 Int. This was the game where PP took over and the offense was finally able to take some chances. Peterson threw for 231 yards that day, and although he was picked off 3 times, he threw 3 TDs and breathed some life into the offense.

Now, I would be willing to make some excuses for Porter's 2003 season. Yes, the risk-averse style that had him throwing 20+ passes for around 150 yards or less in a bunch of these games is coming down from TOB. Yes, the playcalling was paleolithic. Yes, the receivers dropped a lot of passes. But, Peterson stepped in with all the same excuses and the offense suddenly was significantly more effective. Against a late season schedule that included colder weather and tougher competition (no Ball State, Temple, UConn, Wake), Peterson threw for at least 230 yards in every game, and at least 2 TDs every game. The team scored 35, 34, and 35 points with Peterson running the show against Rutgers, Virginia Tech, and Colorado State. He also threw 3 of BC's 4 TDs in the WVU game (28 points). Meanwhile, the Porter-led offense had scored 24 against UConn...14 against Syracuse...13 against Pitt.

I'm not posting this to trash Porter. I just wanted to refresh our memories on his last starting season, and to make the point that we need IMPROVEMENT from him this year, not just his return. If he comes back playing like he did in 2003, we can expect a dropoff in our offensive production comparable to the difference between the offense under Peterson that year and the offense under Porter."

Now back to my opinion. No one is trashing Porter. He is a loyal kid, who is supposedly a nice guy. He handled last year’s redshirting and the sudden death of his father in 2003 as well as anyone could. But he still has to win football games. That’s the deal. And I have real doubt about his ability. He has the body, but has he learned how to run an offense?

Look at this table:

Game	True 3 and outs
Penn State	1
UConn	1
Wake	3
UMass	3
Pitt	2
ND	5
Rutgers	3
WVU	4
Temple	0
UNC	3

**Please note that play by play was not available for Ball State.

That was Paul Peterson running the show. He was not perfect and we were not some offensive force, but he kept drives alive. We rarely went 3 and out. Now games are not exclusively won that way, but making plays and moving the chains gives your teammates confidence, helps the D and wears on your opponent. Can Porter do the same thing, or will he take off scrambling before the play is finished developing? Will TOB and Bible give him the free reign they gave Peterson?

(As for other QBs, Matt Ryan showed some promise last year. If he hits the field for anything other than mop up duty, we’ll have major growing pains.)

Reports of Porter’s maturity are encouraging. I am going to be a homer and say that he will have a good year. Predicated stat line: 2300 yards passing, 60% completion, 17TDs and 8 INTs. And he’ll start every game.

God, I hope I am right. He just needs to be solid for us to have a big year.

Cover boys

ESPN.com had a nice feature on BC (it was on the front page for most of the morning). It wasn’t all that different from this one in USA Today. Or this one in the Winston-Salem Journal. The Journal also had a feature on the new landscape in the ACC.

The Boston Herald published a notebook (L.V. is the starter) and a feature on Pat Ross. It is still unclear who is going to cover the team for the paper this season. I noticed Mike Shalin in some of the Media Day pictures but hasn’t had a Herald byline in weeks.

BC nominated Quinton Porter as a preseason candidate for the Davey O’Brien award. The school also published the transcript from Kiwi’s chat. It looks like they are going to try to make a player chat a regular feature.

In basketball news, Andy Katz has us just outside of the Top 10.

What’s what

Trey Koziol is done for the year. Tough luck for the kid. I thought he was going to have a pretty good season. His injury leaves the team very thin at Tight End. Expect to see more passing to the backs. I sat infront of Trey’s mom at the Wake game last year. She was an emotional rollercoaster and he didn’t even play that much. Hope he has a speedy recovery.

In good news, Quinton Porter played well again.


StateFansNation gives me a nice compliment but more importantly, takes the time to look around at news in the conference.

My Blogpoll preseason ballot

This is my submission for the blogpoll. I have read many previews this summer, but still don’t consider myself an expert on all 25 teams. We’ll see how it turns out. I’ll post my weekly ballot here throughout the season.

1. Southern Cal
2. Texas
3. Tennessee
4. Michigan
5. Miami
6. Louisville
7. Virginia Tech
8. Ohio State
9. Oklahoma
10. Louisiana State
11. Auburn
12. Florida
13. Cal
14. Iowa
15. Florida State
16. Virginia
17. Texas Tech
18. Boston College
19. Texas A&M
20. Purdue
21. Georgia
22. Boise State
23. Alabama
24. UCLA
25. Fresno State

Two small links

Here is another Porter feature. I’ve been dreading writing the QB preview all summer. I have no idea what to expect. Every day I think he’ll turn the corner and other times I thin Ryan will be starting by Halloween. Look for my official stance on QP later in the week.

