Season Prediction Part I: worst case scenario

As you'll read later this week, I am fairly optimistic about this team and this season. However, that doesn't mean I am right. The roster is young and inexperienced and last season's two biggest strengths (QB and OL) are huge question marks heading into the season. This is a transition year of sorts for Addazio too. He overachieved with a patchwork roster in Year 1 and Year 2. Now he was to win with his own guys. Will their talent overcome their inexperience? Or will it all fall apart? I don't think this season will be a train-wreck, but if it is, this is how it might play out.

Worst Case Scenario

Maine. Win. But the game is closer than any of us like and the offense struggles with the basics.

Howard. Win. Another cupcake that BC cannot put away. The offense is slightly better but still not ACC caliber.

Florida State. Loss. We get crushed on national TV. The D looks bad and so does Wade.

Northern Illinois. Loss. We cannot keep up with their scoring, which raises lots of questions about our defense.

at Duke. Loss. We struggle on the road. Smith gets some snaps but doesn't look much more comfortable than Wade.

Wake Forest. Win. It is not pretty but our defense shuts them down and we run the ball well enough to snap the losing streak.

at Clemson. Loss. We play well in a loss. The game is low scoring, but BC cannot score enough to win.

at Louisville. Loss. Not even close. Another game where people are searching for answers at QB.

Virginia Tech. Win. This is the surprise win of the season. Fluky things go our way. Bowl hopes are still alive.

NC State. Loss. Brissett is not rattled by our blitzes and they win comfortably.

Notre Dame (neutral). Loss. The Irish are riding high and crush us in our own backyard. Lots of frustrations boil over online with Addazio, with Bates for agreeing to the game and with Wade.

at Syracuse. Loss. This is a tough way to end the season, but we let another game in the Carrier Dome slip away.

This would leave BC at home with a 4-8 record (2-6 in the ACC). Addazio wouldn't be on the hot seat, but there would be new perspective on his first two seasons and high expectations for Year 4. I don't think this will happen, but you never know.

Season nearing so Boston Media starts to pay attention

With less than a week away from BC Football, it is time for the local media to take notice. The Globe featured Hilliman and posted a season outlook. It will be interesting to see how the Globe's Vega covers the season. Since he missed the Spaz years, he hasn't had to cover a difficult BC football season in a long time. He's also formed a close relationship with Addazio. If the team struggles a bit, I wonder how tough Vega will get with his questions and the angles in his articles.

MetroWest capped off their BC Preview with a feature on Wade. At this point, I just want to see him play. Once we have a glimpse of Wade's progress and upside, then we can reset our expectations up or down as needed.

The Tobacco Road media predict a 6-6 finish for BC.

Illinois means poaching season starts early

Illinois got the coaching carousel started early when they fired Tim Beckman this week. I predict Addazio will get floated for the opening but don't think he we take it. However, the Illinois move does impact BC. It means that their whole recruiting class is now in play. 

We don't have the roster spots to take many Illinois verbals, but it doesn't hurt to search the roster for any needs. I would also reapproach any player who demonstrated interest in BC in the past.

The other good news about this year's coaching carousel is that many of the likely openings should create opportunities to grab other team's verbals.

We haven't gone head-to-head with UVA for recruits of late, but they sell ACC Football and academics. Whem Mike London gets the boot, we can grab some of their players with the same pitch.

Syracuse doesn't have a ton of guys we need, but they are likely headed for a change. The east coast private school connection should help with any of their verbals we target.

Addazio doesn't like to overdue recruiting during the season. That is why coaching changes work well for him. It is a last minute scramble where Addazio's passion and salesmanship really shine through. I never wish for coaches to lose their jobs, but don't feel as bad about it when BC comes in to rescue recruits.

Soccer wins opener and other links

The Men's Soccer team got the season off to a good start, beating Quinnipiac 1-0.

BCI has the lowdown on the new SuperFan shirt.

BJ Raji is ready for a big season.

Former BC basketball player Jordan Daniels is dealing with the NCAA over eligibility issues. It all started with his preseason games at BC. Donahue is taking the blame for the misunderstanding.

Previews of Howard and Maine

Here is a preview of Howard. They are replacing much of their offensive talent. As a bad FCS team, I don't think all their new talent will make them suddenly better.

The Maine game wasn't really close last year. Should this year be any different? Maine's QB situation remains uncertain. Against our Defense that could be a huge problem.

