Potential OC candidates

There are a few different ways Addazio can go with this new opportunity. He can promote from within and backfill the staff opening with hundreds of names. He can hire a first-time OC (like he did when he hired Day at Temple). Or he can hire a current OC who wants to come to BC. Most of Addazio's hires at Temple and BC have either worked with him in the past or had specific ties to the region or school. I expect this hire will follow that same pattern.

I don't know who Addazio will hire, but here are a group of names that might pop up:


BC Guys
(I don't think any of these guys would be Offensive Coordinator, but I could see them all come back as staffers if Addazio promotes Fitch.)
Jason Swepson
Paul Peterson
Dan O'Brien
Matt Hasselbeck
Paul Zukauskas
Brian St. Pierre

Friends of Addazio
(I don't think either of these guys would take the job -- for very different reasons -- but I bet Addazio will reach out to them.)
Kevin Rogers
Scot Loeffler

Guys who might want to be play callers
(The biggest appeal for some guys will be the title of the job and calling plays. That is the only way I see us getting some of these guys.)
Zach Azzanni
Brian White
John Hevesy
Billy Gonzales
Derek Warehime

Gaudreau award and other links

The Hockey East media voted Gaudreau the Player of the Year. Whitney, Mullane and Matheson also earned all conference honors. Whitney also earned the Walter Brown award on Tuesday.

William & Mary hired Kevin Rogers as their Offensive Coordinator. Even though he is tight with Addazio, returning to BC wouldn't have been a good idea for either side.

The ACC Coaches also thought Hanlan was the Rookie of the Year.

BC target Nick Carovillano is getting attention from MAC schools.

The Rangers recalled Chris Kreider.

BC sailors are a critical part of the national team.

Montel Harris to Temple now officially official

Although it's been rumored and reported multiple times over the past few months, Montel Harris finally enrolled in Temple over the weekend. Supposedly the delay was due to Harris completing his academic commitments to BC. To be eligible at Temple, Montel must have completed his BC degree.

All the past comments hold true for me. I hope Montel has a great end to his career and gets his shot at the NFL. He was a pleasure to watch the past four years.

Hoffses reporting Montel Harris to Temple

According to Eagle Action reporter Eric Hoffses, Montel Harris is transferring to Temple. Despite some speculation, Harris did graduate from BC (enabling the transfer). The move reunites Harris with his former Offensive Coordinator Kevin Rogers and former BC assistant coach Ryan Day. I don't know how healthy Montel's knee is but I hope he has a strong season. He deserves it.

Feldman first national writer to address Spaz-Rogers issue

In his latest mailbag, Bruce Feldman became the first national media member to address the Kevin Rogers issue truthfully. As most BC fans have known from the start, his departure had nothing to do with health issues.

Sources close to the BC program told me Spaziani has had all sorts of trouble with staff chemistry issues. Key assistants Ryan Day and Kevin Rogers bailed to Temple. Spaziani had crossed a personal line with Rogers early last season and the spin that came out of that couldn't solve a fractured staff. Spaziani was a good defensive coach, but hasn't shown he can manage a staff and run a program.

It's been rumored to be a fist fight. A verbal fight. Insubordination. Regardless, it wasn't health and is one of the reasons the season fell apart. Maybe if Spaz had been allowed to hire Brock in the first place, it wouldn't have played out like it did.

Spaz ill prepared for Rogers questions

Kevin Rogers did not leave BC last year due to health reasons. I said he was fired. Other rumored and unofficial explanations claimed he quit, had a breakdown and/or had a physical fight with Spaz. Regardless of where you think the truth lies, BC made a big mistake claiming he left due to unexplained medical issues. Covering up the truth only makes for awkward, tone deaf exchanges like this:

Boston College coach Frank Spaziani has been nothing but defensive when asked about Rogers, repeatedly insisting that Rogers' situation was nothing more than a personal health issue, and he was offended at the suggestion that there was more to it than that:

"What do you know about that situation?" Spaziani said in a recent interview. "Let me help you work through this, Heather. Why do you think we have a new offensive coordinator? What happened to the old one?"

HD: Did he get fired?

FS: Is that what you have?

HD: I have no idea.

FS: Well what were you told?

