ND Playbook insight and other links

If you like stats, play design and other nitty gritty, then head over to the very good Notre Dame blog Blue-Gray Sky. Their post on Charlie's Weis' formations and tendencies is a must read. I would kill for playbooks, gamelogs with personnel groups from either BC or Logan's days at East Carolina. If anyone has it and can share, send me an email.

Things are not looking good for Ray Henderson.

Tribble made ESPN.com's All America team (it is a pop up so it cannot be hyperlinked. click on the first link off of the college football page to see the team.) Thanks to Dan for the first heads up.

The state government is helping BC finance the development of the new Brighton campus.

Ricky Brown is coming along with the Raiders.

More on Cherilus' move to the left side of the line.

Towards the end of this article, UConn coach Randy Edsall makes a comment about playing BC again. I cannot see this happening as long as Gene is around. Maybe the Huskies should have thought of this before taking legal action against BC. (Thanks to Joe for sending the first link.)

The four most important games of the season

In college football every game is a must win. Lose to a MAC school and fans start tossing around the letters “W”, “T”, and “F.” Lose to the Miamis or Florida States and the media starts chiming in that BC cannot battle the big boys. The reality is that Jags won’t win them all. However there are four games that are pretty vital to a successful 2007 season and building a bond with BC fans. In my opinion these are the four must wins in their order of importance. Chime in with your thoughts in the comments section.

1. NC State. Jags must win this game. Although we’ll play NC State every year, winning the first time will have the most significance. It will be TOB’s return to the Heights. It's Jags second game as a head coach. It will be our experienced team against their rebuilding model. Knowing TOB, I expect him to place a huge emphasis on this game and pull out all the stops to win it. He’s trying to prove something and NC State will be ready. If BC loses this game, Jags will be in a big hole with the fans and Gene and Jags will start hearing whispers that the wrong guy is coaching the Eagles.

2. Notre Dame. I’ve been critical of the BC fans who only care about Notre Dame. The forced break in the schedule the past two seasons has been a godsend as those fans came to realize there is more to college football than the Irish. Even with this change in attitude, this game will go a long way with the majority of BC supporters. Win this game and everything tastes sweeter, the sky is bluer, etc. Like the TOB/NC State game, Jags is facing the Irish at the right time. They are in rebuilding mode and BC could be favored come game time.

3. The bowl game. The bowl win streak became a major crutch for BC sports information and for TOB. The streak is filled with mid-major afterthoughts played in less than desirable locations. Regardless of the ignominious past, you don’t want to be the guy who ends the streak. BC prepped for bowl games well under TOB. Jags will be expected to do the same. Look out for the sharks if we don't make a bowl.

4. Wake Forest. The first win is the hardest. The last BC coach to win his first game was Jack Bicknell in 1981. Adding importance to this game, BC takes on the defending ACC champs in the opener. Winning here would help propel the team into the TOB game and provide a good path back to the postseason. And hopefully it will put to wrest Jim Grobe’s ability to ruin BC fans’ weekends.

Jags as OC: Season 2, Pitt

After suffering through a six-game skid, BC needed a turnaround in 1998 and got one with a 23-15 over Pitt. The Panthers were pretty lousy in 1998 too, so the win wasn't an upset, but it did tell us a few things about Jags as an OC.

Stat Line
First downs 15
Rushes-yards 43-178
Passing 106
Comp-Att-Int 10-23-1
Return Yards 38
Punts-Avg. 7-41.9
Fumbles-Lost 1-1
Penalties-Yards 9-80
Time of Possession 27:42

What can we learn from the game? This wasn't a true look at Jags and his play calling. In fact the game is one of those weird ones where you are left wondering "how'd we win this?" The BC defense got torn apart but made enough key plays to keep Pitt out of the endzone. On the offensive front the season was really a culmination of Jags' work with Mike Cloud and the offensive line. Cloud passed the 100 yard mark for the ninth time in this game. Revisiting Cloud's success has given me plenty of comfort about our current offensive line. Regardless of who starts, I think Jags has shown he can get a group of guys together and play well enough to open holes. We don't have anyone of Mike Cloud's caliber, but we still have talent.