What we learned from the final scrimmage

BC held its final scrimmage of the preseason and it appears that the offense looked a little better. Here's BC's recap, the Herald's recap and Rivals' recap. The best news was that Wade looked a little sharper and Flutie had his best scrimmage yet. Adddazio seemed pleased in his post scrimmage quotes. Other news:

-- Alex Howell will be BC's kicker and punter. Howell has been the best of the bunch and only missed one field goal. As nice as it would be to have a sure-shot long-range kicker, all we really need from Howell is consistency. If Addazio knows his range, then they can play call around him.

-- Harris Williams still didn't play, but did practice with the first team. Without him the starting OLine was Bowen, Baker, Taylor, Lindstrom, and Cashman. The whole thing could be shuffled when Williams is ready.

-- Robinson's transition to WR is going well. He had a few big plays in the scrimmage. That's a good sign since many of our experienced WRs are dealing with nagging injuries.

While I don't take anything lightly, I do think BC's schedule lends itself to growing pains. If the offense just keeps getting better, the defense should be able to carry them the first two weeks.

How much influence will Addazio have on Fitch's play calling?

In addition to our QBs, Todd Fitch enters the season as a bit of a question mark. Will the new BC play caller shape the offense into his own view or will he adopt Addazio's run-first mentality? Fitch will be Addazio's third OC. Based on the play calling with Addazio's previous two OCs, I think we will remain decidedly run first.

BC 2014: 18.6 passes per game
BC 2013:  20.6 passes per game
Temple 2012:  20.1 passes per game
Temple 2011: 15.2 passes per game

For comparison, Fitch threw the ball at a fairly consistent rate in his previous FBS OC jobs.

South Florida 2012: 34.1 passes per game
South Florida 2011: 36.1 passes per game
South Florida 2010: 24.8 passes per game
East Carolina 2009: 32.2 passes per game
East Carolina 2008: 29.8 passes per game
East Carolina 2007: 30.3 passes per game

My guess is that BC will pass less than 20 times a game this year. It makes sense. We have a green QB, a talented backfield and a Head Coach who wants to run. If we do become pass-happy, you know it will be due to Fitch taking over the play calling.

Getting to know Jeff Smith

The biggest surprise of the summer has been new QB Jeff Smith. Recruited as the second QB in last year's class, many predicted it would be Smith, not Elijah Robinson who moved to another position. While all indications point to Wade as the starter, it is starting to look like Smith might begin the season as the backup.

If you look at Smith's high school highlights (below), you can see he has real speed. He's breaking away from the competition in a decent league in Florida. Obviously this is a highlight video, but the passes we do see are sharp and accurate. Even if he is not the passer that Wade is, Smith's ability to run reminds me of Tyler Murphy.



The rest of the summer will still focus on getting Wade ready. And of course Flutie has a shot as the backup too. But considering how long he's been on campus, Smith's early showing is very encouraging.

Preseason Top 25 includes three BC opponents

The AP released their preseason Top 25. Obviously BC didn't make it. BC didn't even get a vote. However, three BC opponents -- Clemson, Florida State and Notre Dame -- earned enough votes to make the rankings.

A few other future foes are outside the Top 25, but still earned votes (Virginia Tech, Louisville, Northern Illinois, and NC State). While some of these teams received votes purely based on reputation, this does speak to the lopsided nature of BC's schedule. We have cupcakes early and then face seven legitimate teams.

I am not particularly concerned about the lack of respect for BC or the ACC among the voters. As long as there is a human element to the Selection Committee, these sorts of polls do matter. But this is probably not going to be our year. If we win the ACC, we will be highly ranked, but winning the ACC will be the only way for BC to even be discussed at the Selection Committee.

Half full or Half empty after second scrimmage?

This is what SI's Pete Thamel had to say after watching BC's second scrimmage:

Went to BC's scrimmage this am. The defense will be one of the best in the ACC, and DE Harold Landry should be a breakout star.

— Pete Thamel (@SIPeteThamel) August 22, 2015

If Thamel is correct, BC will exceed most experts' expectations. But any honest fan also has to ask: is the Defense great or is the green Offense making the D look better?

Addazio spoke to the media after the scrimmage and fell somewhere in between. He's concerned about the mistakes on offense (penalties, missed blocks, turnovers, etc), but he also admits the Defense is bringing lots of pressure.

My biggest concern based on the posted observations are the issues on the Offensive Line. If they can't play well, the whole season falls apart.

I feel like I jinxed things with my earlier post on injuries. Glines hurt his collarbone Friday and is out for at least six weeks. There are also concerns and rumors about a few other Offensive players, but BC has yet to update their situations.