HD: That he took a leave of absence for health reasons in September, but I haven't heard anything since then.

FS: You were told he left because of health, right? Ok. So, does that explain a new offensive coordinator? I don't want to play games with you, but to me, it sounds very self-explanatory, that one.

Gene and Spaz set up the lie regarding Rogers because the truth would have raised more questions at the time. Who hired Rogers in the first place? Was he told that he would have autonomy on offense? Did he and Spaz share the same philosophy? Did Spaz do something to piss Rogers off? What did Rogers think of Spaz as a coach? What was the mood of the rest of the staff? BC wasn't comfortable answering those questions because they all lead to the obvious questions of who is really in charge and is Spaz fit to be a head coach. So instead they lied and perpetuating the lie continues to raise questions more questions than it answers.

Midseason firings happen all the time. Louisville fired their offensive coordinator midseason last year. BC fired Jim Turner during Spring Ball in 2007. The smart, secure thing to do is say there was a difference of opinions, both parties are going their separate ways and pay the assistant to keep his mouth shut. Instead Gene and Spaz took the more complicated route. If any of these guys had studied history they would know that the cover-up is often worse than the crime.

Kudos to Dinich for finally pressing Spaz on the matter. It was overdue, but with Rogers' new employment and BC's recent turnover, it is only fair to ask Spaz about the mood of his staff and Rogers recovery. The Heights asked Spaz about it the other day. He should have known more was coming and should have been less defensive in his approach. But one thing Spaz has made clear in his tenure is that he's not great in interviews when he has to go off script.

There are many reasons the BC football situation is a mess. Spaz isn't all to blame but he just happens to be in the middle of it. Although the coaching turnover wasn't his plan, I think it actually gives him and BC a fresh start. Let's hope that it is all a success and the staff has great chemistry, because that will mean no more questions about what happened to Spaz and Rogers during the UCF game.

If you can't get Steve Logan, you might as well turn to Doug Martin

Earlier this week when Doug Martin interviewed for the OC position, I had the following email exchange with a guy who knows Jags and Steve Logan.

Me: Given his connection to Jags and Logan, would Doug Martin actually take a job under Spaz and Gene?

Him: Very little chance.

That exchange shows the gossip and speculation is often a bad predictor. But now that Doug Martin is our new Offensive Coordinator, the question should be asked: why?

Why after picking Spaz over Steve Logan three years ago and scrapping his offense are we bringing in a Logan-disciple? Why are we changing offenses from a more prostyle to spread when we have been recruiting players into a prostyle scheme for three years. And why would a guy who clearly can get an inside opinion on all the nonsense that goes on between Flip and Spaz take the job?

When guessing about unanswerable questions, I revert to Occam's razor. My guess is that Gene and Spaz talked to a lot of guys and felt that Martin was the best candidate willing to take the job. Switching from prostyle to a more modern spread might lead to growing pains, but production was so bad there was no reason to lock into the other scheme. Also, I am sure Martin feels he can adapt his scheme to the current BC personnel. As for Martin taking the job...Jags and Logan both liked what BC represents and the type of kids you coach at BC. Logan's son even worked for Gene. Regardless of how things ended they probably spoke highly of BC as a program. Martin might know there are issues and Spaz is on the hot seat, but all things being equal, he is being well paid to coach at a BCS program.

There are a million things to analyze as far as what Martin will do, but these are my short Day 1 thoughts. Some are good. Some are not.

-- I like that Martin is a well know personality in Ohio. He won't be a key recruiter, but he can help our efforts, especially in Northeast Ohio.
-- I've always liked Martin's ability to find under the radar skill guys like Joshua Cribbs, Eugene Jarvis, and Julian Edelman.
-- I like that his offense has been pretty consistent. Martin is no Mike Leach, but I think he is our best OC since Steve Logan.
-- I wonder what he will want to do with the offensive line. Do we go back to a more strict zone blocking scheme?
-- Will the other staffers support him or does he have input on staff changes?
-- Why didn't the players know more about the pending change (see the twitter responses)?
-- How will we use our deep roster of Tight Ends?
-- Does he want a QB who can run or will he adapt year to year based on player's strengths (like Logan did with Ryan and Crane)?

