BC-Syracuse preview

A must win November game against Syracuse: it is BC deja vu! This time it is Bill O'Brien's turn. He also has the unfortunate fate of facing one of the best Orange teams in a long time. BC's problems are apparent. They can't consistently move the ball and they haven't figured out how to maximize Castellanos. We know TC is talented. A good staff will figure this out and stop the bleeding. Let's save the season...we've done it against Syracuse before. 

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
The ACC met with private equity regarding the breakaway super league. Obviously the focus is on the money first and logistics second, but I still have real doubts about the feasibility of this whole thing. If these schools breakaway into a closed league making billions of dollars, how are they going to keep from making players employees? I also wonder why the super league would need or want 70 teams. We have decades worth of history of the big names not wanting to share their riches with the small guys (Texas, Notre Dame, etc). Why would they do so now? In the end, the breakaway is coming, but I don't think this current proposal will be the winning formula. 

Three Simple Keys
1. Win the turnover battle. If we can force some INTs and protect the ball ourselves, we should win.
2. A balanced game from TC. Let's assume he is healthy, then give him some space and let him run. Don't ask him to work from the pocket over and over.
3. Dominate on the OL. We haven't been as consistent up front as we need to be. Sustaining long drives will all be about the OLine.

Gambling Notes:
-- Syracuse leads the series 33-23
-- Fran Brown is 4-4 against the spread
-- BC hasn't beaten Syracuse at Alumni since 2014 
The current line is BC-2

Factoid
Spaz, Hafley and Henning all won their debuts against Syracuse. TOB, Coughlin and Addazio did not.

Scoreboard watching
UVA at Pitt. It looked like the Panthers might be the best team on our schedule but then SMU handed them a loss. Will they bounce back this week?

BC is in trouble if...we can't punt. Once again, it comes back to a coaching issue. Can we win this game with terrible punting? Sure. But it will be very frustrating if the coaching staff hasn't figured out a work around on our ugly, ugly Special Teams. 

I hope to see...a big day on the ground. Beyond TC going off, it would be nice to see all the running backs get good productive carries and a few big explosive runs.

Bottom Line
I think we bounce back this week. There have been so many frustrating points in the losing streak and plays that could have turned the game. This week, those plays go our way and we get a late turnover to lock up the win.
Final Score: BC 35, Syracuse 27