The bright spot seems to be backup QB Jeff Smith. Wade remains in the driver seat, but Smith is playing well enough to get the No. 2 spot.

What to look for in the 2nd Scrimmage

BC takes the field Saturday for another scrimmage. This one will be less predictable. The Offense usually starts slow in the first scrimmage. Now we expect progress. And we also hope no one gets hurt. Here are a few things to follow:

1. Does Wade get all the first team snaps again
You can say the competition is open, but as long as one guy gets all the snaps nothing is open. I want Wade to get as much practice as we can, but the other guys should get at least a series with the first team. We need to see what they can do just in case something happens to Wade.

2. Get through without injuries
Notre Dame was just the latest program to lose a starter during practice. BC has been lucky so far and treating injured players with kid gloves. Let's hope everyone gets through Saturday in one piece.

3. Better kicking
BC didn't focus on the kicking in their press release for the first scrimmage...and with good reason. Our Achilles' Heel remains an issue until someone kicks with consistency.

More Cost of Attendence details and what it means

CBS put out a huge article with survey results on the how the various FBS schools plan to pay players under the new Cost of Attendance program. Long story short, all the Power 5 are paying players and most of the non-power 5 will pay too. But even as the system changes, the whole Cost of Attendance program still leaves so much up to the schools and lacks any consistent rule or calculations. And BC is still caught between trying to do what's right financially, competitively and upholds the school's values.

If you remember, BC voted against paying players when the issue first came to a vote. At the time we all recognized it as a protest vote. But even now as BC rolls out its plan, it remains clear we are doing so begrudgingly. Look at how BC is complicating its own process:

Boston College, the only Power Five school to vote against COA last January, will hand out new scholarship money. BC said it's providing $1,250 for miscellaneous expenses plus an unspecified travel allowance if the player is from outside New England. Partial-scholarship athletes on a percentage scholarship will receive the percentage of their dominator, and athletes on a dollar-figured scholarship will receive the dollar amount. Boston College declined to say how much money it's budgeting.

Imagine explaining that policy to recruits.

This can't last. Not just at BC. But everywhere. Even though the stipends/payments are relatively low, the disparity between schools will be exploited in recruiting.

I understand why BC structured the pay this way. But I think they are going to up their budgets shortly to keep up with our rivals. I also think BC should lead the charge to bring uniformity so that we can continue to compete.

The QB in Addazio's system

While QB remains the unknown about this year, I am very optimistic. If Addazio proved anything over the first two years, it is that he can take the talent he has and plug it into his system and philosophy. He wants power rushing with spread concepts and varied formations. If he has a Rettig-Williams-Amidon collection of talent, it will be a lot of running to set up play action. If he has Tyler Murphy and collection of young RBs, it will be runs from anyone, anywhere and a few passes to keep teams honest. As long as the Offensive Line is decent (and I think they will be) and Todd Fitch connects with Addazio like Day did, we will adapt this year too. Here are how I see the possibilities.

Scenario 1: Wade is a decent runner and decent passer but not great at either
This is ultimately what I expect. Our last two QBs were Seniors with clear skills. Wade is a true sophomore with minimal experience. But his mix will bring a different dynamic to our attack. When Murphy was forced to throw we were limited. Likewise when Rettig wouldn't/couldn't take advantage of the huge holes that were there for him in our option calls. I assume we will run Wade a bit early. He probably won't be as explosive as Murphy, but any success with his feet will have opponents crowding our line again. If that happens and he can make a pass, there will be big plays through the air.

Scenario 2: he can't run and the passing game is stagnant
Let's say Wade is a bit stiff and more comfortable passing but our collective pass catchers (WRs, TEs, RBs) suck. Say they can't catch, can't get open and can't make anything happen after the catch. This would be a problem. If we are one dimensional with our only positive offense coming from runnings backs, then things could get bogged down. Teams will crowd the box as usual, but there will be fewer game breaking plays.

Scenario 3: Wade is not good and one of the other guys has to step up
I don't really fear this, but it could happen. There have been plenty of guys who have looked one way in practice but can't put it together when the games count. If this happens, I still am not totally worried. We have plenty of young guys who we can throw out there. It wouldn't be pretty at first but someone competent would emerge. At worst we can always break glass and use Willis (a high school QB) in a bastardized option spread attack.