As you can see from the stats, there wasn't much else to be happy about. Fortunately we have more talent this year. Too bad we are not facing anyone as bad as Pitt's 1998 team.

Skins signs on for more

According to Boston.com, Skinner and BC are finalizing an extension and raise to his current deal. Glad to see this happen.

Checking in on the 2006 signees

The departure of Redshirt Freshman Reshaude Goodwin sparked this look back on TOB’s controversial recruiting class of 2006. [Thanks to Bravesbill for pointing out my unintentional omission of Wes Davis.]

With only 85 scholarships available at any one time, one bad and/or mismanaged recruiting class can set a football program back for multiple seasons. While I’ve always been skeptical of recruiting and hype, how a class develops once it is on campus is important to me…hence my concern over the recruiting class of 2006.

The recruiting in 2006 was one of the first indicators that TOB might be seriously looking elsewhere. According to his critics, it was his most halfhearted effort and saw BC take risks by handing out scholarships to questionable prospects. Scout.com ranked BC 44th and the usually BC friendly Rivals.com ranked BC 37th overall. At the time TOB defenders deflected the criticism by pointing out that small classes (BC only signed 20 players) are generally not rated as high. With Goodwin gone that class just got a little smaller. The local product is the third member of the class of 2006 to transfer away. He joins Ross Applegate and Josh Neubuert who left BC in recent months. That leaves 17 remaining players.

The second aspect of this class that showed TOB might have been thinking about the 2006 season and not the future is the number of true freshmen who played last year (sixseven in all). It is great having guys who can contribute right away, but redshirting had been a hallmark of TOB’s early success. Holding guys back gives a program older, more physically developed players. This might not seem like a big deal now, but Jags will certainly think it is important in 2010 when he has very few fifth year seniors.

2006 was not all doom and gloom. Some of those true freshman that did see the field contributed greatly. There is also potential in some of the redshirts. Let’s take a look at the class as they prepare for their second season on campus.


Alex Albright, DE, (3 stars in Rivals, 3 stars in Scout). One of the real gems of the class. Played as a true freshman and played beyond his years. Very good size, speed and instinct. Should develop to an all conference player over his next three years.

Ross Applegate, QB (2 stars in Rivals, 2 stars in Scout). One of TOB’s more controversial signings. Many felt he was a reach and would never start at BC. Being from Atlanta I always hoped Ross would do well, however, he never got much traction with the old staff or the new. He’s now trying to walk on at Alabama.

Darius Bagan, LB (3 stars in Rivals, 2 stars in Scout). He redshirted last year and will hopefully see some playing time this year.

Thomas Cliarborne, DT (3 stars in Rivals, 2 stars Scout). Redshirted last season and look very overweight on the sidelines. Supposedly slimmed down and will see some time this season.

Wes Davis, DB (2 stars in Rivals, 3 stars in Scout). Another strong performance as a true freshman. Should also see plenty of time as a soph.

Bill Flutie, QB/K/P (2 stars in Rivals, 2 stars in Scout). Redshirted last season and has moved to WR. While Flutie playing QB for BC was a real possibility under TOB, it is probably best for everyone that he moved to WR. He has the potential to be a good contributor.

Chris Fox, DB (3 stars in Rivals, 2 stars in Scout). Redshirted last season and then broke his leg in the Spring. His recovery is going better than anyone expected and he should see some time this fall.

Jack Geiser, LS (2 stars in Rivals, 2 stars in Scout). Long snapped as a true freshman. Proved to be very valuable.

Reshaude Goodwyn, DB (3 stars in Rivals, 2 stars in Scout). Redshirted and then transferred. Local product who probably wasn’t going to see the field this year.

Mark Herzlich, LB, (3 stars in Rivals, 3 stars in Scout). Originally committed to UVA and then had second thoughts and came to the Heights. Great player right out of the gate. Should see serious time this year. Has a chance to be the best player in the class.

Justin Jarvis, WR (2 star in Rivals, 2 stars in Scout). Wasted redshirt year by only playing in four games. May be the truest form of mismanagement/short-term thinking by TOB. Hopefully will contribute more.