I thought keeping Brock in place was the best solution for BC's 2012 season. Now I am talking myself into the Martin hire. If he can recapture any of the Logan magic, we could be a surprise team in 2012. But my fear is that his two new bosses Coach Flip and Coach Spaz will screw it up in some other way.

No ignoring offensive failure

As defenders and critics of Spaz get more entrenched in their respective stances, I suggest we look at the objective issues. The biggest is the failure of the offensive side of the ball under Spaz. In an era of video game scoring, BC remains unable to put points on the board. In 30 games against FBS opponents, Spaz's teams have only scored more than 20 points nine times. They are averaging over that time 18.5 against FBS opponents. BC has failed to exceed 20 points for nine-straight FBS games. We were fortunate that Spaz's first two teams used defense to cover up this glaring issue. That's not the case of late.

Now there are a whole host of reasons as to why the offense has struggled. But all those issues cannot rationalize the end results. We are failing on offense. We are failing in how we plan it, how we execute it, how we teach it, and how we practice. When the parts are greater than the whole and areas of weakness are not addressed through recruiting or schemes, then you are failing.

Spaz's background has been defense. But as head coach it is also his job to empower the offensive decision makers and help them build for success. We are not doing that.

Focus on the positive. Let's hope we get better soon, but ignoring the elephant in the room is not going to change the scoreboard.

The right way, the wrong way and the BC way

I don't care about Kevin Rogers. I don't really care about Spaz or Gene either. All three are handsomely paid and know the perils and uncertainty of their chosen profession. I do care about BC, its current players and its alumni. The Rogers disaster is part of a bigger issue. Instead of a calm steady leadership, BC seems to be in a constant flux of politicing and drama. For the most part, that dynamic has provided BC with a certain level of success. But like most chaotic situations, it is not sustainable. And even beyond simple sustainability, I am concerned for the players. They are about to endure another change and it is not their fault.

The blame for the sudden changes lies with Gene and Spaz. Since allowing TOB to walk, Gene has used his position to go beyond the norms of an AD's responsibilities to be sort of a football GM. Spaz gets blame for being the ultimate enabler. He played his cards with Gene to stay on staff and has deferred to Gene enough to get the job when it opened and get an extension last year. Spaz is not unique. Jags played a similar game with Gene to get the job in 2006. But despite both of their relative successes, that is not healthy.

A good program would hire a head coach and let him build the program how he saw fit. It wouldn't be about who is part of the staff or what influence the AD wanted or needed. We would set measurable benchmarks for success (wins, ACC championships, player behavior, and graduation rate). I am not calling for anyone's head yet, but when we make our next football change, the new head coach needs to be empowered and needs to start with a clean slate. If not, we will keep facing these same sort of disruptive problems.

Kevin Rogers was fired

I tweeted as soon as I heard. I know I was wrong on the Ryan Day as OC stuff, so take this for all that you deem it worthy.

The 'leave' excuse protects both sides from looking worse. In some sense, I actually understand making a change now. If the offense and the staff are not working, you better make a change while there is still time to save the season. I was told that Spaz and Gene were in agreement on the move.

I will post more as it develops. I expect many to say I am wrong on this.

We will never know... (Kevin Rogers' edition)

The timing on Kevin Rogers' leave is perfect and terrible at the same time. It changes the face of the season that's already begun 0-2. In a way there is no where to go but up. Would we have turned things around with Rogers? Was Saturday a sign of things to come? It doesn't matter now. We have a new guy responsible for the points and play calling.

We don't know what could have been with Rogers but we do know who is impacted the most by his departure. Here are the parties who will shape where we go from here.

Dave Brock
It made sense to promote Brock. He's the only one on the staff who has been an Offensive Coordinator in a BCS conference. And he recruited Rettig. If this season is salvageable, we will need Rettig to buy in and execute. Promoting the guy on staff who brought him in makes most sense.

Brock also has Spaz's trust. His connection to Spaz is via Tranq and he is not part of the Gene, Jags, TOB or UNH crowds. As pressure builds, Spaz will need people he trusts, so it makes sense to have his guy calling the plays.

