Unhappy Oklahoma is good for the ACC

Oklahoma stirred the pot in College Football over the last few days by publicly complaining about the current Big XII. There are a host of issues but the main two are Longhorn Network undermining any chance of a Big XII Network and the lack of good expansion prospects. Nothing will happen this summer, but Big XII weakness is great for the ACC.

As long as there is just a four-team playoff and five major conferences, there will be plenty of selection controversy. Four major conferences with four auto-bids would make more sense. And if you take the next step, four-auto bids as part of a eight team playoff would work well. Some form of consolidation will come. It the Big XII is the weakest conference, then that means the ACC is safe. Plus the ACC's flexibility with Notre Dame is a clear signal to Texas or any other unhappy Big XII team, that we are the best destination for their athletic programs.

BC is never going to drive the conference shuffles, but we can influence things. I hope Brad Bates is working the back channels in the conference and the Big XII in a way that makes the ACC and BC stronger.

Thoughts on the out of conference Basketball schedule

BC announced their non-conference schedule and it is best to call it...soft. The best games -- outside of one holiday tournament -- are Harvard, Penn State and Providence. This is not a schedule to build BC's resume. It is designed to help Christian get through his second season with a very young roster.

I don't begrudge the soft scheduling this year. It is the same philosophy we are using in football. The belief is the easier wins now will lead to better wins in a few years. It's the opposite strategy of Steve Donahue's Death March meant to impress Selection Committees. The idea is that the team learns to win before taking on ACC teams. I think it might work. I also don't think we are heading to any tournament this year, so the team's resume is a non-issue. I also don't think scheduling a bunch of heavyweights would generate much interest. Or at least as much interest as winning should.

My only real gripe is not scheduling more local teams. Why not schedule a BU or Holy Cross in place of Delaware or St. Francis? Even though they are not basketball rivals, teams like those do carry some tradition. A little juice and energy into a non-conference game is better than nothing.

Gray verbals and other links

New Jersey DB/WR KJ Gray committed to BC this weekend. He's considered a three star and the one of the Top 20 players in New Jersey. He also had offers from Iowa, Rutgers and Syracuse.

Three Eagles were selected in the weekend's NHL Draft.

Hanlan is ready for the NBA's Summer League.

All the various NFL analytics reinforce how well Matt Ryan is playing.

Congrats to BC guy Bob Ryan on his Red Smith Award.

Buffalo on the 2016 schedule

BC's 2016 schedule is becoming a little more clear. After working FOIA requests, MattBC03 confirmed that BC will host Buffalo October 1, 2016. The good news is that this means that BC will have six home games despite the trip to Ireland. The bad news? The home games will be UMass, Buffalo, three ACC games and barring a miracle another FCS team.

Bates deserves credit for working with Buffalo, Northern Illinois and the MAC on making this work. Plenty of altered schedules and penalties were in play, so this did take a good amount of dealing and scheduling to pull it off. 

It will be interesting to see how the coach and AD spin the game. It confirms they are keeping the schedule manageable and winnable. The people who pay attention are going to be upset, but I feel like casual fans, recruits and the media won't. I think padding BC's win total is their goal and that will help change perception of the program. I think it will work too. However, if we do build the program with soft scheduling, eventually the media will start calling BC out.

We know about Wade, but who will catch his passes?

Each Darius Wade interview confirms that he's going to be the starting QB this season and probably have a long leash. If there was still uncertainty or if the other guys were breathing down his neck, BC wouldn't have him making the media rounds. That's good news. Locking in a QB is critical. Technically the OLine is a question mark, but we can trust the coaching there. The backfield is proven, so the only real unknown is the pass catchers.

Let's start with the obvious: it is unlikely any of the blocking Tight Ends will become big pass catchers. So that means Louie Addazio and Michael Giacone are not suddenly going to become threats to score or move the ball through the air. Drew Barksdale...hasn't gotten on the field much in two years. Probably more of the same this year. Wolford is a nice change of pace, but won't be a primary target. Harrison Jackson is returning from injury and was a secondary option prior to sitting out.

We could group Swigert with Jackson as an unknown after injury but when he has been healthy, he's been very good. Even if he doesn't have his previous speed, I still trust him to get open and make plays. I think Callinan can get some of the passes that went to Bordner last year. Dudeck always proves useful and has good hands, so I expect him to be good for a catch a game.