Richard Lapham, OL (4 stars in Rivals, 2 stars in Scout). Has battled his weight and expectations so far. Was the most heralded recruit of the class. Still has a chance to have a very good career, but early indications have been less than stellar.

Ryan Lindsey, WR (3 stars in Rivals, 2 stars in Scout). Redshirted and then hurt his ACL in drills this offseason. Unlikely to be healthy this year. Will hopefully recover and turn his last three seasons into a productive career.

James McCluskey, LB (3 stars in Rivals, 3 stars in Scout). Redshirted. Signed as a linebacker, but will be used at fullback some this season. Will hopefully contribute.

Jordon McMichael, TE, (4 stars in Rivals, 3 star in Scout). Redshirted after a preseason injury last year. One of the more highly-touted signees of this class. Still has the chance to be a very good player.

Josh Neubert, DE (3 stars in Rivals, 3 stars in Scout). Redshirted and then transferred. Was probably not going to see a ton of playing time at BC, so he went to DIAA Ivy League.

Roderick Rollins, DB (3 stars in Rivals, 3 stars in Scout). Played very well as a true freshman and will probably see a significant increase in playing time.

Damik Scafe, DT (3 stars in Rivals, 3 stars in Scout). Redshirted and will probably get playing time this season.

Jeff Smith, RB (3 stars in Rivals, 2 stars in Scout). Made immediate impact as a true freshman and probably won the Clemson game for us. Will hopefully develop skills beyond returns over the next three years.

Warren Wilson, WR (3 stars in Rivals, 2 stars in Scout). Redshirted and will probably see some time as a special teamer this season.


Once again this type of exercise proves what a crapshoot recruiting can be. Of the 20, three are gone and six seven played as true freshmen. That means that barring any unforeseen injuries, only 1110 of the remaining class will be available in 2010. Jags seems to be a pretty positive guy, so I imagine his approach is that those departures just free up more scholarships for “his guys.”

The legacy of the 2006 signees is not written in stone. Although the class is very lean, it still has some potential stars in Herzlich, Albright, Rollins and Smith. Flutie, Davis, McMichael, Fox and a few others could also prove to be very good players. Let’s hope that when they leave they get a pat on the back and we are not saying “what a waste.”

It looks good on you, though

All the uniform questions were answered. First, we are still a Reebok school (and still using Reebok Red, although it is more maroonish). I guess the Adidas thing will wait. Second, the new eagle logo is on the sleeve. The slanty numbers are back and gold on the home uni. We also will be using an all white uniform for the first time in my memory. I like the tweaks to the home uni, but don't like the all whites. Regardless, we needed to freshen things up and we are moving in the right direction.

2007 Position Previews: Offensive Line

This is the seventh part of my position by position breakdown of the 2007 roster.

OFFENSIVE LINE

This was the hardest position preview to write because nothing is set. Whatever I post here could be meaningless in a week or two. With that in mind here is my guess on our 2007 offensive line.

Overview
As I’ve highlighted the past week, BC is transitioning to a new strict zone blocking scheme. Under the zone, you ideally want to use smaller more athletic lineman. It is sort of serendipitous that due to graduation and gradual transition, this group of lineman is not as big as some of the units we’ve trotted out the past four or five years. Cherilus is very tall, but many of the other players are in the 6’3ish range. That is certainly big, but with lower center’s of gravity and hopefully more agile.

The Players
T - Gosder Cherilus, SR, 6’7, 318lbs
G - Ryan Poles, SR, 6’4, 295lbs
C – Kevin Sheridan, SR, 6’3, 290lbs
G – Tom Aneviski, SR, 6’2, 291lbs
T – Clif Ramsey, JR, 6’6, 313lbs
T – Pat Sheil, SO, 6’6, 284lbs
C/OG – Matt Tenant, SO, 6’4, 278lbs
G/T – Ty Hall, SR, 6’4, 300lbs
T — Carlos Huggins, JR, 6’6, 316lbs
G/T – Rich Lapham, FR 6’8, 336lbs
G/T – Anthony Castonzo, FR, 6’7, 260lbs