Brock sat next to Rogers and Tranq in the coaches box. He understands the pace of the job and the assets on hand. And unlike a new face that BC might have bought in -- even on short notice -- no one will have the perspective of what we used to run vs what we are trying to do now.

I think we will be fine with him calling the plays. His record as OC at Kansas State and Temple was to use a spread-ish approach and was dependent on passing. I imagine he'll take whatever nomenclature we've adopted from Rogers, tweak it a little and use the plays that he thinks will work best.

Chase Rettig
Imagine what Rettig is thinking now. He committed to one OC only to have it change after his first full ear as the starter. Now the new guy is gone only to be replaced by the guy who recruited him to BC.

Rettig pressed a little last Saturday. Maybe Brock will find the balance between being aggressive and pressing.

How Rettig responds will probably determine the season and Rettig's career. If he doesn't not succeed now, he will probably see another OC before his time as BC is done.

Spaz
Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Regardless of how involved Spaz is on the offensive side of the ball or how much input he had in hiring Rogers, this is his show now. He needs to do everything in his power to make sure Brock succeeds. He also needs to let Brock challenge downfield or whatever else might allow for more big plays.

Gene D.
This is Gene's get out of jail free card. If the season is a total collapse, Gene can point to this moment. "After suffering numerous injuries, the Eagles then lost their OC..." It will allow him to spin Spaz's results and say Spaz deserves to coach BC in 2012.

The fans
We lose nothing. I don't know about you, but I was unemotional Saturday night. After a certain point I didn't believe we would score. That was with Rogers. If the ineptitude carries over to Brock, it won't feel much different. However, there is always upside. Maybe this is the break we need.

Kevin Rogers taking leave

New Offensive Coordinator Kevin Rogers is taking a leave of absence for undisclosed health reasons. Dave Brock takes over as Coordinator and GA Ben Johnson backfills as Tight Ends coach. As I tweeted, we are in uncharted territory for the season. I will have more later tonight.

BC-Northwestern preview

Every season has a “fork in the road” game. It's usually not the opener. Like every season, we have questions to be answered. Yet unlike other seasons it seems like all our questions are on one side of the ball. Can Rettig be great? Will Rogers turn things around? How healthy is Montel? It’s all about the offense. BC will never win anything significant with the worst offense among BCS schools. If we are going to have hope, if we are going to challenge for the ACC title, and if we want our Saturdays to be fun again we need to be competent on offense. After playing Northwestern we will know a lot more about this team.

Overlooked storyline for the game: BC’s defensive ends
With the issues in defensive back and the shuffling of the offensive line, no one is really discussing our depth at defensive end. The DEs will be critical this game as they will need to contain whoever is playing QB for Northwestern. True freshman Connor Wujciak is listed on depth chart and there aren’t many bodies BC can turn to if the Des struggle or get hurt.

Three Simple Keys
1. The offensive line play. No one really questioned Spaz on this, but with days before the game, he announced he would play his “best five guys.” This philosophy (as opposed to playing the guys who are best at their respective positions) cost us last year. Let’s hope it clicks this year.
2. Converting in the redzone. I know this might be asking too much since we just want some successful drives, but BC cannot settle for field goals against a team that scores as quickly as Northwestern.
3. Establishing the run. Even though Northwestern has made stopping the run important, I don’t think they will be that improved. If BC cannot run on them, winning the game will be a struggle.

Gambling Notes
-- Spaz is 10-4 at home
-- Spaz is 1-3 vs non-ACC BCS teams
-- Pat Fitzgerald is 3-5 against non-Big Ten BCS teams
Due to Persa’s status, the game was taken off the Las Vegas books. Prior to that the line was BC-3.

Factoid
BC and Northwestern have played three times. The games have all been in September and had unusual scoring. The three games have been decided by 49 points, 45 points and 1 point respectively.

Scoreboard Watching
I will be paying attention to Miami vs Maryland. Both are on BC's schedule and both have new coaches. If the games were played today I think we’d be an underdog against both.

I hope to see...
Rettig have a solid day. My expectations are high for him, but for this game I would settle for him completing most of his passes and avoiding any INTs.

BC is in trouble if…
Northwestern gets to 30 points. Spaz’s teams have only scored more than 30 once against a BCS team. I know there will be improvements on offense, but I don’t think we are ready for a shootout yet.