Alston and Outlow will be big parts of the passing attack. That is easy to predict. They are both proven. They both have huge upside and can make plays. And both will be on the field a lot. In most situations they will be easy passes for Wade to complete. If anyone has a big jump in production, it will be these guys.

Dixon, Smith and McClary [edited: he's now officially a DB] are all young and didn't get much attention last season. One of them will increase his role.

If there is one newcomer who might make an immediate impact, it could be Nolan Borgersen. He's got size, speed and a head start on the offense.

Even with a new QB and new OC, I don't expect us to turn into a Mike Leach offense. But we will throw it more. Let's just hope these guys can catch.

Jazz draft Hanlan

It probably wasn't as high as he dreamed of going, but Olivier Hanlan's decision to declare for the NBA Draft paid off as the Utah Jazz selected him with the 41st pick overall. As a second round pick, Hanlan won't get a guaranteed contract, but he should get a fair shot. The Jazz have done a good job over the years of developing their own picks and giving them playing time.

Throughout the night the experts talked up Hanlan's ability and Jay Bilas even felt Olivier should have gone higher. This wasn't a storybook ending, but he is now a professional. Congrats and good luck.

Answering email: names on uniforms

I try to answer all the emails sent to me. Sometimes the topic merits opening the discussion up to the larger BC fanbase. Here is an email from David H. and my response.

Question for ya -- do you think that player names should go back on the football jerseys? I believe that Spaz took them off, and Addazio has just kept the status quo.

I really wish they would put the player names back on. Makes it a lot easier to follow the team during the game and get excited about individual players. Not easy to remember all the numbers out there. I also think that the players and maybe even families might feel more proud with their family name on the uniform.

Wondering if there's any sort of movement or vocal group that feels the same way?

I would welcome a return of names on the back of the jerseys. Let’s be practical about the whole thing. It is not like we are preserving some history or tradition. The names have been coming on and off BC jerseys for five decades now. Sometimes we have them on the road but not home. Some coaches have mixed it up (TOB had it both ways). Even if you use the names (or lack thereof) as a motivational tool and a form of team unity, does that really make a difference?

Addazio is a big believer in motivational tools, so I don’t expect any change in the policy any time soon. Maybe if he hears enough negative feedback from recruits, he might change things.

The other factor that might help get names back is Under Armour. They are always looking to tweak the look and jerseys so adding the names back could be an upcoming recommendation. At least we no longer have the italics numbers, which made identifying players strictly by number very confusing.

My prediction is that names will return to home jerseys within two years. Addazio or Under Armour will make the change for sake of change.

New Texas recruit and other links

Texas WR Christian McStravick committed to BC Monday. Most of the services rate him as a 3 star prospect. BC is his first Power 5 offer, but he has the type of size that should work well in our offense.

The Herald featured Noah Hanifan in their run up to the NHL Draft.

Mikaela Rix, Tess Chandler and Caroline Margolis all earned spots on the ACC's All Academic Lacrosse team.

Carter is coming

Now we have a transfer! Former Rutgers and Florida guard Eli Carter announced he will spend his final year of eligibility at BC. The graduate transfer is eligible immediately. Carter fills multiple needs for Christian and is a huge get. We now have a proven Power 5 defender. He won't score like Olivier, but Carter can turn it on and should provide solid offensive production. Most importantly, Christian gets some veteran leadership. Carter is already 24 (he played at St. Anthony's and in prep school, plus the college transfer). He's a grown man. This should make a difference on a very young and green BC team.

The recruiting guys gave Scott Spinelli most of the credit for landing Carter. Christian also deserves credit for again being opportunistic. Ideally BC would have their pick of elite recruits. But picking up quality guys late in the process due to coaching changes or other team's musical chairs is not a bad plan. What others might view as scrambling, I view as upgrading talent.

Welcome to BC, Eli. It will only be one year. Let's hope it is a good one.

Bill Connelly's Boston College preview

SB Nation's Bill Connelly released his Boston College preview last week. As always it is worth the read and interesting to read what an unbiased observer feels about Addazio.

Bill's expectations are relatively low and thinks Addazio earned a mulligan for whatever happens this year.

Maybe they'll have more surprises in store, but even if they don't, this year's a mulligan. He's surprised twice, so if BC regresses, it's a freebie, not only because of the past but because of the future.

