The ACC also named Kuechly the defensive back of the week for his play against Maryland.
HD placed BC 6th in her weekly power rankings.
Multiple sources are leaking this and I put it up on Twitter, but BC is going to the Emerald Bowl. Nothing has been officially announced yet since there are some contingencies for other bowls based on the results of the ACC Championship Game. However, we are not part of those contingencies and will be in the Bay Area the day after Christmas.
Everyone has us going to San Francisco to most likely play Stanford in the Emerald Nut Bowl.
HD gave Steve Aponavicius a helmet sticker despite his one miss.
As for the game, it was much closer than it had to be. I grew frustrated with the redzone play calling and also thought we screwed up the clock management/prevent defense...again. Regardless, we won...again. Now we just have to wait for our bowl news next week.
I will be traveling Sunday so I won't have the second viewing thoughts and grades until late Monday.
I will be at the game and not online. Leave your thoughts and comments below.
Narrative talking point that you’ll tire of by the end of the game. "Is this Friedgen's last game..." There are plenty of conflicting stories on whether or not Maryland is ready to make a move with their head coach. My fear is that Maryland will come out motivated and playing well and we will be forced to listen to various iterations of "they are trying to win this one for their embattled coach." Friedgen always moves the ball against Spaz. If he does again Saturday it won't be because his team has extra motivation.
Three Simple Keys
1. Stop the run. Maryland ran for 196 yards last week and nearly upset Florida State. If they do that to us, we could be in trouble.
2. Limit turnovers. Shinskie has been reckless lately and now he enters the gaming trying to win the job for next year. Let's hope the pressure to perform makes him more conservative and not more of a gambler.
3. Contain Torrey Smith on kick returns. He's talented and gives them a boost via field position. We need to kick it away from him or keep him from breaking anything big.
Gambling Notes
-- Spaz is 1-3 against the spread on the road
-- Friedgen is 5-3 in his final game of the regular season
-- BC is 2-1 all time in College Park
The current line is BC-6
Factoid
BC's new apparel provider will be Under Armour. UA was founded by two Maryland students and the Terps were the first team to wear Under Armour gear.
Scoreboard Watching
Watch whatever you want at this point. We are not in the mix for Tampa. We are 99% certain for the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco. If anything root for the ACC teams in out of conference matchups like Georgia Tech and Florida State.
I hope to see…
BC with a positive turnover margin. (I still can't believe how many plays the defense made last week that were given back by Shinskie.)
BC is in trouble if...
BC is down at halftime. I think last week was a lesson in how we are not the best team to try to come back throwing the ball.
Bottom Line
I think BC will win this game. I do fear the Turtle in that Fridge can always move the ball on Spaz. We've won these games in the past with turnovers. I think that will be the model this weekend too. Although there is nothing on the line, a win is important. We need to end the season on a high note.
Final Score: BC 28, Maryland 17
All is certainly not lost, but the guys need to regroup quickly. The Providence-Michigan-Miami stretch is approaching and we need to win two of those to right the ship.
November 23 marks the 25th anniversary of Doug Flutie's famous Hail Mary. You often hear how Flutie changed BC, but Forbes notes that it changed the college TV landscape. Here is a refresh for those who were born after the famous day.
Luke Kuechly was named ACC Freshman of the week.
Both soccer teams continue to advance in their respective NCAA Tournaments. The men face Drake next Sunday. The women play Stanford on Friday.
Incoming QB Chase Rettig's season is over after losing in the California playoffs.
When you see Harris put up good rushing numbers, does that mean the offensive line played well? I say no. I think this was their worst performance since Virginia Tech. Costanzo struggled at various times with their speed and looked like he blew an assignment in one of our red zone runs. Richman looked okay. Claiborne got overpowered a few times before he went down. Lapham got beat on the fumble that was returned. The guys did have their moments when things got better. They were good on many run plays, but there were plenty of miscues that caused Shinskie to force things up.
Let me clarify this since the offensive coordinators are often the whipping boys for message boarders and bloggers. Tranq is a better play caller than Bible. I don’t think he is as good as Logan. Yesterday, I felt he called some good plays (I loved the counters to take advantage of UNC’s aggressiveness.) I also like that he likes to throw the ball downfield. But his goalline plays were too conservative and he didn’t help Shinskie out with once it became clear that Shinskie was having a bad day. Where were the short passes or some of the quick outs? Why keep putting it up into traffic against a team of ball hawks? I but most of the blame for the offense on the Shinskie, but Tranq didn’t do him any favors.