Bottom Line
Even if Persa plays, he’s not going to be 100%. That leaves Northwestern one dimensional on offense, which plays right into our style. I think BC will frustrate them most of the day and keep the QBs in the pocket. I also think this will be a decent, mistake free game on offense. I think BC controls the tempo and the scoreboard en route to our first win of the season.
Final Score: BC 27, Northwestern 17

Five Things we won't learn with the start of practice

BC begins their fall practice schedule Monday. It's a huge first day and a huge season for BC and Spaz. But for all the storylines in play, there are still some major unknowns that won't be revealed until BC takes the field against Northwestern.

1. Just how tough is the schedule? Everyone agrees that this year's schedule presents more of a change than last year, but no one knows how much more. Every team we face has some question marks. NC State, Clemson and FSU have new QBs. Miami has a new coach. Clemson's coach is on a hot seat. Is Notre Dame finally back? This schedule might be easier than we expect. But this is college football. Perceptions matter. So BC's record will constantly put in context of its "tough schedule." My prediction is that things will even out as they usually do. Two of the teams will surprise and two will probably disappoint. Let's just hope that BC catches them all on their off days.

2. What sort of impact will Kevin Rogers' have? We are already hearing mixed rumblings regarding Rogers's offense. Some say the players are taking to it, while others question the learning curve. Practice will help but we won't know what sort of game Rogers will call and how the players will adapt until the season starts. We are not extremely talented on O, but there are enough pieces that a competent Offensive Coordinator should be able to improve things.

3. How healthy are Harris and Larmond? Both are saying the right things this summer, but camp will be telling. Things get out and if the guys miss practices or look tentative, we will know. And if either are less than 100%, expectations will take a nose dive.

4. Which new players will emerge? This is always the internet fan and blogger's favorite game. We hear and read things and then anoint some young guy or second teamer, the new savior. Sometimes the scrimmages are proving grounds and other times they are red herrings. But the speculation is fun.

5. What is Spaz's future with BC? This clearly won't be answered in camp but after the season we should have a much better idea. I know it seems like I am rooting against Spaz at times. I promise you I am not. I root with passion every week for BC. I just don't think Spaz is the right guy and every season with him as head coach is a wasted opportunity. I hope I am wrong. This is his third season. This is his team. How we perform this year will be a pretty good indicator of how the remainder of the Spaz era plays out.

2011 Position Previews: Offensive Line

New season. New format. Instead of a digestible combo of factoids and opinions, I am going to write in a more narrative, free style post. As always, feedback is appreciated.

Reputation is a funny thing. Bad or good, it often follows you even when it hasn't been relevant or accurate for years. BC's reputation is for producing great offensive lines. The reality is our offensive line play has been bad the past two years. But offensive line play is tough to measure. It is not about points or size or style. It is not about sacks or rushing yards. Real great offensive line play is about harmony. It is about rhythm and balance. It is about setting the stage for the skill players to score and get the glory. Great play offensive line play is really about five big clunky guys playing as one to the point where no one even notices how well they are playing.

Before I get into what's ahead for BC's Offensive line, let me give you my belief as to why our OLines were so good for so long. Seeing a 18-year-old throw a darting out pass or run a 40 yard dash gives you a good idea of how their skills translate to the next level. Projecting how a tall or chubby or clumsy 18-year-old will perform three years later and 60 pounds heavier is much harder to do. Offensive line isn't about measurables. It is about coaching. You need coaches who can look at a lump of coal and see the diamond underneath. And you need coaches who can teach their diamonds how to work together for the common goal. BC became OLineU because we had head coaches and position coaches who understood and appreciated offensive line play. Bicknell had his sons on the OLine. Coughlin came from Parcells's school where OLine was considered the foundation of everything. Henning for all his issues knew that much of the Redskins success was about great offensive line. TOB was a longtime OLine coach as was Jags. While year to year, some OLines were better than others, there was enough continuity that you could count on BC being strong upfront.

Now getting a defensive head coach isn't the reason our offensive line fell apart the past two years. The awkward combination of Spaz, Tranq, Devine, the system we ran, the lack of playmakers and the OL players they inherited all played a role. I do believe that if the coaching philosophies had been on the same page, we could have been respectable instead of just bad.