I think Addazio earned a lot of goodwill, but I am still not convinced this year will be or should be a full bottoming out. There is enough talent and Addazio has been in place long enough that we should compete in every game.

Frates on SC Featured

In case you missed it, here is ESPN's SC Featured: a father's legacy on Pete Frates, his new child and his father. It was produced by BC grad Drew Gallagher.

Watch Anthony Brown again and again and again and again

It is a summer Saturday, so there is not much BC news out there. Yet there are recruiting camps. Future BC QB Anthony Brown worked out at a Rivals camp and someone put up this Vine. Can you read or project anything into it? Of course not. But you can watch him complete a short pass over and over.

In the pocket with Boston College QB commit Anthony Brown https://t.co/obrjyUK8G3

— Woody Wommack (@RivalsWoody) June 20, 2015

Tweets of the Week

"Go be relaxed somewhere else. ... There’s no relaxing here." -@BCCoachAddazio http://t.co/zijqzNqB9X http://t.co/U7JzbSpu68

— BC Athletics (@BCSportsNews) June 18, 2015

Day 1 of camp in the books! Beautiful sunset over @BostonCollege to end the day. #WeAreBC pic.twitter.com/bQ4EnW7WxS

— Justin Frye (@CoachJFrye) June 18, 2015

Being dudes with @notthefakeSVP on the @espn tour. #morethanjustajock #WeAreBC #BCFootball pic.twitter.com/2w7Csd5aHq

— BC Football News (@BCFootballNews) June 16, 2015

800 yrs ago #OnThisDay 1215 King John of England signed the #MagnaCarta - depicted in this Bapst Library window. pic.twitter.com/6nv9bJrJy5

— Boston College (@BostonCollege) June 15, 2015

Sanity prevails. https://t.co/px68U1ZcDx

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) June 17, 2015

Christian gets his big man

As much as we (and to a certain extent Jim Christian's staff) wanted an elite transfer, Christian more than made up for it with another solid piece to this incoming class. 6'9 F/C John Carlos-Reyes committed to BC Thursday night. The Georgia product picked BC over offers from Penn State and South Florida. I don't know enough about Carlos-Reyes to know why he was still available at this point in the process. But kudos to Christian for being opportunistic.

The only downside to this scholarship is that BC is once again imbalanced with regards to talent. We have another mega-class that puts BC in the cycle of losing, hoping the guys get better and then rebuilding every four years. It will be up to Christian to add some balance in the next two recruiting cycles.

Steelers giving Murphy shot at QB and other links

Tyler Murphy may be a QB after all. The Steelers had him under center and throwing passes this week in their OTAs. While still unlikely to make the 53 man roster as a QB, Murphy's rotation at QB may earn him a practice squad spot. Now he gets to throw passes to Shakim Phillips again.

As expected Chris Shaw signed with the Giants and will forego his remaining eligibility. Best of luck to him and hopefully we will see him in the majors soon.

Ethan Tucky sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders.

Recruiting comings and goings

One of the top prospects in Massachusetts is going to...Michigan. If you want a sign that Addazio changed our recruiting culture, notice that BC recruiting nuts are not making a big deal out of this. Sean McKeon is a TE (not a position of need for BC) and even with the Michigan interest is lightly regarded by the major services. Addazio wants his pick of New England kids and the general feel is that McKeon was a low priority.

One of New Jersey's top players just visited and BC remains in good shape for his services.

Christian hires Stan Heath as final assistant.

After some initial reports, Vega confirmed with Christian that he added former Arkansas and South Florida coach Stan Heath to the staff. Heath fills the open position created by Preston Murphy's departure. On a very basic level this is a great hire. We replace a young assistant with an experienced major conference coach. Christian fills an open spot with a former boss (which I always take as a sign of respect between the two). Hiring Heath also speaks to a decent budget. BC won't release Heath's salary, but I doubt he came cheap.

There are of course questions related to the Heath hire. Can he recruit to a school like BC with tougher admission standards? Can he recruit New England? Does he have the young energy that enabled Murphy to relate to recruits?

As much as the Murphy departure worried me, this sort of move calms my nerves a bit. Sometimes personalities just don't mix. If Murphy and Christian weren't on the same page, it is better to address it early than late. I assume that Heath and Christian will work well together. The roles are reversed, but they had success once before. Even if Heath is not as effective as Murphy on the recruiting trail, a united staff is ultimately what Christian needs. There will be bumps ahead and by adding Heath he gets a trusted sounding board, who will hopefully lead BC back to success.