Defense: B
You saw how much a difference maker a healthy Scafe can be. He was making good plays throughout and showed good speed too. Giles made one of the best plays of his career with the INT. Newman was okay. Rossi had a decent game. Ramella was ok.
Kuechly had another game where he was all over the field. McLaughlin's final game at Alumni was solid and better than his past few weeks. Morrissey and LeGrande both played very well. Together the LBs were better in coverage than they've been the past few weeks and also filled the holes quickly when stopping the run.
The DBs played really well. Rollins saved two different TDs and made some nice tackles. Davis played really well, as did Bowman. It was probably the best they've played in tandem all season. Gause made a few mistakes, but was okay. Fletcher was good.
It was a shame wasting such a solid defensive effort. We rarely blitzed but I think the game plan was solid. It kept Yates off balance. We slowed their run game and forced turnovers.
Special Teams: B
Quigley punted well.
LeGrande didn't break anything, but ran hard.
Gunnell had one return.
Steve made his chip shots.
Overall: C
Shinskie's mistakes were clearly the big issue. I did like that Spaz's guys fought back and made it interesting. What caused me to nudge Spaz down though was kicking field goals down 21. Hindsight showed that it wasn't the difference, but once again I think it reflects attitude. You are down big and have a chance to turn the game. Why kick field goals? Giving up on bigger scoring opportunities just puts that much more pressure on your defense. I also didn't like that Spaz didn't challenge the fumble that McLaughlin recovered while he did challenge the spot on the 3rd down. The spots are rarely overturned on review. When your QB is melting down it is tough to win, but I felt like Spaz didn't necessarily push the right buttons. Now we are playing for pride. Let's see how they respond.
I'll have second viewing thoughts and grades up late Sunday.
I will not be online during the game. Leave your thoughts and comments below.
We now have an official hot dog.
HD held a quick Q&A with Marcellus Bowman.
Narrative talking point that you’ll tire of by the end of the game. “Alumni Stadium is a very tough place to play. BC is undefeated at home…” As you’ve probably read and heard already, BC has a chance to go undefeated at home for only the second time since 1985 (the 2006 team also went undefeated at home). I don’t want to diminish our fans or stadium, but I don’t think Alumni has suddenly become some sort of house of horrors for visitors. This streak is more about the tough team, the schedule and a little luck. Let’s hope that one day the tight quarters and the weather are complimented by a raucous bunch of fans who get their early and make noise throughout. Right now though the home field advantage is really due to the guys on the field.
Three simple keys
1. No missed assignments up front. Carolina doesn’t do many exotic things with their defensive line. It is more about using their talent and speed to blow up what we are trying to do. In my opinion the game will come down to how our offensive line handles their front four.
2. Get the third and fourth options involved in the passing game. I’ve been harping on this for weeks, but it takes on even more importance this week. UNC will be locking in on Shinskie and looking to pick off everything. If we are going to win it will be because he is passing to Megwa, Flutie, Harris and McCluskey, not Larmond/Gunnell and Jarvis.
3. Stop the run after the catch. Last year the Heels had our secondary spinning sideways with runs after the catch. Nicks is gone but they still have playmakers on offense. Our DBs need to wrap up anyone near them.
Gambling Notes
-- Butch Davis is undefeated against BC
-- BC is 6-2 at home in the month of November since entering the ACC
-- BC is 6-0 against the spread at home this season
The current line is BC-3.5
Factoid
BC has played North Carolina twice in NFL stadiums but never in Alumni.
What I hope to see…
McLaughlin have a big day. He’s one of the rare two time captains in BC history. This is his last home game and he’s played half a season and not at 100%. I would love to see him go out on a high note with some big plays.
BC is in trouble if…
Shinskie decides to give a few more “what the hell” chucks into triple coverage. If Virginia was able to turn those into scores, North Carolina surely will.
Bottom Line
I’ll be honest, I don’t have a great feeling about this game. North Carolina is a bad matchup for us defensively and I don’t know if we will score enough points to win. I think it will be sort of a plodding, close game that turns on one big play. I am holding out hope for a win, but don’t expect a pretty performance.
Bottom Line: BC 20, North Carolina 17
In other news to be proud of, BC continues to be the leader in graduating its student athletes. Football should be especially proud since it is only one of six programs with a rate above 90%.
Disney is honoring Herzlich with its Disney Spirit Award. Well deserved. I wonder if they have optioned his movie rights already!
