Tuesday, November 05, 2013

Can we talk about bowls now?

BC sits at 4-4 with four games remaining. We are heavy favorites this weekend against New Mexico State and should be favored against NC State too. We will probably be underdogs against Maryland and Syracuse, but both are winnable games. The six wins needed to become bowl eligible are in sight. While premature, I think we can start talking about bowls. (This is probably a terrible jinx, but many others are assuming we are headed to a bowl too.)

ESPN's ACC crew thinks we will return to the Music City Bowl. SI.com slots BC in the the Music City Bowl also and pairs us off against Georgia (a rematch of the 2001 MCB). Phil Steele predicts BC will face Rice in the Military Bowl. A bit troubling is that Jerry Palm -- who has the best track record -- still has BC out. There is a chance that BC could get to six wins and would not get invited but I don't see that happening. Our TV presence alone makes us more appealing to the fourth tier bowls than some at large from the MAC or Sun Belt.

I hope the Brad Bates is networking with TV and Bowl people so that BC is assured of a spot. With four losses already and a bad travel reputation, we are not getting a tier two bowl invite. That leaves us playing musical chairs for the others. Washington, D.C.'s Military Bowl is the most convenient for our fans and large Alumni base in the Beltway. If we end up there I won't complain. However, my preference is for Music City or the Sun Bowl as both would provide an opponent from a BCS conference.

The best thing about the bowls is the players get a trip and the fans get to watch one more game. For a long time we all took it for granted. I don't think Addazio does. He knows that a bowl would give a certain level of credibility and a few more practices. Now let's go win some games.

11 comments:

mod34b said...

So who picks the teams for the bowls - the bowl itself or TV networks?

If it's the bowl, then I would think the bowl would want the team that draws the most fans to the game, not the team that draws the most viewers. So if we go 6-6 are we a better candidate than say UNC? or Wake? Or Syracuse or MD?

Big Jack Krack said...

Yes, let's talk stretch goals and bowls!

It's fun to be even talking about this.

I'm lazy today, so I'll just re-post some of my comments from a couple of days ago.

----------------------------------------

I was just thinking if we were fighting UNC for the last ACC spot, we would lose out.

I figure FSU, Miami, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Duke are locked in already, although Duke could lose 3 of its last 4 or even all 4 - but very doubtful.

So we are up against
Pitt,
UNC,
Syracuse,
Wake Forest and
Maryland for the last couple of slots.

Currently we are all pretty much even, with Syracuse having 1 less league loss. However, they have 4 tough games (for them) coming down the stretch, including FSU .

I think we'll win out over Wake Forest and Pitt.

We must beat Maryland and Syracuse (and NC State) - simple as that. If we ever did that, wouldn't it be just a remarkable and fantastic turnaround with basically the same players?

NC State and Virginia are way out already for sure.

-----------------------------------------

Go BC - run the table and shock the ACC and NCAA world!!!!

Last year we were in despair - this year we have optimism and hope!!!!! Thank you.

Big Jack Krack said...

If not a major bowl - bowl games are all about match-ups (and of course location).

Can you imagine if we were paired up with Georgia in the Music City Bowl in Nashville? Wow!

I don't think we could hope for much better than that.

Go BC - Finish Boston Strong!! :-)

blist said...

I'm totally with you BJK -- really any time a new coach comes in after a bad coach goes out, you have to figure a 4 win season would be the par to shoot for., so we're in great shape.
I'm psyched for BC football again and I really liked the Va Tech game -- building a foundation of tough, smart football - and of course, a win.

eagle1331 said...

I actually think BC fans would travel really well to Nashville. It is one of those places that people say that want to go to, but hardly ever do, unless they're a big country music fan. Country has always been popular in Boston but is rising in popularity (we now have 2 stations in NYC after about 15 years of none) where it otherwise hasn't been (roommate's gf works in radio) so the city would present a unique double up kind of vacation for fans of both.

On top of that, it is supposed to be an awesome city to spend New Years Eve in, if people want to stay past the game, but it also gives them a day to rush home if they want to be elsewhere for midnight on the 31st.

I would sooner take this trip than DC...

CT said...

I kinda think we're getting ahead of ourselves. This team has shown improvement, much of which I'd guess is about the fresh start with the new staff, getting back to basics, Williams' ascendance, Red Sox beards, and the new Pope, who I'm sure prays for the team's success every morning.

But teams learning how to grind out wins have to show they can win on the road. This team hasn't done that and like most average teams looks quite a bit different outside Alumni. Penciling in road wins, really any win, is a horse/cart issue.

One would think "experts" would know better.

eagleboston said...

No, we cannot talk about bowls now. One game at a time. Until we get to 6 wins, we are not even eligible. Right now, I just want BC to finally get a road win.

mod34b said...

Let's talk bowls (but keep your fingers crossed behind your back)

Let's go probability hunting and add up the probablilty of winning to see if we get 2 wins

NMSU .8
NCSU .6
MD .4
SYR .4

2.2 wins! We go bowling

NMSU is pretty much a gimme.

And SYR and MD are (per Sagarin) essentially equally ranked to BC. Away games. Will be tough games for BC.

So what about NCSU. Seems like we should win ... but looking at performance against some common opponents (WF, CU, UNC), you can see they have a better offense than BC and BC has a better defense. Not a gimme.

eddierock said...

I may have missed this if posted earlier, so apologies. But if you haven't watched this hilight film of incoming QB Darius Wade, give this a click. Will put a smile on your face. We have never had a QB like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orhjgsjlRKg

GO EAGLES

JBQ said...

BJK has been holding that "fizz up to the light" again. I happen to agree with him. The answer is to win out and there will be no argument. This is doable one game at a time. Go day to day and see where the potato chips fall. They go well with the fizz.

John said...

Hey, this has nothing to do with the topic of gaining a bowl bid - or maybe it might.

The QB of the #2 team in the ACC is taking one course this semester in preparation for December graduation - strength and conditioning, which he is taking on-line.

"It's harder thanI thought it would be," he said with a smile.

I know there are gut courses at B.C., but that school takes the cake with recreation and tourism majors and the like.

I'm proud of our players - most of whom realize there are careers and life after football.

Go B.C. - beat NMSU - handily on the road.