Father's Day recommendation

I've read "My Daddy Loves Boston College Football" approximately 3,918,547 times. Like all good kids books, it never gets older for the parent or child. With Father's Day just around the corner, I highly recommend getting it for any dad who loves BC and has young children. It's available on Amazon and was written by fellow Eagles.

Big recruiting win for BC

Ohio Linebacker Ethan Tucky committed to BC Sunday night. This is big news and a big win for Addazio and Al Washington. Tucky is one of the more highly ranked BC verbals and held offers from Wisconsin, Kentucky, Iowa and Northwestern. Rivals gives him 4 stars and ranks him the 14th best player in Ohio. 247 only gives him 3 stars, but they have him as the 13th best player in Ohio.

Although he didn't hold an Ohio State offer, there was interest and he's in the heart of Buckeye country. Getting a recruit like this -- with Big Ten offers -- is encouraging since we've somewhat shifted resources from the Midwest to other areas.

Being one of the younger guys on the staff, Al Washington is expected to be a key recruiter, but he's really having a strong season. If this keeps up, we are going to have to worry about other programs coming to poach him.

Maryland pushing for alcohol sales; when should BC try?

Maryland is the latest college sports program exploring alcohol sales at football and basketball games. Their logic -- like the other schools that have implemented similar programs -- is that the stadium sales increases revenue and decreases binge drinking. Current ACC schools, Miami, Syracuse and Louisville sell alcohol at events. At what point should BC try this?

The limited and restrictive nature of tailgating at BC games is a common complaint. The school also dislikes the late arriving crowd. Would serving beers and wine in Alumni make people happy and get fans to their seats on time? What sort of revenue boost would it provide? BC probably has some preliminary data from the UMass game at Gillette last season.

The local neighborhoods might object to giving BC a liquor license, but any reduction in tailgating might sway the approval boards. We've tried all sorts of other measures. Why not this?

Tweets of the Week

A couple new Eagles ready for BC freshman orientation! #ClassOf2019 #WeAreBC @ajturnerr11 @MattMilon pic.twitter.com/Lsz3dNmly2

— Jim Christian (@BCJimChristian) June 7, 2015

pic.twitter.com/C2K8xx0h2b

— Max Richardson III (@amillian_14) June 11, 2015

.@BostonCollege's own @DougFlutie with the shout out in the NYT crossword today! #EaglesAreEverywhere pic.twitter.com/iG2pXHoCJd

— Sarah Ganton (@sarah_ganton) June 10, 2015

@JasonKirkSBN @bcatleagle this is horrible pic.twitter.com/LL9ZOY6dtH

— Kyle Egan (@kylepegan) June 9, 2015

I love all the passive-aggressive swipes BC fans take at UConn. For example, the comments: http://t.co/jmSNJ7pEMz

— Russell Steinberg (@Russ_Steinberg) June 9, 2015

More verbals for Addazio

The coach keeps collecting commitments. Thursday brought news that Georgia LB Max Richardson verballed to BC. Richardson's best offers are from Duke and South Florida, but there is plenty of interest from other Power 5 programs. My regional bias aside, I do like the inroads Addazio is making here in Georgia (with Al Washington doing a lot of the heavy lifting). Although every southern school recruits in Metro Atlanta, there is so much talent depth in a relatively small space, that BC can still find under-appreciated kids or late bloomers.

Earlier in the week, New York DT prospect Adam Korutz verballed. He's a big kid who is expected to get bigger. Yet he moves well for his size. If Richardson plays in a deep talent pool, Korutz plays in a shallow pool. He dominates his local, upstate New York peers, so BC will be a step up for him. However, our staff has traditionally done a good job of evaluating guys who can make the jump in competition.

Scheduling is not simple

UMass scheduled a series with Mississippi State and got plenty of BC fans wondering, why didn't we do that? And mixed in with the good news of the Ireland trip is the very real possibility that we will only play five games in Alumni in 2016. Scheduling is tough and I don't think it will get an easier for Bates and Addazio in the next two seasons.