Although we've had a special connection with the Cincinnati area, even the folks back in Ohio realize how special Luke Kuechly is.
Since we bypassed hoops recruits last year, these are the names you need to know for next season.
Like Kuechly, I don't know where we would be without Montel Harris.
The Seniors are looking to close out their final home game with a win.
 | ||
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | |
| 2 | Alabama | |
| 3 | Texas | |
| 4 | Cincinnati | |
| 5 | Georgia Tech | |
| 6 | TCU | |
| 7 | Boise State | |
| 8 | Pittsburgh | |
| 9 | Oklahoma State |  1 |
| 10 | Oregon | 3 |
| 11 | Virginia Tech | 4 |
| 12 | Ohio State | 4 |
| 13 | Brigham Young | 4 |
| 14 | Clemson | 5 |
| 15 | Stanford | 5 |
| 16 | Penn State | 5 |
| 17 | LSU | 5 |
| 18 | West Virginia | 5 |
| 19 | Oregon State | |
| 20 | Wisconsin | |
| 21 | Temple | 3 |
| 22 | Navy | |
| 23 | North Carolina | |
| 24 | Nebraska | |
| 25 | Rutgers | |
| Last week's ballot | ||
| QB | W-L | Attempts | Comp Pct | Yards | Passing TDs | INTs | Rushing TDs |
| Brian St. Pierre | 6-1 | 180 | 55% | 1,186 | 15 | 6 | 0 |
| Quinton Porter | 4-3 | 182 | 59% | 1,293 | 14 | 5 | 1 |
| Paul Peterson | 6-1 | 194 | 61% | 1,496 | 13 | 6 | 0 |
| Matt Ryan | 6-1 | 246 | 59% | 1,621 | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| Chris Crane | 6-1 | 200 | 57% | 1,249 | 6 | 10 | 9 |
| Dave Shinskie | 5-2 | 203 | 53% | 1,495 | 12 | 9 | 1 |
The experts have been making bowl projections all season. Now, as the schedule comes to an end, the predictions become a little more accurate. That said there doesn't seem to be a consensus on BC Yet. SI says Music City again. The ESPN guys are divided between Emerald and Champs. HD says Emerald. Since we don't control our own destiny, I will predict Emerald too.
The Hockey team lost to UVM on Sunday.
Suns bloggers are growing to love Dudley.
Offense: C
Shinskie wasn't a total disaster, but it wasn't a good road game. He is still locking in and not working his progressions. This first INT was costly but not terrible...he was just a little late on the throw. The second was a pure chuck. He also got lucky that a few others weren't picked. He needs to learn when to run as he had chances to get some cheap yards on scrambles. The good news though is that when he has time he can throw some really nice balls (like Larmond's dropped TD).
The offensive line played very well. They gave Shinskie time for most of the game and opened up holes for Harris. Aside from Lapham's penalty, the right side played really well. Outside of a getting beat once, Castonzo played well. Richman played in the first half, but Cleary played during crunch time. Both looked good. I am encouraged since UVA uses a lot of different looks and the line needs to play well if we plan to beat UNC.
Harris had another strong game. It was pretty routine for him at this point -- found good holes and always seemed to fall forward. McCluskey got involved in the passing game and showed nice hands.
Certainly a mixed day for the WRs. Painful drops from Gunnell, Jarvis and Larmond...all of which could have been big plays. Fortunately the guys bounced back and also made some big plays.
Pantale is doing a good job of finding spots and then adding yards after the catch.
I don't know what to make of the play calling from Tranq. I loved all the play action as it did catch them off guard. I also liked the aggressiveness with the deep balls. I also liked throwing to the flats to Pantale and McCluskey. Yet we still only scored twice (in part becuase of Shinskie's mistakes). Also I felt we got too conservative at the goalline on the second TD. I also didn't like the play calling under 3 minutes. But overall, Tranq had a good plan for UVA...we just didn't execute at key moments.
Defense: B-
I know Scafe is far from 100%, but he played and looked good. He wasn't particularly disruptive in their backfield but was making tackles and occupying space. Newman played well. Rossi and Giles didn't make many plays (good or bad). With everyone banged up, I don't know why were are not rotating Dlinemen more. These guys are gassed and it is not like they are all playing so well that we can't give them a rest here or there.
Kuechly was very good and probably had his best game in a couple weeks. He did a good job tracking down guys who were on the other side of the field. McLaughlin was okay but missed a few tackles again. Morrissey was good including the big play to seal the game. Morrissey also looked better in pass coverage. LeGrande also played well.