Cherilus is the best of this group. He moves to the left side after spending the majority of his career on the right. Cherilus was excellent last year with one exception – his penalties. If he can get his full mental game in check, he can put together a perfect season. Poles yo-yo’d in and out of the lineup last season. I found him to be less effective than the guy he started over (Ty Hall) but Poles quickness should fit in better with the new staff. Sheridan had a good spring and would seem perfect for the new system. He moves well and played better as the season moved on. His current understudy, Matt Tennant, also impressed the new staff, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Tennant gets a few snaps with the first team. Aneviski was another spot player from last year who played very well when given the chance. The Right Tackle spot is also getting a lot of play in the press. It seems to be coming down to Pat Sheil and Clif Ramsey. My bet (with no inside scoop) is that Sheil gets the call. Ty Hall seems like the forgotten man. He went from starting as a Redshirt Freshman to mop up duty last year. I wonder if his gut is also hurting his standing with the new staff. He’s always played well when given the chance, so I feel good that he is still around to fill holes. Huggins isn’t getting much attention but might get to see the field. Lapham came in with a lot of hype but so far has not lived up to it. Castonzo is very unlikely to play, but you never know.

If I had to guess the starting lineup for Wake (once again, no inside info), I would say LT — Cherilus, LG – Poles, C – Sheridan, RG - Aneviski, RT — Sheil. Now by November it might look like this LT – Cherilus, RG — Sheridan, C — Tennant, RG - Aneviski, RT – Sheil.

Outlook
While it is the biggest concern of the offseason, I predict that the line will be playing very well together by the second half of the season. The zone movement will also rejuvenate many things about O-Line U and our running game.

Previews abound and other links

Here is CFN's preview of BC. They always do a pretty comprehensive job and then hit an off note with one fact or another.
Here is ACC Nation's BC preview. You can also read their feature on Matt Ryan here.

With all the talk aobut the USC game the long-rumored Syracuse series was confirmed by some smart BC fans via SU's website.

Here is an ACC Football blog.

Some good alumni news and some sad alumni news...

Billy Curley is coaching locally at Thayer Academy.

Former BC Linebacker Ray Henderson's legal problems are not going away.

USC game made official

Good get by the Herald's Steve Conroy as he confirmed that BC and USC locked in a two game series for 2013 and 2014. This is a great sign and shows that BC is willing to step up our out of conference slate. I also know that Jags wants to emulate many of the things USC is doing. No better way to do that than to take on the best. I cannot wait for this game.

Zone blocking for dummies

Much has been made of our movement to zone blocking. The hype has been somewhat misleading as we've had numerous elements of the zone scheme for years. However, Jags is implementing a more strict zone scheme fathered by current BC consultant Alex Gibbs. The coaches also recently took a trip to Green Bay to see how Jags' former pupils are using the scheme at the pro level. In all this talk, I am sure many are wondering "what is zone blocking?" In an over simplification from my amateur perspective, zone blocking can be summarized as the line working as one to move the defense in a certain direction, as opposed to each lineman having a specific assignment. For a much better explination you're better off reading the following links and watching this amateur but decent video.

-- Bob Davie on zone blocking
-- American Football Monthly on Zone Blocking Principles
-- Zone Blocking in Wikipedia

Jags as OC: Season 2, Notre Dame

Think the Notre Dame game is a big deal now? When we were at one of our low points and they were the No. 13 team in the country, it was an even bigger deal. In 1998, TOB and Co had the Irish on the ropes and were about to pull off a huge upset only to come up short in the most frustrating manner. You can read about the 31-26 loss here or just watch the end below.



Stat Line
First downs 26
Rushes-yards 40-173
Passing 318
Punt Returns 1-13
Kickoff Returns 5-103
Interceptions Ret. 0-0
Comp-Att-Int 22-35-1
Sacked-Yards Lost 2-14
Punts 3-29
Fumbles-Lost 0-0
Penalties-Yards 6-47
Time of Possession 31:25