This is what we know. There are very few Power 5 teams not locked into deals for the next few years. (BC's schedule is still impacted by the ACC expansion to include Notre Dame and Syracuse and the ACC's flip-flop on nine conference games.) We are imposing restrictions on our schedule by the desire to have 6+ home games and Addazio not wanting to overburden his program. We also don't want to take 2 for 1 series (like UMass did with Miss St.). What's left? Not much. Unless ESPN steps in and creates a TV-friendly matchup, I think BC has two options for 2016. We either go on the road and only play five games at Alumni or we host a second FCS opponent.

Of those two options, I would prefer the road game. But I don't know if Addazio and Bates agree. 2016 is a critical year. It will be Addazio's fourth in the program. Expectations will be relatively high...or at least high enough to prove that Addazio can build a program. An easy win against a cupcake at home will help perception more than a close loss on the road.

I hope lucks into a great home game, but this is musical chairs. There aren't that many options, so Bates and Addazio will have to make a decision soon.

San Francisco Giants take Shaw

The World Series Champion Giants drafted Chris Shaw with the 31st pick overall. Shaw has to decide between now and mid-July if he will sign or return for his final season at BC. Despite injuries, Shaw had a very good season and made the ACC's Second Team All Conference. 

Most expect Shaw to sign. As much as BC will miss his power, success in the Draft should help recruiting efforts.

Congrats to Chris and best of luck at the next level. 

Confusing recruiting

I don't want to harp on one recruit but sometimes one kid can illustrate a bigger challenge. Remember Ronnie Blackmon? He's had a "will he" or "won't he" process with BC. At various times, various services have said different things about his status. He then seemingly committed to BC on his trip. In the continuing fickle nature of college recruiting, I wouldn't count on him now.

Blackmon took part in a local showcase here in Atlanta and was one of the top performers. However, in the write up there was no mention of Boston College. Also, most of the recruiting services have has interest in BC waning. What happened? I don't think we will ever know. Given what we are reading, I doubt he will come to BC. First of all we know that Addazio doesn't like kids committing and then flaking. Second, there must be more to Blackmon's story. He is performing very well against SEC-level recruits in SEC and ACC country and his best offers are from outside the region. It doesn't add up.

Let Addazio barnstorm

The satellite football camps started last year with Penn State in Atlanta. This week Jim Harbaugh took it to a new level by hosting a series of camps around the country and far from Ann Arbor. These are a great idea and seem like a natural fit for Addazio's energy and approach. But our coach cannot match Harbaugh's itinerary. Per ACC rules, all of BC's camps must be within 50 miles of campus. This rule -- shared with the SEC -- is designed to protect fertile recruiting territories in the south. This stink and BC needs to lead the change on this issue.

As much as I would like to think a BC camp in Sturbridge would be as fruitful as Michigan's in Dallas, the satellites with geographic restrictions are useless to BC. We have a good feel for all the talent near campus. I would guess that most ACC and SEC schools feel the same way. The benefit of the barnstorming camps is that you reach beyond your local pool. Coaches meet kids that they will never get to visit campus and get to see them athletically in drills run by BC coaches.

The Big Ten powers are doing this to steal top talent from the SEC. Even if we created camps everywhere, BC won't suddenly bring in five stars from the Deep South. However, this could make us a factor in that tier of recruits just below the elite. Plus camps are a way to unearth a hidden gem far from New England.

Unlike many of the big state schools, we already have a natural footprint to host the camps. We could approach Jesuit schools in Southern California, Cincinnati, Dallas and Tampa and invited prospects from the region. It's a win-win for the schools, the recruits and BC. The only group hurt are the local programs.

The ACC coaches will address the issue soon. My prediction is that they will first see if they can create an NCAA rule to limit the Big Ten schools. Hopefully that fails and instead they open up the restrictions. When they do, I will volunteer to host the first BC camp in my backyard.

Ray Marten verbals to BC

Another highly-touted prospect verbaled to BC Friday. New York's Ray Marten is the 8th commitment in this class. Rivals lists Marten as the 4th best player in New York and a 3 star. 247 has him as the 6th best player in New York and also gives him 3 stars.

Considering Dalton's decommitment earlier this spring BC can use him as a Tight End. Most services also list him as a defensive player. Getting a player who gives Addazio some options is nice at this point in the recruiting cycle. BC can still pursue more TEs or Dline prospects and shift Marten accordingly.

Welcome aboard, Ray.