Wes Davis had a strong game. Rollins made some big plays and also did a good job supporting the run and making tackles. Not much activity near Fletcher or Gause. Bowman had some tackles.
Like the offensive plan, I thought things were good until late. We didn't generate much pass rush but contained Sewell for most of the game. There wasn't a ton of blitzing (although it worked when we did). The only gripe was the prevent on the final drive. We let them move the ball too easily considering the time left in the game.
Special Teams: B
Kickoffs were fine.
Kick returns were uneventful, but I like the LeGrande/Gause combo.
Punts were fine. I thought the Bowman penalty was bull.
Gunnell fair caught most, but still showed some aggressiveness at times.
Overall: B-
A win is what is important but I didn't feel great when it ended. As I've already hit hard, we went conservative too early. Why not pass on the final 3rd down? I did like Spaz showing a little more emotion in this game than he has on some other games. I just wish he would show a little more killer instinct.
Spaz has seen plenty of comeback in college football. Why is he still going so conservative now that he is calling the shots? On BC's final third down, we ran off ten seconds and forced Virginia to burn its last timeout. If we had thrown on 3rd down would the game have been that different? That ten seconds and 1 TO is not what won the game.
The results of close games tends to even out over time. So far Spaz is 3-1 in close games this year. If he keeps playing so conservatively another one is going to go the wrong way.
I'll have my grades and second viewing thoughts up late Sunday.
I will be online during the game but will probably not be leaving comments. Leave your thoughts and comments below.
The women's soccer team advanced in the NCAA Tournament by beating Harvard.
The men's soccer team lost to NC State. Despite the loss they should still make the NCAAs as an at large.
Narrative talking point that you’ll tire of by the end of the game. "Al Groh's last days..." Groh is on the hottest of hot seats. Depending on how Virginia plays, I imagine the broadcasters will either paint it as the team rallying behind their coach or a team that is giving up. Neither is true. BC has faced enough lame duck coaches to know that the situation is very unpredictable. How the players respond is only a portion of what goes into the game or why a team loses. I often wish chaos on our opponents. Although UVA is bad, I don't see it this year. If we lose it won't be because Groh's kids played for him. If we win it won't be because they gave up. It will be that BC has better talent and execution.
Three Simple Keys
1. Use screen passes. We've been terrible at screens all year. We will need to use them this weekend. UVA still comes after the QB and they've been burned by screens all season.
2. Don't allow non-offensive touchdowns. UVA's offense is anemic. We can't help them by allowing a special teams return (which we are due for) or some sort of defensive score.
3. Stop the run. Virginia has some talent in the backfield, we can't make the game easier for them by allowing big chunks on the ground.
Gambling Notes
-- This is Spaz's first game as a road favorite
-- Groh is 6-7 against the Atlantic division
-- BC is 0-5 in their last five games on natural grass.
The current line is BC-4
Factoid
BC has played UVA, VMI, William & Mary and even a Marine team from Quantico but this is our first game in the state of Virginia not against Virginia Tech.
Scoreboard Watching
There is only one other game of any importance this weekend -- NC State vs Clemson. We need the Wolfpack to pull off the upset. Root for TOB like you never have before.
I hope to see…
Shinskie play a road game without a bunch of turnovers and mistakes. This is not Blacksburg, Clemson or even South Bend. The stadium will be empty. We are experienced. There is no reason to get road jitters in this environment.
BC is in trouble if...
Virginia has allowed a ton of sacks this season. If we can't get to their QB(s?) it is probably a sign that they are moving the ball.
Bottom Line
I don't expect this three game stretch to be easy nor do I take any game for granted, but I think Virginia is a good matchup for BC. We can score enough points and they are mistake prone on offense. That plays well to our style. I think we get the road monkey off our back and win comfortably.
Final Score: BC 28, Virginia 10
BC beat Duke in the ACC Tournament and advanced to semis. The Eagles take on NC State on Friday.
The Herald published Mike Morrissey's story of going from walkon to starter.
Although I don't think it will be a big theme this weekend, this game does mark Spaz's return to Virginia. He didn't leave there on the best of terms and was one of the scapegoats of their collapse after being No. 1.
Playing New England is special for Jamie Silva.
Given what we've been discussing on the blog, it is interesting to note that on average only 37% of the Rivals 100 make it to the NFL. Also that Rivals thinks BC is one of the better programs at finding players for our system.
The offensive line feels they are getting better every week.
Former Eagle Shamari Spears is starting his UNC-C career off on the right foot.