There are plenty of "Ifs" in this post. If the OL clicks, if Fitch is as good as Day, and if the schemes stay the same. Assuming al those ifs don't become the issue, I don't think QB will. As long as we can keep opponents honest with the occasional QB keep, we should be okay.

BC's recent history with new QBs

Football is a team sport, but much of any team's fate lies with the quarterback. BC is in an unenviable position of trotting out a roster of inexperienced QBs. However, BC has managed totally green QBs before. Since the Coughlin/Foley duo left in 1993, BC has started four seasons with quarterbacks without any starting experience at BC (Peterson started at the JuCo level and Murphy started three games at Florida). Here is how we did in those years:

1994: 7-4-1. Mark Hartsell had experience buy not as a starter. The Defense really carried the team as a whole.

2003: 8-5.* Porter had taken a few snaps and Peterson played at the Junior College level, but neither had started at this level. Porter started the season with Peterson getting snaps in the old TOB/Bible second quarter philosophy. Peterson eventually won the starting job and rattled off a bunch of wins to close the season.

2009: 8-5. Tuggle began the season as the starter, but he was a square peg in a round hole with what Spaz and Tranq tried to do. Shinskie eventually took over. As with most of the Spaz years, the offense was bad. But there was still plenty of talent on D and BC went bowling.

2014: 7-6.* Murphy started at Florida, so it is not totally comparable to the other situations nor this season, but since it is the only season where Daz started from scratch, I wanted to include it. 

While the reports out of the first scrimmage gave me a little pause, I remain optimistic about the season. I think there is enough talent on offense to take pressure off of Wade and I think the Defense can carry us through the Offense's growing pains. 

Follett tries to fool me again

As I've mentioned, I receive catalogs from Boston College and University of Georgia. Both are produced by Follett and as I found out a few years ago, Follett uses some of the same models for both catalogs. Once again, both catalogs arrived on the same day, yet they seemingly had different models for each school. It was almost as if the people at Follett knew I was on the lookout for the overlap. But then, on the final page of the BC catalog, I found him! The African-American guy hanging out at both tailgates. The guy and girl with him are different in each, but he's at both. The guy gets around.

For BC fans, the tailgate picture is just a series of inside jokes. Not only is the weather perfect and the parking space spacious, there are no wrist bands! And where are the campus police in the picture enforcing the restrictions?

Other than the "Where's Waldo?" aspect of getting the catalogs, there is plenty of cool BC stuff to ogle. Mark Richt is in the Georgia catalog, but still no Addazio in the BC one. Maybe he needs to win a few more games before he adds modeling to his resume.

Murphy's role changing in Pittsburgh and other links

Despite getting snaps earlier in the season at QB, Tyler Murphy seems like he's headed to WR.

BC is still in the mix for BABC forward Kevin Marfo. He's the type of local recruit Christian needs to change perception among the local AAUs.

The Women's Basketball team is on a European Tour. These trips are good for building comradery and evaluating the team's depth.

Reading into the First Scrimmage

Eric Hoffses and BC both put up recaps (EH's and BC's) of Saturday's first scrimmage. As always this time of year, it seems like the Defense is ahead of the Offense.

Despite the talk, the QB position is settled. Wade took all of the 70 first-team snaps. Even BC's own reporting and Addazio's quotes say that he was a little off Saturday. Feeling and adjusting to pressure was an issue. As for the backups, Flutie was inaccurate and Smith seemed okay. Robinson only took 12 snaps with the second team.

Everyone seems happy with the running backs. Outlow had the biggest impact. Promising freshman OL Lindstrom played on the right side and opened some good holes. Hoffses also noted Glines' nice catches.

The D put plenty of pressure on. Landry made the most noise and that's a good sign. We need him to bring more pressure this year. Brown's D losses its effectiveness if there isn't pressure on the QB.

I am still concerned about how raw our QBs are, but if the other areas of the team make up the difference, we can be okay. Addazio pointed out that there is a long way to go and plenty of practices ahead. The biggest thing to follow is how Wade adjusts week to week.

What Vegas thinks as we approach the season

Even as we hear good things about the young talent or add a transfer or two, the oddsmakers haven't really changed their opinion of BC. Sports Book Review still has us going under the 6-win mark and only beating Maine, Howard, Northern Illinois, Syracuse and Wake. 

They also see BC starting out strong and then struggling as the second half of the season gets harder. I understand that logic, but think the backloaded schedule helps a young team like BC. I think pulling off an upset or two is more likely after gaining confidence early in the season.

I will have my season predictions in a week or two, but articles like this feed my optimism. 