Tweets of the Week

"It should be really special. The ACC is really behind us playing these games." -Addazio #BC2Ireland

— BC Football News (@BCFootballNews) June 4, 2015

#TBT 1988, last time @BCFootballNews played in Ireland beating Army. #WeAreBC #BC2Ireland #GameOnIre pic.twitter.com/Ztftu3OYUG

— BC Football Video (@BCFootballVideo) June 4, 2015

Great to have @AnthonyCastonzo in the facility today! Represents BC and #OLineU at its best! #WeAreBC pic.twitter.com/Jv48WvGjWU

— Justin Frye (@CoachJFrye) May 29, 2015

I told my dad next year we playing Georgia Tech in Ireland he goes oh Georgia Tech is in Ireland? 😂😂😂

— Isaac Yiadom Jr (@isaacshowtime) June 4, 2015

Pumped about #BC2Ireland but keep in mind we have a whole year of work to put in before then and to be focused on the present first! 💯

— 5⃣8⃣ (@jhendren58) June 4, 2015

Dazzy Boy: why are we really playing in Ireland

The long speculated, oft-rumored BC Football game in Ireland is finally happening. This is good for BC and good for BC Football. I am excited and I hope you are too. However, there is still a lot of BS surrounding this game. The only thing an Irishman (like myself) enjoys more than spinning a few tales and painting a romantic picture, is being the Irish guy in the corner of the room saying "he's full of s--t." So let's cut through the BS and get to a few truths about the game that you won't read much between now and 2016.

This is about Irish tourism, not BC's connection to Ireland
BC and Boston do have true ties to Ireland. Probably more than any other American school. But that is not why we are playing this game. BC was the first team to play in Ireland (1988) yet we haven't been back since. If these matchups were purely about Irish ties, do you think Pitt, Rutgers, Penn State, Navy and Central Florida would have played since our last game? This is a TV event that will serve as a 3 hour commercial for Ireland. Aer Lingus is the title sponsor. The game only came together because of the Irish government and Irish tourism ministry. Every commercial break will feature bumper shots of Dublin or the country side. Even now, just by reading this post, you are probably going to be served Irish ads on different website. The fact that BC fans have a connection and affinity to Ireland is just gravy for the Irish. Believe me, if Alabama was willing to give up a home date and travel across the Atlantic for a game, they would be there now. Irish ties or not. Heck, BYU will probably get a shot at this game in the near future.

Not many BC fans will travel to this game
I don't know what BC expects, but I predict less than 3,000 BC fans travel to this game. While there was plenty of excitement on social media Thursday morning, I think the realities of the game will limit those who actually go. Think of our turnout at other sporting events in the past ten years, that were easier to get to and less expensive. The once in a lifetime opportunity and the long sales time will help efforts, but for many of our fans time and money will always be an issue. The older, emptynesters of Irish decent will go. They should. Those same people make up the key demographic for Irish tourism. But your younger fan, who is a BC diehard is less likely. I hope that BC grads in Ireland, the UK and Europe turnout, but overall, this will be a neutral crowd that might cheer us on because we're Catholic.

This is a TV event
I already explained it is a big commercial for Ireland, but it is also key TV content for ESPN. It could start at a later and provide a better viewing time for BC and Georgia Tech fans across the country. But ESPN doesn't really care about BC or Georgia Tech fans. They care about college football fans and a 7:30 am ET kickoff time gives them wall-to-wall coverage on the first Saturday of a college football season. The fact that it comes with a natural title sponsor to buy up that commercial time is even better.

This is about recruiting
BC is giving up a home game for this. That is one less chance to host recruits. But they are also getting something to sell and promote. They can use it on the current recruiting class: "come to BC and you will get a trip to Europe!" and something that we can sell to future recruits. Follow any of the twitter feeds of the BC assistant. They are selling Wall Street connections and BC guys in the pros. This will be just another tool to differentiate ourselves. "At BC you'll play on an international stage!" The players that go will enjoy the trip and hopefully get what they can out of the experience of visiting a new country. As long as they come back selling future recruits on all the cool things that go on at BC, the trip will be a success.