The women's basketball team and hockey team picked up some early commitments.
BZ: In an attempt to defend myself from the skewering I took last week, I'd like to clarify a few of the points I made in my ESPNBoston article on Josh Haden's transfer. First of all, I wasn't questioning BC's ability to develop talent, professionals such as Matt Ryan (3-star recruit) and B.J. Raji (2-star recruit) show that BC can prepare players for the highest level. My argument; however, was that it is troubling for BC not to get production from the four and five star recruits they are able to bring to campus. When we are only bringing in two, maybe three top recruits a year it is crucial that we are able to utilize that talent. Schools such as USC, Ohio State and Florida can afford to miss on a few when they are bringing in around 20 four to five star recruits a year, but when you are only bringing in a couple, their performance is put at a premium. I do concede that some guys such as Toal and McMichael were afflicted by injuries and that hampered their production on the field, but I would argue that regardless of injuries BC needs a top-level recruit to come to Chestnut Hill and shine in order to persuade other big-time prospects to follow suit. For BC to take the next step toward making it to the Orange Bowl or consistently being ranked in the top 15, they will need to start utilizing and then bringing in additional top-rated talent.
ATLEeagle: There are a lot of different goals and arguments in place surrounding your article. First let's table the common ground. Players are important. The team with the best players is more likely to beat the team with inferior talent. Recruiting is vital because it is the method in which a program gets better players.
My problem though with your original article and your defense of it now is still the added emphasis on the highly rated recruits. I think the recruiting systems are deeply flawed and miss as often as they get things right. Sure there is a correlation between winning programs and top recruiting classes, but I still challenge anyone to show me that there is a causation between the two. The top programs' recruits are favored by the flawed evaluators. The system never anticipates the decline of programs like Miami and Florida State just to use two ACC examples. The evaluators also failed to identify the top talent that the NFL drafted out of BC and Wake Forest of late.
Maybe Josh Haden didn't truly merit four stars. How did he get them? Because of his brother's success? Because he was strong for his size? Because he dominated on a lower-level Maryland league? Did he get them because the Rivals evalutors were tipped off of BC and Florida's early interest? I don't know but once he was put on a different playing field he showed he wasn't as good as Montel Harris. And as a BC fan we shouldn't really care as long as the team performs well. If another player comes down the trail and is turned off by Haden's experience at BC, then he isn't a player we need or want.
Recruiting is a lot about self-selecting. Our model is proven to be pretty good and has us competing for the ACC every year. That is what we should be asking for. Setting a goal to have top 5 recruiting classes annually would be a wasted effort since the system is not designed to reward teams like BC. If we want to get to the next level, we just need to get better at finding the right guys for BC, not more four stars.
BZ: I think there always has to be an emphasis on higher rated recruits for the program. Now not every highly rated recruit is going to be a big hit and national recruiting is definitely an imperfect science. Scouting is never a guarantee (just look at every NBA and NFL draft) and when dealing with 18 year old kids you have to expect some misses. You can always bash recruiting when looking at individual cases, but a Dr. Saturday article from January pointed out how team rankings can have some hand at indicating success. After a lot of calculations he concluded that the "more talented team" according to the recruiting gurus won two-thirds of the time in 2008, by a little more than a touchdown per game.
I think as BC fans it is in our nature to always feel a little slighted by the national media since year after year they pick us to finish near the bottom of the ACC, despite our success. I am not of the belief that the evaluators favor certain programs. The best athletes are attracted to the most successful football schools and that is why the same names continually pop up on the Rivals rankings lists. I don't think that BC is disrespected by evaluators; we just take a Moneyball-like approach to recruiting by valuing qualities that not every school does. For instance, the A's were able to keep up with big market clubs by valuing walks, and OBP, while BC values intangibles, character and mental toughness to keep them competitive as they lag behind in the recruiting rankings. We aren't necessarily getting the best athletes in all cases, but we are getting guys who slate very well into our system.
Also, I don't think Rivals is suited for predicting lulls for programs such as Miami and Florida State because their troubles are also attributed to factors such as coaching and poor character. Miami has had 9 first or second round picks in the past four years. They were hurt by the coaching turnover and poor off the field conduct (see: 7th Floor Crew). Florida State has had six first and second round picks in the past four years. Florida State's problems have been centered around coaching as many around the program wonder if Bobby Bowden's still alive. They might not have lived up to their lofty standards, but there is still high level talent coming out of these programs. On the other hand a Rivals systems can help show teams that are on the upswing because their is increased talent coming into the program. Alabama was not in the Top 25 for recruiting in 2003, 2004, were 18th in 2005, 11th in 2006, 10th in 2007, and 1st in 2008. The increase in recruiting has mirrored their resurgence in the SEC and on the national stage.