Here is a ACC defensive preview that mentions Kiwi. Warning, the formatting is funky.

News crumbs

Here is another feature on BC’s transition. Gotta love the interest from these southern papers.

This guy is also excited about BC road trips.

Reshuade Goodwyn is the latest Mass kid to commit to BC. Here is a recap of his success and the general promise of all the local kids going Division IA.

Tailgating compromise

BC wanted three hours of tailgating. The neighbors wanted the status quo of two hours. They split the difference. Fans now have an extra half hour to get fired up for Ball State. To outsiders this might seem trivial, but I cannot tell you how huge this is to the parties involved.

Weekend leftovers

Last week I mentioned the uncomfortable town-gown relationships between BC and its neighbors. Well now the locals are accusing BC of stacking the tailgating meeting with our own supporters. Yeah, they’re nuts. Don’t expect any changes this season.

The Portland Press-Herald wrote a nice article on their local boy. Perhaps I parse too much into these things, but I am amazed by the stuff that people say about Quinton Porter, including that he “sure not afraid to get hit” or that he is “confident” now. The way it comes out implies – to me at least – that he was afraid before. I am nervous, but I’m rooting for him. [THIS MAY GET CORRECTED, BUT PLEASE NOTE THAT THE WRITER CALLED PAUL PETERSON -- MR. PERFECT -- SCOTT PETERSON. THEY ARE ABOUT AS DIFFERENT AS CAN BE, BUT HEY, THEY BOTH LIKE FISHING.]

On a good note, L.V. is looking good.

A running back by any other name...

Jeff Ross was an unassuming backup to Derrick Knight. Last summer, he beat out a trio of freshmen for a starting spot. His unimpressive performance left him on the bench before halftime of the opener. Now he is back -- only this time as Survival Ross. The name change caught most fans buy surprise, but I guess it has always been his middle name. I don’t think the change will improve his standings on the depth chart.

The real TOB

Tom O'Brien is nearing a decade at the Heights. Always reserved in public, the media portrayed him as the constant Marine. In Brian Curtis' book, Curtis pointed out that TOB's office still looked like it was ready for inspection.

The guy is still a serious runner. Most regular joggers in the area have come across TOB once or twice. So last month when I saw that he drinks Mountain Dew, I was taken aback.

TOB does the Dew

Maybe he just wanted his press conference to have the Mountain Dew edge.

So when I was cruising through the pics from Media Day, this one stood out.
Check out the feet.

He's wearing flip-flops! With socks! Who is this guy? Where is our Tom O'Brien? Are the flip flops a sign of things to come? I don't think Bear Bryant would ever wear flip flops to a press conference. Maybe Mr. Marine is finally showing a little personality. I'll buy him some birks if we get to the Rose Bowl.

More Media Day stuff

Friday's Media Day resulted in a lot of coverage Saturday.

The Globe went with a Quinton Porter angle. Quinton has talked a lot about Peterson's influence. Please, please, please let some of it show up against BYU.

The Herald had a feature and a notebook. The feature focused on Kiwi (the AP also sent out a Kiwi article). If any of his linemates can draw attention and the occasional double team, I think Kiwi can have a big year. The notebook talked about the running backs. Callender remains somewhat fragile, so look for L.V. to start.

The Patriot-Ledger delivered a rare and welcome article on BC. A good angle too: overlooking our openers. I was at TOB's first game -- a loss to Temple in Philly. Openers have been rollercoasters ever since. BYU will not be a walk over. The team better be ready to play.

In an unrelated basketball note, Craig Smith is kicking ass at the University Games.

Media Day

Is it really Media Day if the official school site is the only one with coverage? Here is the news: Justin Bell out (probably for the season) after foot surgery. Andre Jones did not qualify. Frantz Joseph will transfer. Bell would have added nice depth. Joseph is no loss. Jones? Who knows. He was highly recruited, but I always wonder about a guy's dedication when he cannot get his act together in class.

Here are some pics. Kiwi with short hair.




Trueblood taking the short hair thing one step too far.




BCeagles.com posted a Media Day photo gallery.

Here is the transcript from TOB's press conference

Tailgating and trip planning

Here is an article on BC’s push to extend tailgating hours. Non-BC fans cannot comprehend how big an issue this is to Eagle fans. BC is in the middle of leafy suburbs and residents around the campus hate BC. The school and the neighbors go to court over issues big and small, so any progress in the tailgating rules would be a big win for the school and the fans (who long to tailgate for more than two hours).

