BC-Notre Dame preview

I know it is just a football game and the outside world doesn't really have an impact on the field. I know that if you play enough times, the better teams wins. I know this. You know this. Yet, here we are. If you're a BC fan you and reading this blog, you don't need to know the odds. You don't really follow BC to see us win Championship after Championship, like Alabama or Clemson. You watch and cheer and get invested for moments like this. You bathe yourself in the storylines, the emotion, and the karma of it all. The best Notre Dame team in 25 years, undefeated and coming off a huge win over a No. 1 team, comes to BC. It will be an eerie and empty Alumni due to COVID and 2020. BC will be wearing the Red Bandana uniforms. You know how this ends...let's do it!

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
With BC securing five wins last week, most of the bowl projections have us bowling somewhere. Since most of the bowl will be empty does it really make sense for any of the mid and lower tier bowls to actually take place in their designated location? It is just a TV show at this point. For example, why does the Pinstripe Bowl need to be played in an empty Yankee Stadium and in a shut down New York City. Why not just have all the TV-driven bowls played in domes in easily accessible and COVID friendly locations like Atlanta or Phoenix or in spots in Florida? It is probably safer, cheaper and easier on everyone.

Three Simple Keys
1. Run just enough to keep Notre Dame honest. We need a little running just so that the play action has some effectiveness. Otherwise, ramming the ball Addazio style is a huge mistake. This Notre Dame DL is that good. We need to throw the ball 40+ times.
2. Get back to stripping the ball. I know it is more opportunistic and hard to plan, but the games we've looked best are when we have one guy tackling and the next guy going for the ball. Book is generally careful, so it will have to be attacking the running backs and receivers.
3. Smart football. I am becoming a broken record with regards to penalties, but at this point it is our Achilles' heel.

Gambling Notes
-- Notre Dame leads the series 15-9
-- Notre Dame has won seven in a row.
-- Brian Kelly is 3-0 in Alumni
The current line is BC+13.5

Factoid
Because Boston College elected a white base, Red Bandana uniform, Notre Dame will be wearing their blue jerseys on the road...unless of course, the break out the greens again.

Scoreboard Watching
Louisville vs Virginia. This game means nothing to most of the ACC. However, we still have to play both teams. Holding together a college team is tough during a losing season. It is especially tough during COVID. Everything these guys wanted is gone and now even football feels like drudgery. The loser of this game probably won't have much left in the tank when they play us.

I hope to see...a trick play or two. Hafley tried a short kick against UNC and fake fourth down against Clemson. I hope he has another planned for this weekend. Why not? We are the underdog and those types of plays feed our emotion and their anxiety.

BC is in trouble if...Jurk is off. No one is going to have more emotion than Phil Jurkovec this weekend. He has had a great season and proved the Irish staff wrong. But last week he was a little off on throws and was off on a few late in Clemson. Is it a nagging injury or just rushing? I don't know. But this weekend, he needs to play his best. 

Overall
I will admit this is a bad matchup for us. They are good in the trenches. We are not (this year). We are going to need a lot to go our way. But I think the Clemson hangover is real. I think we can score with them. We force a few turnovers and then win it late with a kick.
Final Score: BC 24, Notre Dame 21