Despite my growing cynicism surrounding Spaz, I actually believe the offensive line will play better this year. Rogers' Olines at Syracuse and Notre Dame were always decent. I think Spinney, Richman and Cleary make a solid foundation...all with a chance to be very good or even great. White was decent last year in spot duty. That leaves Wetzel, Goodman, Betancourt, Williams or Kramer to step up and fill the void. All have potential. They just need to be put in position to blossom and excel. That is about hard work, coaching and scheme.

For someone who only watches the games and doesn't attend practices, my predictions and suggestions would be Cleary at LT, Richman at LG, Spinney at C, White at RG and Betancourt at RT. (Sub in Wetzel if Betancourt is not ready.) But one thing I don't want is starts based on seniority. Put the best guys in their best positions.

BC has managed to compete despite terrible line play the past two years. That trend cannot continue as the schedule is more demanding. If Devine doesn't get the guys clicking this year, than our days as Oline U may be on hiatus.

2011 Position Previews: Quaterbacks

New season. New format. Instead of a digestible combo of factoids and opinions, I am going to write in a more narrative, free style post. As always, feedback is appreciated.

Have you ever watched 1984 Boston College-West Virginia game on ESPN Classic? Whenever its on, I find myself sucked in. I'll watch until the end as BC goes down on downs. I know how the game ends. I know BC lost. Yet all logic and rationale in my brain is turned off as a wait for Doug Flutie to change history. "I know they lost," I tell myself, "but it looks like Doug is going to do it..." Special quarterbacks will make you believe weird things.

Some schools get by on gimmick or a system. Some overwhelm you with waves of speed and talent. Neither has been BC's M.O. Our high points tend to be based on a group of kids coming together at the right time around the right Quarterback. That history is why I still have hope for the Spaz era. If we are going to rise again in the next season or two, I think it will be because of Chase Rettig and in spite of our coaching.

But I am probably pinning too much hope on Rettig. But the alternative is no hope. No upside. Prolonged boredom and despair brought on by Shinskie and Marscovetra. Sorry, I am a Catholic and a BC fan, not a nihilist. I need to believe. If Rettig isn't the answer, I am sure I will rationalize the upside of the next guy just to stave off the pain. "Maybe the time on the bench has changed Shinskie..." "I hear good things about Suntrup..."

Let me segue from feeling to a few facts that will hopefully inspire some positivity surrounding our quarterback situation. 1. This is the most experience we bring into a season without a senior starter in more than a decade. We are the only ACC team that has two quarterbacks with more than nine starts apiece. 2. Rettig attempted and completed more passes as a freshman than either Hasselbeck, St. Pierre, Porter or Ryan. 3. His completion percentage was within fractions of Shinskie's mark as a freshman. 4. Rettig was 5-4 as a starter.

The biggest unknown in all this is how Rettig or any of the other QBs progress under Kevin Rogers. How he works with our QBs and what he asks them to do could easily derail my "next big thing" narrative.

Although I welcome metrics and measurement in sports, one of the things I love about college football is that the development curve is so steep, severe and sudden, that a kid can blossom overnight. Who would have predicted that Flutie or Foley or Ryan would become what they each became based on their appearances. All you need is potential, opportunity and a spark.

Finally let me share a frustrating play from a frustrating and draining season.

Do you know why this play gives me hope? Because it all fell apart and Rettig kept fighting...just like Flutie did against West Virginia. The special ones always believe in themselves more than we believe in them.

First take on first scrimmage

Hope springs eternal...or something like that. Every year all college football fans try to use Spring Football as a barometer of things to come. I think most BC fans have been over that idea for a while now. But there are some basic questions that can be answered based on the scrimmages. Saturday was Scrimmage No. 1. This is what we learned.

-- Rettig is still the starter. This was expected and he played well against's BC base D. Word is Rettig is taking to Rogers playbook fairly quickly.
-- Shinskie is probably the 2nd QB. No one knows how Shinskie will operate after last season's roller coaster. I hope he isn't pressed into action this fall, but on the bright side, it would leave us with an experienced and strong-armed backup.
-- BC did not run the option. The option was a staple of Rogers's offenses at Syracuse and Notre Dame. It probably doesn't play to BC's strengths and it doesn't look like it will be a factor this year.
-- Rettig was under center. Not only does this show intentions for 2011, having the QB under center also allows BC to sell their offense as "pro style" to pocket passing recruits.