What can we learn from the game? Before I get into the lessons learned, did you guys notice the young kid with the headset and dejected look? That was Jags. As I mentioned in the very beginning of the coaching search, Jags was a key figure in that loss. But I’ve moved on in a major way and hold no grudge against our new coach. In fact, I think the stubborn way TOB dealt with the team over the next eight years leads me to believe it was TOB’s call to go for it four straight times. Enough about the final series, let’s focus on the offense. (Nah, those four downs should be our lesson!) What does this game tell us about Jags? With the game on the line, our current coach went with our best player behind his best unit (the offensive line) four times. Hindsight is 20/20 and he looks like a chump for not mixing it up. I don’t blame Jags for what happened. Everything you do in that situation takes guts. If his style is to go man to man for the win, I think I’ll be happy. However, if after ten years he never mixes it up and becomes more rigid than TOB, I’ll be pissed.

Although it is all under the bridge, if I ever get a chance to interview Jags I will ask him about that game.

Fenway news and Ryan diss

BC and the Red Sox sports marketing arm the Fenway Sports Group announced an extension of their current agreement. The new deal continues the relationship for another 12 years and beefs up BC’s account team. No one has disclosed the amount of revenue generated by the new deal but I imagine both parties must be pretty excited to agree to something of this length. In my interview with Steve Novak I sent him a question trying to gauge how the BC fund money compared to other sources of revenue. Obviously he did not share (not that I blame him…there are benefits of being a private university). For this to make sense for the Red Sox I would guess that they are generating multi-millions. And for BC you would have to assume they are generating more money than they did independently. So assume it is very good for everyone involved.

In other news…

Reader Steve E. and a few people on the message boards were pissed when Matt Ryan was lumped in with the rest of the ACC QBs and dismissed as nothing special by ESPN's Pat Forde. This is consistent with Ryan not getting much preseason Heisman attention from any of the major sites or publications. I am not too upset. At this point it doesn’t matter. The Heisman has morphed into an MVP award for the No. 1 team, so it is a long shot for Matty. I also think he'll prove enough this season and make all ACC again and has a very good shot at being Second or Third team All America.

Bowl me over

You’ll read plenty of bowl projections over the next few months. As BC fans already know, the bowls are far from merit based and numerous political and financial considerations come into play when deciding who goes where. Outside of winning the ACC Championship Game, everything is in play. Here are my early predictions on where BC might end up. (Sorry if this puts a damper on your day)


The BCS Championship Game
Odds: 1/50
Biggest Obstacle: The schedule and national perception
Explanation: I am overly optimistic about the season, but let’s be real. BC would be the longest of long shots to make to the National Championship Game. We are outside the Top 25 in the Coaches poll and no unranked preseason team has finished the regular season as 1 or 2 in the BCS rankings in the formula’s short history. Even an undefeated season might keep us out given the polls and computer formulas. It would be my dream, but it is just not going to happen.

The Orange Bowl
Odds: 1/5
Biggest Obstacle: Finishing atop the ACC Atlantic
Explanation: I actually like our chances at making it to the Orange Bowl because it is the only Bowl destination where BC could control its own destiny. Our ACC schedule is brutal so who we lose to is very important. To get to the Orange Bowl we need to win the division which makes intra division losses critical. So remember as the season approaches that a loss to Miami or Virginia Tech is not as harmful as a loss to Florida State or Clemson.

The Gator Bowl
Odds: 1/10
Biggest Obstacle: Notre Dame
Explanation: I think Notre Dame is a lock for this bowl. The Irish are very young and unlikely to make a BCS game again. Yet with some of their luster restored look for the Gator folks to jump on their chance to grab Notre Dame in the Big East slot. While I think our fans would travel very well for a BC-ND matchup and provide a good TV rating, I doubt the bowl committee will roll the dice with a rematch of a regular season game. I also think the Irish would use their leverage to avoid playing us twice. And even if the Irish aren’t the pick, BC would have to be very special (11-1 or so) in order to get selected over teams like Clemson and Florida State who travel much better.

The Chick-Fil-A Bowl
Odds: 1/4
Biggest Obstacle: Georgia Tech
Explanation: I’ve always felt that we would be a great team for the Chick/Peach Bowl. Given the proximity to UGA, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Auburn, the game is almost always sold out. With the tickets sold, TV becomes the second focus and ratings is one area where BC consistently delivers in bowls. The obstacle will be the pressure on the Bowl Committee to take Georgia Tech. With UGA having played in the bowl last season, the Jackets will want their turn at the Atlanta postseason stage soon. If they are good enough they will probably get the call over BC.