The tailgating issue led into something I’ve been meaning to address: the BC gameday experience for visiting fans. A few ACC fans coming to Boston for the first time have emailed me wondering about where to park and what to expect. My advice: don’t drive. There are very few quality parking spots on campus and they are all taken by BC boosters. If you drive, you’ll get stuck at very inconvenient satellite parking lots, where the atmosphere is non-existent.

So if you are coming to Boston for a BC game, don’t try to approach it like a normal football weekend. Here are my recommendations for what to do and not do when coming to Boston this fall.

First recommendation: fly. With the rising gas prices, driving is getting more expensive anyway. And driving anywhere in New England on a Friday in the fall can be painful. There are enough low cost airlines flying into Logan that you can get reasonable rates.

Second rec: stay in Boston or Cambridge. You can get cheaper hotels outside the city, but you’ll need a car. By staying in Boston or Cambridge you can stick with cabs and the T (Boston’s subway). And if you are coming all the way to Boston, you might as well get a feel for the city. You won’t get that at the Hampton Inn in Burlington. To save a few bucks, book through Hotwire. Mrs. ATL_eagle and I usually stay in the Back Bay area near Newbury St.

Third rec: get a meal in the North End. The North End is Boston’s Italian neighborhood where you can get some of the best Italian food on the East Coast. Yes it is touristy. Yes it will be wicked crowded and tough to get a table on a Friday or Saturday, but it is worth it and once again: how often are you in Boston for a football weekend?

Fourth rec: get some seafood. Cliché, I know. But if you went to San Antonio wouldn’t you order Tex-Mex? Get a cup of Clam Chowder. You can’t miss at most places. Legal Seafood’s is pretty good and you’re bound to stumble into one of their many locations on your trip.

Fifth rec: take a cab to the game and take the T after. The B-line will take you right to BC’s campus, but it will drive you nuts with the constant stops. A cab will get you close enough to campus on a Saturday morning for a reasonable price. After the game, a cab is much tougher to find. So get on the T. You’ll probably be a little tired at that point so who cares about how many times the T stops.

Sixth rec: find a tailgate. This is dicey as I’ve never tried walking up to strangers at BC. If we are tailgating, we know where we are going. But I’ve seen BC fans welcome strangers many times. Don’t be a jerk, walk the rows of cars and chat up any friendlies. Since we don’t have any bad blood with any ACC fans, you’re bound to find someone who will give you a beer.

Final recommendation: do something touristy (Fodor’s guide stuff). There is not enough time to do everything in one weekend, but you’re in Boston, so at least hit one of the big tourist spots. I would recommend the Museum of Fine Arts, the New England Aquarium, or the Freedom Trail. I would skip the Museum of Science (I never thought it was that great), Faneuil Hall (overrated) or a Duck Tour. But do whatever excites you.

Boston is a great town. Just don’t expect or treat it like your typical college football roadtrip and you’ll have a great time.

SI stuff and other links

SI sees us as a middle of the pack team. The newstand preview ranked BC at 37 and Stewart Mandel predicted a third-place finish in the division. In a somewhat contradictory move, the same article also listed us as a team on the rise.

Other nuggets from their coverage include selecting Kiwi as the best player in the conference.

SI giveth respect and then taketh away. John Walters names the Top 10 moments of the Orange Bowl and then disses BC by picking Flutie’s pass as No. 2 moment? WTF? The pass is arguably the most famous play in college football. How can it be the second most important college moment in the Orange Bowl history? (Don’t worry. I’ll get over it.)

Here is a pick of the new museum within the Yawkey Center.

To read more on the new digs click here.

In basketball news, Smith and Dudley were named preseason candidates for the Wooden Award.

Humpday links

Practice began this week. There’s been very little news and even less coverage.

The Washington Post wrote another welcome to the ACC piece.

Chris Fox is the latest in a long-line of Xaverian Brothers recruits. My old roommate, KirkDogg, also graduated from the southshore football power.

The team elected Kiwi and Ross team captains for 2005. With the honor, Kiwi becomes a rare two-year captain.

Here’s a riveting recap of Day 2 of practice.

Yes, I am a two-faced homer

I’ve been taking back-handed shots at Will Blackmon all offseason. Then SI.com had to go and post this sweet picture.

I’m in love all over again. Blackmon for Heisman!

Media bias

Fans cry bias whenever they are slighted by a writer or sports network. In most cases they should just calm down and take off the aluminum hats. But I think we all agree that there is media bias…and we eat it up when our team is portrayed favorably.

I don’t think good writers go out of their way to trash or praise a school. But I do think that if they have a good relationship with a school, and if the school fits an angle they are following, that said school will be top of mind and lead to favorable coverage.