BC has had a lot of trouble with very athletic players these past few years. We've seen C.J. Spiller and Tyrod Taylor run circles around us as we continually have trouble bottling these explosive players up. We need better athletes to be able to handle guys like this, scheming can only go so far. Losing out on Haden and other top recruits hurts us because our reputation follows us to every recruit. We need to bring in top level athletes to reach the next level, and when a previously highly touted prospect transfers, it can only hurt the BC recruiting pitch.
ATLEagle: I understand Doc Saturday's findings, but the once again the whole system is designed to empower the top programs. Big deal that the higher rated ranked class beat the lower ranked program 2/3s of the time. It doesn't take a genius from Rivals to say Florida has a better recruiting class and then look smart when Florida beats Vandy 2 out of 3 times (or more). Florida has natural advantages over Vandy and the gurus tend to reinforce those advantages by favorably ranking the players that are drawn to Florida or Alabama etc.
You also mentioned Alabama. Do you think their current position in the college football landscape has to do with the 2006 recruiting class or with bringing in a world class coach? Also, I think their "recruiting rise" is misleading since they were coming off probation and disruptive coaching changes. The gurus aren't dummies. They aren't going to put a team in transition with limited scholarships in the top 10 of their prediction.
But instead of debating the rankings, let's go back to the main premise again: that BC fans should be concerned with how we deal and develop four stars. I have made it clear I disagree with that focus and want to offer a counter to the Haden anecdotal situation. My situation shows a missed opportunity for BC but one that flew under the radar for most BC fans because the geniuses at the ranking services didn't put the same four star tag on Kyle Koehne. For those of you who don't follow recruiting as closely, Koehne was a 3-star offensive lineman from Indianapolis that BC thought very highly of last year. We ended up losing him to Florida. There was disappointment among those who follow recruiting but not the hand wringing you see when BC loses on a four star. Why? Because he was not a skill player and was only a 3 star. Yet I think his ranking was yet another indictment of the system. If BC -- a school with a great history of evaluating Oline talent -- has the kid at the top of their board and Florida -- which doesn't recruit just anyone out of Indiana -- thinks the kid is going to be a star, why is he only a 3 star? I don't know. Maybe the Midwest evaluators from Rivals didn't anticipate that he would get national interest. Maybe they thought he was too skinny to play Oline at the SEC level. Maybe since he was ignored by Notre Dame and Ohio State they didn't worry. Regardless, if BC wants to break our ceiling we need to bring in more Koehnes and not worry about recruiting rankings. If we identify a player for the top of our board we need to put all our effort into landing him regardless of his rankings. And once we get everyone on campus you play the best players and don't worry about egos or stars or anything else. Worry about winning.
BZ: As far as Alabama goes obviously the hire of Coach Saban helped bring them to back into the national spotlight, but arguably his biggest contribution was his ability to attract high level talent such as Andre Smith, Mark Ingram and Julio Jones. Without these highly-ranked players Alabama would just be another middle of the road SEC school with a world class coach. If you need proof look at how Steve Spurrier has struggled in South Carolina.
When I look at the Kyle Koehne situation I think it works against your theory that the gurus try to reinforce the rankings by bumping up players looking at Florida or Alabama. It seems by looking at his profiles, scouts thought he was very technically sound but his athleticism was questioned and most thought he would have to move to guard in college. If Rivals had gone back and changed his ranking from a three to a four star just because Florida began showing interest, wouldn't that show they weren't sticking to their assessment and favoring the top schools?
I'm encouraged by our ability to bring in a player like Shakim Phillips who has the potential to be a gamebreaking wideout for us. Look at the teams we've played and around the ACC and you'll find guys like Spiller, Taylor, Golden Tate, Ryan Williams, and Jonathan Dwyer who always have the ability to hit a big play. It should be no surprise that all those guys listed were at least 4 star prospects (Taylor and Spiller 5 stars), and that they had a big hand in either beating BC or in Dwyer's case most likely leading his team to the ACC championship game. From what we saw of Haden he probably wasn't the answer and would never have an effect like any of these guys. We can still be a very good team without Josh Haden or many four and five star recruits, but if we are looking to be a great team then I believe we'll have to start bringing in these top-rated guys.