Meineke Bowl (Charlotte)
Odds: 1/40
Biggest Obstacle: History
Explanation: There is no way we are going back. Not for the third time in four years. We wouldn’t want it. Charlotte wouldn’t want it. The organizers would probably want Clemson or NC State.

Champs Bowl
Odds: 1/6
Biggest Obstacle: Travel
Explanation: This game is in a good location (Orlando) against a Big Ten team, so I think most BC fans would be fairly happy with it. However it comes at a bad time -- late December. Flights and hotels are very expensive to Orlando that week. Would playing a midlevel Big Ten team be enough to get BC fans to travel? I don’t know. I would guess we would send less than 10,000 people and never hear the end of it.

Music City
Odds: 1/4
Biggest Obstacle: BC fans' expectations
Explanation: Like the Peach Bowl, the location of this game in Nashville ensures pretty good attendance from the SEC side. I think the bowl organizers would probably like hosting BC again given their other choices. I think the problem would be selling this to BC fans. Even though it has been six years since we played there, it would feel like another lower-level, rehash bowl. I don’t think our turnout would be very good for this game.

San Francisco Bowl
Odds: 1/5
Biggest Obstacle: The ACC bowl agreements
Explanation: If not for the ACC’s “within one loss” bowl rule, I think this game would be our permanent home. However if BC finishes with five or more wins in the ACC, it is nearly impossible for us to slide this far. However, four ACC wins makes San Fran a strong possibility.

Boise Bowl
Odds: 1/6
Biggest Obstacle: Gene D.
Explanation: After the utter disappointment of our last trip there and the uncomfortable moments with the hosts, I don’t see us returning. I also think Gene D. would play ever card in the book to avoid a return trip as it would seem like a major step back for the program.

Back to School

Sorry for the lack of posting Friday. I was in New York for my sister's wedding and actually saw a guy in a SuperFan shirt randomly on Lexington Friday afternoon (don't BC fans have jobs?). Now I am back just as the team is officially back. I will have more stuff throughout the week and ramp up as the season approaches. Steve Conroy had a good piece in the Herald on the Five Questions facing the team with practice ahead. I'll put my own twist on it with the 3 Main Goals of "two a days".

1. Set the offensive line. This theme has been beaten to death by everyone (including me) but with reason. The offensive line has been the foundation for this most recent peak of success. We now are anchored by one stud and four question marks. And we are installing a new scheme and a position coach who wasn't part of spring practice. I have concerns, but think three weeks is enough time to come together. Regardless of the scheme, you have a strong group of teachers and some smart kids. It might not be pretty against Wake, but I think they will be ready. I'll have more on the offensive line and zone blocking this week.
2. Expand the playbook. Much has been made about Ryan having more flexibility under Logan. However, the team only worked with a portion of the offense last spring. During the summer they were able to work in more, but this will be the first time everyone (coaches and full roster of players) will be together. I expect Logan to use everything he's got and hopefully find some carries and passes for underutilized guys.
3. Get special teams in order. This area was one of my running complaints about the TOB era. Now we enter the season with a Special Teams coach who is splitting duties. This gives me some concern. I think our return games with Smith and Tribble will be strong. I don't worry about Ayers' punts. I do worry about our punt protection and punt coverage. Kickoffs and field goals...who knows? A lot is going to be asked of a true freshman in Bennett.

I think these three areas will all work themselves out by December. They always do. But if they are not cleaned up in August it could cost us an early game given our tough opening schedule.

Jags as OC: Season 2, Miami

One thing this series reminded me of is how bad TOB's first defenses were. In this game BC got pounded early en route to a 35-17 loss to Miami. This lousy defense also hurt Jags. While he did a good job of moving the ball and putting up points throughout his short tenure at BC, if you're always playing from behind, it certainly starts to effect your calls and strategy. Here are the stats from the losing effort against Miami.