Here’s an example. Pat Forde went up to BC during basketball season and received the royal treatment. He wrote a glowing story about the school. Four months later, we’re in football season and I think he still has the clam chowder on the brain. He picks us as a sleeper here. And in this list he mentions Blackmon and Toal as “hot” two-way players.

Atlanta vs. Boston

Sports and food can make a city great. In most cases Boston has Atlanta beat. Better Italian, Chinese, pizza, seafood, donuts. Boston has better fine dining and greasy spoons. The passion for the Red Sox and Patriots dwarfs anything Atlantans feel towards the Braves and Birds. But Atlanta’s two equalizers in the debate over which is the better city are barbeque and the passion for college football.

Exhibit A

I took this picture at the Pig-N-Chik. This is my favorite barbeque place and is less than two miles from my house. It is 1090 miles from BC and there is Boston College pennant hanging in the restaurant! In Boston, you’d be hard pressed to find anything BC-related two miles away from campus. (Yet every Dunkin Donuts north of Hartford has a Red Sox sticker or trinket on display.)

The southern traditions of the SEC and ACC mixed with the Big Ten and Big XII transplants has made Atlanta the melting pot of college football. On weekends it seems like anyone who is not at a game is in a sports bar watching one. School flags hang on front porches or whip out of car windows. The passion is contagious. I am pumped up about the season just thinking about it.

I miss going to games at Alumni, but living in Atlanta and watching the game via satellite with a nice pulled pork sandwich is not a bad tradeoff.

Blogpoll roundtable No. 5

Loyal reader LBIEagle took one look at the blogpoll on Brian’s blog and wondered how a real poll could include Temple in the Top 25. I reminded him that it was the “test” poll and that the real one would be up next week. Moments later, Brian sent out an email with the latest roundtable question. He’s the founder of the poll and a good guy, so I am glad he served as his own critic before the inevitable happened -- our poll turned out just as biased and lopsided as the “real” polls.

Human polls are inherently flawed because they are entirely subjective. I prefer them to the computer polls, but ultimately you are at the mercy of the voters. As Brian pointed out, even the most diehard college football fans in the world can only be very knowledgeable about a dozen or so teams. Look at it this way: let’s say you could watch 168 hours of football in a week (assuming no sleep or outside interests…which is probably the case with some of us). On an average weekend there is more than 200 hours of Division 1A football. So barring time machines and mega-Tivos, you can’t be an expert on every team. As a voter you are left to base some of you perspective on scores, reputations, bias, and numerous other subjective things. I have confidence that the blogpoll will deliver interesting results. Just remember the blogpoll voter makeup when Temple is in the Top 25 and Ohio State is not.

Now onto Brian’s question. Check out Mgoblog for other pollers comments.

Tell the world where the teams you know the most about should be ranked and why.

The team I know most about is Boston College. However, in ranking them, I am totally at a loss. There are two unknowns for most BC fans: how will Quinton Porter play and who the heck are these teams we’re playing? At this point I think Tom O’Brien can squeak out seven wins in any conference in the country. I also think we’ll win a crappy bowl. So starting the season at No. 22 seems right.

I live in Atlanta. I spend a lot of time sitting in traffic. While cruising the interstate at 25 mph, I listen to the flagship station of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. There is no way this team deserves to be Top 25. Their defense should be very good. They have some great playmakers on offense. But Reggie Ball is not a consistent performer. And if things don’t start well, I think we could see a Mackovic-like mutiny on Chan Gailey.

Until I enrolled in the University of Georgia’s Terry School of Business, I loathed the Bulldogs. My surprisingly pleasant experience with the school and pending graduation converted me. I now consider the Dawgs my second team. That said, my knowledge of UGA football is minimal compared to my BC knowledge or the knowledge of your average Dawg fan. But I still know more than most outside the southeast. This season is Mark Richt’s real test. He is replacing his steady hand at QB, working without his bad cop Defensive Coordinator and his SEC division went through a major upgrade this season. I say letdown for the Dawgs. Third place finish in the East and a Peach Bowl date. Most polls have them as a Top 20 team. I think they should be 23-25.

Being in a different conference, I haven’t followed Pitt as closely as I normally would’ve but I have a hard time believing they are a Top 25 team. They weren’t that great last season. They just stepped up as BC and WVU melted. And the new coach is tinkering with what worked best last season -- the offense. They shouldn’t be ranked.

Notre Dame was underachieving last season. They enter this season unranked. I like Charlie Weis and think he’ll get these guys to perform. I think they should start the season at 21 or 22. They’ll finish the season in the Top 20.