Throwbacks for Fenway!

As expected, BC will wear a special uniform for the game at Fenway. But instead of some nouveau "Cool" look, BC is going old school with a throwback look to the '80s. The color will be a little more mustard than our current gold. The helmet stripe is gone and the pants have the white-maroon-white trim.

But these are not truly identical to the Flutie days. We didn't have the "vintage" BC logo on the shoulder and the arm stripes are on the undershirt, not the true jersey. Plus in the '80s, the jerseys were very short, and guys like Flutie often had their abs showing.

Even if it is not a true throwback, I like what Under Armour did here. These should be popular and hopefully boost sales a bit.

By the way. The Irish will wear green. We know how that goes against us.

Palm thinks we are going Bowling

CBS' Bowl guru Jerry Palm released his first bowl projections. Most people will focus on his playoff predictions. I am more focused on BC's chances. Palm sees BC making the Cactus Bowl as a replacement for the Pac 12 and facing Texas. If that is truly where BC ends up, sign me up now. The Cactus Bowl is a fairly desirable location (Phoenix) on a fairly good day (January 2). Facing a rebuilding Texas might not set the world on fire, but it would still be Texas, a legitimate college football power.

There will be plenty of bowl projections this year. I really don't care where BC goes, I just want them to go somewhere. Plus going bowling with two FCS teams on the schedule means BC wins at least seven games. (Unless we only win six and get in on a waiver.)

Guess the attendance for BC-Maine

Everyone complains about the Labor Day Weekend game. Often students are not back. Many ticket holders are out of town or planning one last getaway. And of late, it has also been the dumping ground for some of our less desirable opponents. As optimistic as I am about this season, I don't expect a big turnout for the opener against Maine. While the Black Bears might bring some local support, I don't think it will make a big difference. Take a look at our last five home games held on Labor Day Weekend.

2009 -- Northeastern: 33,262
2010 -- Weber State (Herzy's return): 34,168
2011 -- Northwestern: 37,561
2012 -- Miami: 39,262
2013 -- Villanova: 30,922

Geography doesn't seem to be the driving force in ticket sales. Weber State outsold Northeastern. Miami and Northwestern also show that a Power 5 opponent can impact demand.

I understand playing an easy home game early. It builds confidence and allows the team to grow. We've been through so much change recently, that smart scheduling can make a big difference. But building a team through a cream puff schedule doesn't always generate immediate fan interest. My guess is BC will announce a total attendance of 32,000 for the Maine game.

Another verbal and other links

Local Mass DB Curt Bletzer committed to BC Monday. The Catholic Memorial product is the younger brother of current freshman Kevin Bletzer. His offer list is not impressive, but you assume the staff has a good feel for local talent and siblings.

ESPN posted a Wade-heavy preview.

SI's Media Column had two BC-related topics. Part of the focus was NBC's change-over from Mike Mayock to Doug Flutie on Notre Dame games. The other is an interview with Joe Tessitore.

German teen forward Richard Freudenberg plans to visit BC Tuesday.

Practice officially begins and other links

Renovations to the locker room are complete and the #BCEagles are here. The 2015 @BCFootballNews season has started! pic.twitter.com/kHnY4d0H9s

— BC Athletics (@BCSportsNews) August 9, 2015

The team, coaches (and fans) all seem excited about the start of practices. The guys have been working together all summer, but now the coaches can get involved. We all know the priorities: OLine, QB and getting the young guys ready.

The school also unveiled the renovated locker room.

New Eagle Jake Burt got attention form his hometown paper.

Olivier Hanlan signed with with Lithuanian team Zalgiris. After a very disappointing Summer League, this seemed inevitable. Let's hope he developes in Europe and didn't waste his final year of eligibility.

Stan Heath gets Globe treatment

It is not often that BC Basketball assistants are the subject of offseason features in the Globe's sports section. But here we are in August and Vega is writing about Jim Christian's biggest offseason addition: Stan Heath.

Other than bringing credibility and familiarity to the staff, Heath should help instill better defense. You get the sense from the article that this wasn't a career stop he planned, but he's glad to be back at work and glad to be reunited with Christian.

This is a rebuilding year for Basketball, but will also be critical for establishing the new culture. Having Heath's experience and support should help the young players realize what is needed to win at this level.

Kelley to New England Hall and other links

The New England Basketball Hall of Fame will induct former Sports Information Director Dick Kelley this weekend. The BC Hall of Famer was well known throughout the area's basketball community for his work with the BC team and his interest in the sport.