ATLEagle: I agree that greatness is dependent upon great players. I just don't think we should trust the recruiting system to find and identify all those great players. If BC never gets another five-star recruit, you won't hear a complaint out of me. I will care once we stop competing on the field and will be alarmed when we stop seeing BC guys playing in the NFL.
1. You changed offensive coordinators in the offseason to a spread specialist but have been using a variety of looks this year. Do you think scheme has been the reason for the inconsistency or is it a talent issue? What do you think we will see this weekend?
The Good Ol Blog: The offseason hopes of a new, explosive spread offense disappeared in less than a month. After two horrid outings against William & Mary and TCU, the Cavaliers scrapped the spread and went back to more pro-style sets. Is there some spread still sprinkled in? A little, but even then it's been modified from what Gregg Brandon used in the past. Other than an impressive outing at Southern Miss, though, the offense has been awful regardless of the scheme being used.
So that gets to the next part of the question - is it scheme or talent? Honestly, it's probably a little bit of both. The spread scheme didn't suit the personnel since the line can't block in space, the receivers can't get open, and the quarterbacks are inconsistent. Of course, that sounds a lot like talent issues too doesn't it? Ultimately, the offensive line's struggles are the biggest problem because there are times the rest of the players don't even get a chance to do their job. UVa is ranked among the worst teams nationally in Tackles For Loss allowed (112th, 7.5 per game) and sacks allowed (115th, 3.44 per game) - those are some telling stats for the play of the O-Line.
2. After getting things back on track the defense has broken down the past few weeks. What happened?
The Good Ol Blog: The defense can't stop the run consistently and it gives up too many big plays. One quarter, the Hoos will look good and slow teams down. The next, teams march up and down the field with no problems. A lot of UVa fans still blame the offense for the defense's issues; the offense goes three-and-out frequently so the D is on the field way too much. It's the fatigue argument. Late in the third quarter and in the fourth quarter, I guess that's an acceptable argument. The problem to me is that the defense struggles at times before the fatigue factor can even set in. Bottom line: poor tackling and inconsistent run defense is killing this group.
3. Is there anything Groh can do to save his job? It is interesting that many of the potential candidates were tossed around for the BC job last year (London, Golden, Holtz) are on the UVA radar. Who do you think will get the job? Who do you want to get the job?
The Good Ol Blog: No. At this point, one more loss locks in the third losing season in four years at Virginia. That will lead to a new coach anywhere really. Winning out won't happen, but even if it did, the fans have already moved on and that lost revenue/support will make the decision easy. As for potential candidates, there are plenty of names thrown around including Mike London and Al Golden as you've mentioned. Guys like Troy Calhoun at Air Force are also on the fans' wish list. I won't pick a favorite candidate at this time, but I will tell you two things I'm hopeful for with the new coach: 1. Media friendly and 2. Wins.
4. What is your prediction for the game?
The Good Ol Blog: Virginia is far too inconsistent on defense and special teams to make up for a putrid offense. So really, this seems pretty simple to me. If the Eagles score 17 or 20 points, they'll probably win. If they score more than that, they'll probably win easily. At least basketball season starts Friday!
| ||
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | |
| 2 | Alabama | |
| 3 | Texas | |
| 4 | Cincinnati | |
| 5 | Georgia Tech | |
| 6 | TCU | |
| 7 | Boise State | 2 |
| 8 | Pittsburgh | 4 |
| 9 | Houston | 4 |
| 10 | Oklahoma State | 4 |
| 11 | Utah | 4 |
| 12 | Miami (Florida) | 4 |
| 13 | Oregon |  3 |
| 14 | Southern Cal | 7 |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 7 |
| 16 | Ohio State | 3 |
| 17 | Brigham Young | 6 |
| 18 | Auburn | |
| 19 | Clemson | |
| 20 | Stanford | |
| 21 | Penn State | 10 |
| 22 | LSU | 15 |
| 23 | West Virginia | |
| 24 | Temple | |
| 25 | Idaho | |
| Last week's ballot | ||
SI.com predicts we will be in Charlotte for bowl season. I would be shocked if they had us back for the third time in six years. If we don't luck into the ACCCG, we are going out to San Francisco for bowl season.
BC guy Brian Leetch was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Monday.
BC will host first and second round games of the NCAA women's soccer tournament. The Eagles take on Harvard on Friday. Get out there and make some noise.
Brian Gibbons earned Hockey East Co-Player of the Week honors.