If you are excited about going, start supporting BC and the team now
Almost by definition, if you're reading this blog in the offseason you are a BC diehard. And like me you probably know plenty of semi-casual BC fans who watch one game a year and still think Spaz is the coach. Of course many of these same people were quick to post "road trip" on Facebook the minute the Irish announced the game. I hope they go and we need all the support we can get. But if you are thinking of going remember the team will play 12 games this year and could use your support throughout. Watch a non-Notre Dame game. Learn a few players' names. Also, I know plenty of people who think nothing of shelling out $3,000+ for this trip but don't give to BC annually. I don't like telling people what to do with their money, but BC would appreciate even just a nominal donation. It all makes a difference and supports BC in ways that going to Ireland cannot.

Now that I've poked a few holes in the motivations for this game, let me restate how excited I am for the game. I doubt I will go, but love the idea and love any game that has a unique angle. Now I just need to learn "WE ARE BC" in Gaelic.

It's official: BC to Ireland

The #BCEagles and @bcfootballnews are headed to Ireland! #BC2Ireland pic.twitter.com/IkIcNXEBMC

— BC Athletics (@BCSportsNews) June 4, 2015

I will post more after the press conference.

ESPN confirms Ireland game

ESPN's college football reporters confirmed that BC will play Georgia Tech in Ireland on Saturday September 3, 2016. This game couldn't happen without ESPN, so I think the date and time are pretty solid. This gives ESPN a 7:30 AM kickoff in the Eastern Timezone and enables a day full of games for their opening weekend. It will be interesting to see if anyone discloses ESPN paying extra money for this game. My guess is they probably are throwing in a few extra bucks or this counts as one of the ACC's contractual non-Saturday games.

Ireland Update: BC holding "schedule" press conference Thursday

BC announced a press conference for Thursday morning. It happens to coincide with the rumored Irish press conference. Plus attendees include Father Leahy and Mayor Marty Walsh. If it is not Ireland, then why is Walsh coming? Eagles go bragh!?! I guess we find out tomorrow.

Report: BC vs GT Ireland game back on

The on again, off again nature of BC's return to Ireland is on again. Or at least it is according to Irish media. Official announcement is expected Thursday. The game would be the opening weekend of college football in 2016 and played in Aviva Stadium. There are a few hedges in the report and I don't know how it could be this quiet on this side of the Atlantic. Presumably Brad Bates and Georgia Tech AD Mike Bobinski would be in Ireland for the press conference. There would have been some whispers somewhere about their travels.

Getting to this game has been messy, so we shouldn't be that surprised. If it is another false alarm, time might be running out on the trip. 2016 is not that far off from a logistical standpoint. Both BC and Georgia Tech would have to do some unique planning with regards to practices, travel and logistics. If this game is going to happen, we will know soon.

I like laughing at UConn too...but we should still play them

UConn created a rivalry with UCF and didn't even bother to tell anyone, including Central Florida. This is funny and pathetic on many levels. The best part is that Central Florida disowned the rivalry publicly. Even UConn's conference foes want nothing to do with them. Considering UConn's fans and leadership spent the past decade trashing and suing BC, this is fun for me. But even after all the ridicule and bad blood, BC should work to get UConn back on the football schedule.

Like the UMass game, the UConn game makes too much sense not to play. It is a relatively inexpensive game -- either as a road or home game. It will be winnable in most years. While it won't generate massive interest, there will be more local excitement than our varied games against mid-majors from the MAC.

I don't think BC should or even could make UConn an annual game. With the looming Power 5 mandate for at least one non-conference game and the annual FCS game, there isn't much room for another annual opponent. But over a ten year period BC should play UConn around four times.

Father Leahy is the last player from the lawsuits still in a power position at BC. As long as he's part of BC's leadership, playing UConn is probably a non-starter. Since Connecticut named him in one of the lawsuits, I don't blame him for wanting to avoid the Huskies. Yet once he retires or steps down from BC, it will be time to consider a series again. It will be good for BC, good for football in the region, and be fun to pound them again.

Phil Steele's ACC team and other links

Phil Steele doesn't think much of BC's current top-level talent. Only three players made his preseason All ACC Team. Steele named Wujciak 2nd team Defense, Hilliman made 4th team Offense and Willis made 2nd team Special Teams. Steele is one of the better experts, but this doesn't mean BC guys won't break out this year. In fact, I think a few of the new OLine guys will be in the mix for All ACC teams.

Future BC QB Anthony Brown made a big impression at the Nike Camp in Ohio.

Being a former QB is helping Tyler Murphy's adjustment in Pittsburgh.