BC's holds its next scrimmage Saturday. If history holds, Spaz will challenge the offense more and bring the defensive pressure...and we will all try to keep from reading too much into it.

Getting ahead of the Offensive Line Narrative

Most BC fans agree that Oline U hasn't been itself for two years. We've been inconsistent and worst of all, the guys didn't always play well as a group. BC had talent, but the parts were greater than the sum. Who was to blame? There was plenty of finger pointing. Some say it was scheme. Others blamed coaching. Maybe BC's coaching turnover and talent attrition just came home to roost.

BC enters the season with a new offensive coordinator and three new starters on the Oline, so the excuse making is starting already. But we fans shouldn't accept this narrative just yet. Look at the talking points and then the reality.

1. BC lost three starters on the offensive line. Although it is technically true, the impact and importance of those starters is subjective. Castonzo started all 13 games and is a loss. Claiborne was in and out of the lineup last year and only started eight games. Lapham was inconsistent prior to his injury and the line play actually improved once Cleary stepped in for him. Lapham only started 8 games. Now the good news:
-- Cleary started 10 games
-- Richman started 10 games
-- Spinney started 11 games
-- White started 3 games
-- Davis earned 1 start
Plus BC has some promising depth on the roster. But look at that list of 2010 starters again. Spaz could open the season with an offensive line with an experienced starter at every position. That's a nice problem to have, especially since the media won't notice.

2. The offensive line has dealt with numerous coaching changes. The four oline coaches in four years was a nice tidbit excuse the media could trot out when covering BC the last few years. Now we've had a bit of stability. The current OL guys on the roster have only had two position coaches: Jack Bicknell Jr and Sean Devine. Most only know Devine. While they are learning another system, conceptually it is still "pro style" and shouldn't be a huge adjustment.

3. They were recruited for a different system. The zone blocking body type is overrated. Most good players on the Oline can do both. And if the oline and its coach are not capable of teaching and adapting then Spaz has a big problem on his staff.

I actually think the Oline will be good next year. If we get the right guys in the right positions things should be much much better.

Still bubbling and other links

I had hoped that we wouldn't be so bubblicious by now but the pundits still are not totally sold on BC. The Wake win didn't mean much, which means Thursday's game probably won't mean much either. In their Tuesday recap (based on Monday's results) Bracketology 101 has BC last four in. Lunardi has us as the last four in.

This is SI's take on the ACC Spring. Everyone is focused on Rogers and rightfully so. I don't think Rogers' changes will be drastic schematically. I think it will be more about can he get Rettig to mature and get the offense to execute better.

Baseball beat Bethune-Cookman 6-4.

Oakland is shuffling paperwork around the pending CBA to potentially keep Ricky Brown.

Hockey wins, Rogers speaks and other links

In most of our championship years, York's teams started collecting trophies en route to the big one. Beanpot, Hockey East regular season, etc. Well with their win tonight, the Hockey team leaped ahead of UNH for first place in the Hockey East. The teams face off tomorrow night with BC having a chance to clinch the regular season title.

It wasn't all rosy though. Chris Kreider broke his jaw and is likely out for the remainder of the season.

The BC Draft crew held a Q&A with our new OC Kevin Rogers. Rogers doesn't tip his hand much regarding players or schemes. What is interesting is that he will seem to continue a BC tradition of Coordinators being secondary recruiters while the staffers are the primary. Many schools handle the recruiting among the staff that way but I've never really cared for it. I think you lose something if the coordinators are not actively on the road meeting the kids, talking to other coaches, etc. I also think that recruiting windows are so much smaller now, that more feet on the street can be useful.

Castonzo told WEEI that he does expect to be a first-round draft pick.

Castonzo's former bookend tackle Gosder Cherilus is battling knee issues again. If the Lions need a tackle, maybe they will take AC.

The ACC named Carolyn Sword to its All Academic team.