Jared Dudley is using Twitter to show off his humor and video skills. With his improved play and comfort with the camera, is there any doubt Jared will be on TV when his career is over?
In this post, Basketball assistant Pat Duquette talks about the early signing period.
If you follow BC on Facebook you would know that the critically acclaimed TV drama "Friday Night Lights" filmed on campus recently. FNL goes for realism, so I hope they mention BC by name. Here is a shot of Connie Britton on campus.
After starting slow the Basketball team pulled away from St. Mike's en route to a win. It was only an exhibition but you have to like the the balance.
BC bounced back from Friday night's disappointment to beat Northeastern Saturday.
Here is a nice article on Rich Lapham. The Herald also covered BC's bye weekend.
With the way things shook out this weekend, HD sees us bowling in San Fran. I actually agree with her. The only way we will be a better bowl is to win the ACC.
Future opponent UNC just lost their leading rusher to injury.
The men's hockey team also had a rough Friday. Up 4-1 in the 3rd period, the let the game slip away and had to settle for a tie.
Skinner picked up his latest commitment in Papa Samba Ndao. Ndao is a 6'8 wing player who is expected to contribute right away.
Anthony Castonzo made ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 1 First Team. Is it too early to start thinking Rhodes Scholarship?
With a 2-0 win over Virginia Tech, the men's soccer team concluded their regular season and finished 3rd in the ACC.
Here is a Q&A with former BC catcher Tony Sanchez.
How will we replace Rice?
There is no one replacement for Rice. Most of his point duties will go to Biko Paris and Reggie Jackson, but those guys saw the floor last year. The beneficiary in minutes will probably be the big men like Ravenel and Dunn (assuming that Trapani and Raji get more time at the wings instead of the 4 spot this year).
As Paris has said, he'll be more of a distributor that Rice so I expect more efficiency on offense and probably more tight flex.
Rice does leave a gap though. He could be counted on to make big free throws down the stretch. No one on the current team has proven as consistent or clutch yet. Rice could also get his shot off against anyone. Sanders and Jackson showed that ability last year, but neither has done it as often as Rice and neither have his handle.
Who is going to step up?
Ravenenl was the subject of the positive summer whisper campaign. Hopefully he comes through. My bet though is Reggie Jackson. I think he can and will take his game to the next level.
With the six juniors it is harder to predict a break out season. Outside of some general maturity, what you see by the end of second year is often what you get. Of the six though, I think Sanders is most likely to make another leap and become an all conference type player. He was still so raw last year that I think better ball handling and more focus on defense can make him very dangerous.
When will we know about this team?
Skinner's team often leave you guessing. Just after the UNC win, we dropped a game to Harvard. The media picked us 9th in the ACC. I like most BC fans don't think things will be that bad. But we won't know for sure until Providence-Michigan-Miami stretch after Thanksgiving. Those three games will be good indicator if this is a team that will challenge for the top spot in the conference or sit on the bubble all season.
What is a concern?
Aside from the depth of the ACC, I am concerned about this team's defense. Individually none of the guys are great defenders and as a group they weren't very good last year. We didn't force many turnovers last year. That may change with Paris, but we don't know. We are also a bad defensive rebounding team. If we go big more often, that will hopefully improve.
Suggestion to help enjoy the season
If you like BC basketball but are not on twitter, I suggest you join so you can follow BC assistant Mo Cassara. Coach Cassara might be the biggest BC sports fan in the Athletic Department and I look forward to his updates on the team once play begins.
(Also, if you are going to join twitter you can follow me and whole bunch of other BC folks.)
What should the expectations be?
No one thinks we are a 9th place team. This team should be competitive and should be a tournament team again. If they land on the wrong side of the bubble, I at least expect a deep NIT run.
What is my prediction?
I think the team will start strong, hit some rough spots once they hit the meat of the ACC schedule. I think they finish well and make a run in the ACC tournament. That gets them off any bubble. I think they make the tourney as a 6ish seed, and make a nice run to the Sweet 16.
Regardless of how well it plays out, this should be a fun team to watch. Let's hope we get to watch them deep into March.
Huge win for the women's soccer team. They went to Penalty Kicks in the quarterfinal game.
Rich Gunnell also got some media attention Wednesday. First with this ESPNBoston piece and then with this feature on Pete Mitchell visiting Rich in practice. Gunnell is nearing Mitchell's yardage record.
Although it is an off week, Bob Ryan felt it was time to give Spaz a little attention.
BC came in at 59 in this preseason basketball ranking.
Posts
All Comments