Stat Line
First downs 18
Rushes-yards 39-158
Passing 167
Comp-Att-Int 15-23-0
Return Yards 27
Punts-Avg. 7-42
Fumbles-Lost 2-0
Penalties-Yards 4-37
Time of Possession 30:47

What can we learn from the game? Sometimes there is nothing a coordinator can do. Look at those stats. While not explosive, they are certainly balanced, low on penalties, good time of possession, high completion percentage and no turnovers. Yet nothing to show for it...because our defense was unable to even slow the Canes.

This frustration of watching one unit get trampled repeatedly is one reason why I've come around to Spaz staying on this year. We know what we're getting. If we struggle this year I don't think it will be because our defense doesn't show up. They may have an off game or two, but they will not ruin good offensive effort after good offensive effort like we saw a few times in 1998.

New Look? UPDATE

When Reebok merged with Adidas many speculated that Reebok would discontinue their uniform work and transfer the BC rights over to Adidas, who has a much bigger college uniform business. Well it looks like the change happened (thanks to bcdf22 for the find). As you can see, the color is actually maroon and not "Reebok Red." It also looks like the profile Eagle logo is gaining more prominence as we deemphasize the angry chicken logo. I am pleased with the new look and hope we ditch the italics lettering in our next iteration.






UPDATE:
The site that bcdf22 links to in the comments leads to a whole bc jersey store that is also revealing. It contains a white version of the potential new jersey and an Adidas version of last season's Reebok Red jersey. Based on the home and away version of the new jersey and the limited version of the Reebok Red jersey, I am betting that these are our new uniforms. However, I could be wrong as none of these match what Ryan and Dunbar wore at the ACC Media Days. They wore last season's jersey which includes gold trin on the collar and sleeve.

No new conferences and other links

I think Big Ten will expand, but I cannot see any circumstance where BC would ever consider it. Ever. Not even the most remote chance. We’ve just been through a transition and are in a strong, lucrative conference with like-minded schools. We are not bailing to join a bunch of huge midwestern state schools.

Fairly recent BC grad is moving up the ladder with the Packers front office.

An early look at our basketball team.

Although he redshirted this year, Sam Shaughnessy did play summer ball in the NECBL until his team was eliminated from the playoffs.

A behind the scenes look at how the BC basketball point shaving scandal came together. (Thanks to Tim for sending.)

Just win, baby

Although he has never been a head coach, Jags isn’t some newbie walking in off the street. With his 20+ years experience also comes with a nice track record of performance. The teams Jags has been a part of are 159-116-1 (per standards in each level of the sport, I did count college postseason but not NFL postseason into this record.) Here is a breakdown of Jags travels. Ironically, the only place where he coached for more than one season without a winning record was Boston College.

1986, Northern Illinois – 2-9
1987-88, LSU – 18-5
1989-1996, East Carolina – 53-38
1997-1998, Boston College – 8-14
1999-2003, Green Bay Packers – 51-29
2004-2005, Atlanta Falcons – 19-13
2006, Green Bay Packers – 8-8

Ultimately this doesn’t guarantee anything. After all, Dan Henning won two Super Bowls prior to coming to BC. But like many of the things I’ve tried to examine this summer, I think it is a good indicator. If anything the guy knows when to pick his spots…he turned the ECU job into a coordinator spot and the BC gig into an NFL job, he left the Packers before they collapsed and left the Falcons before their collapse. Let’s hope his winning ways and ability to find good jobs where he can succeed continues at the Heights.

BC vs BU

This is a short Youtube clip on the dividing line between BC territory and BU territory. For those longing for a touch of BC, they have interviews inside of Mary Ann's (although the smell doesn't come through the video).

Watch the football team...sort of

A reader reminded me about the BC.edu webcams. They are placed all over the campus but there are two of interest to diehard and bored fans during these dog days of summer. The first one is the skyline cam. It points towards the city and has a view of the softball field. Part of the practice area is included in the shot, so you may be able to see the occasional drill or something.

The other area for the truly voyeuristic is the Lower Campus Dining facility. When guys aren't at the training table meals, they will be eating here. In my days at BC the football team tended to eat in a long row on the opposite side of the room from the fireplace. I have no idea where they congregate now.