BC is one of many teams recruiting New Jersey Running Back Tyler Thompson.

The Baseball team picked up a lefty pitcher from Vermont. 

Mark Rodgers thinks BC's schedule will be the 8th most difficult in the ACC.

Here is more on Momah's transition to Tight End.

Young rosters and where BC stands in the ACC

Addazio is quick to remind everyone how young this BC team is. But it seems like other ACC coaches have the same issue. When Dave Doreen brought it up again at the ACC Media Day, ACCSports.com decided to look at all the rosters in the ACC. It turns out that everyone is young.

The nature of college football means that you're always going to have more underclassmen than juniors and seniors. First there is the redshirt aspect. That really turns your roster into three classes (redshirts, freshmen and sophomores) vs two (juniors and seniors). Then there is the inevitable attrition through injuries, grades and transfers that shrinks a class as it advances through college. For every class like BC's 2007 group (17 redshirt seniors), there will be plenty much smaller than that. But on most rosters and even the best programs, you need to win with your underclassmen.

But even though ever team is young, some are younger than others. That's where BC's 2016 roster comes in. Using ACCSports' data, BC is the third youngest team in the conference behind Wake and NC State. 67.5% of the roster are classified as underclassmen.

So when Addazio says the team is young, he's right. But that doesn't mean that BC's unique nor does it mean that we cannot win this year.

Nosovitch's family confirms transfer UPDATED

[UPDATED: According to Justin Rowland, he will be an H-back. That adds some nice depth.]

After a day of speculation, the family of former South Carolina QB and TE Brendan Nosovitch confirmed to their local paper that he is transferring to BC. Nosovitch is a slightly unusual case in that he's a graduate transfer but still has two years of eligibility remaining. What position he will play in his final two years remains the unanswered question.

Nosovitch was considered enough of a prospect to get multiple QB offers out of high school. He never cracked the top level of the QB depth chart at South Carolina, so he moved to a TE/H-Back role for a season and then back to QB for another. The talk out of South Carolina is that he left specifically to play QB somewhere else.

BC looked at many potential QB transfers this offseason but never engaged with one who was worth blowing up the homegrown depth. For example, if Braxton Miller wanted to play, you take him even at the risk of alienating Wade or Flutie. But as we know, Miller didn't leave Ohio State. Is Nosovitch -- who is as unproven at this stage as Wade -- worth the risk?

Then there is the timing. By coming in now, he is well behind the other QBs in getting ready for the season. Does that exclude him from playing? No. But if a QB who couldn't crack the South Carolina depth chart walks into a starting position with us, then things were in worse shape than any of us thought. Or, he is going to be a TE/H-back with BC too. This seems more logical, but doesn't explain the comments coming out of South Carolina.

We will soon know about Nosovitch officially. My hope is that he is coming in as an athlete and that we are in good hands with Wade.

Crowther featured in Havoline Football Saturdays

Every year Raycom produces a series of human interest stories on each team to use in their pregame shows and halftimes. This year they are featuring the story of Welles Crowther. Though Welles' heroism has been extensively covered, it is always welcome to a new audience. Raycom did a nice job on the piece. The above version is long and probably not what we will see during a halftime, so take the time to watch it before the season.

Checking in on BC NFL Alumni

BC's camp doesn't start for another week, but former BC guys are all over NFL practice fields. Here are some of their stories:

Andre Williams made some headlines when he said the Giants are going to the Super Bowl. It wasn't a bold proclamation like Joe Namath...more like the power of positive thinking.

Edebali is playing well in New Orleans.

Raji reported to Green Bay in good shape. It is the lightest he's been since BC.

Matt Ryan has a new offense and some new facial hair.

What the 'Noles are saying about BC

This is a short preview of our team from a Florida State perspective. It is mostly what we know, but always interesting to see how we are perceived by other programs.

Get ready for lots of Louie Addazio stories

One of the good articles that followed the ACC Media events was a feature on Louie Addazio. Given our lack of known stars entering the season, I think the media will revisit Louie's story throughout the year. And it is probably going to be just the right amount of attention for everyone. Louie is not a star and not in a focal point position. He'll contribute and may start. But most of his time will be spent blocking.

Nepotism can be ugly in college sports. Whether the coach's son is a player or an assistant. Spaz's son is a walk-on QB at UVA. Can you even imagine how that would have played out at BC? Louie seems like a good kid, with a good perspective and who is finally ready to play. I hope his playing career has a happy ending. It will make for a better BC season.