Links and media criticisms

Here is another story on Ross Applegate and his road trip that ended with a BC commit.

If you’re reading this and a gambler (hey, this is a BC blog) you might want to check this out.

SI.com launched their college preview with an interesting look at cutting-edge offenses. A good job, in general. My one gripe is on this historical piece. Guys who work for the big sites are generally my generation (25-35). Most do good work. But I often find things lack historical perspective. How can you do a history piece on modern offense and start in 1997??? Obviously the first thing that stands out to me is that there is no mention of Flutie and his aggressive young offensive coordinator, Tom Coughlin. Flutie graduated holding dozens of NCAA passing records. Also, there is nary a mention of Norm Chow’s work at BYU or Mouse Davis or Don Coryell. I understand that the focus was on the spread, but others laid the ground work for today’s offense du jour many years ago.

Heading into the season, SI.com is leaps and bounds ahead of ESPN.com. The worldwide leader in sports led their preview with a blog-like conversation between Forde and Maisel. One problem -- this is a big pimp for their Insider, as this sort of thing will be subscription-only soon. ESPN might grow their revenue with this, but they won’t grow their audience. There is too much good, free stuff out there -- like this dual piece from EDSBS and BGS. You better bring something cool to the table if you are going to charge.

22 worked for Flutie

The coaches unveiled their preseason poll. BC enters the season at No. 22. In addition to BC, four other ACC teams cracked the top 25. Not a bad start for the new conference.

It is refreshing to be recognized by the coaches, but this is the poll that matters.

Schedules and change of scenery

John Walters takes an interesting look at out of conference scheduling. He also points out that BC has one of the easiest out of conference schedules for 2005.

Here’s an article on BC and Louisville moving conferences. Straight forward apart from that they quote Jerry Petercuskie. When did the assistant start giving interviews? It was good to hear Jerry confirm the boost to recruiting.

Link-o-rama

I scour the internet looking for BC links, so you don’t have to…

The official BC site posted an interview with Josh Beekman. It seems like the O-line is going to miss Peterson as much as I am. Check out how the interviewer works in some of the talking points into the questions.

Unlike his teammate, Craig Smith did make a USA Basketball team.

Here’s an article on new members adjusting to the ACC.

This is a rehash of offseason BC stuff from Scout.com. Rivals would be wise to start giving away more of their stuff for free. As I read more and more college blogs, it confirms my belief that there is no need to pay of content.

This is an interesting press release from CSTV and ISP (one of BC’s marketing companies). We are getting closer and closer to every game being live over the internet. This is not a big deal and probably a step down in experience if you root for a premier team. This is great news if you root for a team like BC. For example, it is very unlikely that BC-Ball State will be picked up by any broadcaster. It is also unlikely that my pregnant wife would be up for a trip to see us take on the MAC power. If the game were streamed, I could watch from the comfort of my own home. Now, I’ll be stuck listening to the radio stream and using the gametracker.

Here’s another article on Boston movers and shakers trying to attract college championship games. Baseball will work. Mens basketball will work. Lacrosse will work. Everything else? Forget it. I know the Krafts would love to do it, but I see the ACC Championship game in Foxboro as a ticket sales disaster.

Here is an article on the Fenway Sports Group educating fans on the ACC. Bobby Bowden doesn’t even know who is in the conference these days, so imagine what Sully from Braintree is thinking.

Adidas is buying Reebok. This is great news since most BC fans despise our Reebok-designed apparel. The biggest complaint about Reebok is that they wouldn’t even produce maroon jerseys for us. They had no interest in spending money on BC, but needed to lockdown the only major sports school in their U.S. backyard. I imagine in this new arraignment, Reebok will drop out of the college game and we’ll be an Adidas school. Adidas better make maroon jerseys.

The Sporting News named Boston the best sports town in America. It is mostly a Pats, Red Sox thing, but they do mention BC as part of the success.

If you’re not reading Every Day Should Be Saturday, you should. Today -- per my suggestion -- they featured Spaz as their mustache of the day.

Dream job

Internet whipping boy Pete Fiutak loves him some BC. In CFN’s ripoff of the blogpoll roundtable, Fiutak selected BC as the school where he’d most like to coach. I love BC, but even I wouldn’t pick the job as the best in Division IA.

CFN didn’t ask my opinion on which job I would take, but I’ll give it anyway. North Carolina is very appealing, as is Stanford, but I think I would pick UCLA. It has got the right combo of weather, recruiting base and the opportunity to succeed. If Karl Dorrell gets run this year, look for many coaches to send out feelers on the job, including TOB.