Headlines: Terps and the ACC Championship

Jeff: OK Brian, Al Skinner's squad went into Maryland last night and pulled off a victory to improve to 7-1 and their next two ACC games are Miami and Wake Forest at home. I see them starting 3-0 in ACC play. I originally thought this was going to be a down year for BC basketball but i'm starting to get excited. Am I getting excited too early?

Brian: Yes, you are getting excited too early. I think our defense is suspect and we have looked like we were going to give up the game twice in the final minutes against Providence and Maryland. We need to put away teams when given the opportunity. If the Eagles fail to do this, that's the difference between a 4-12 and an 8-8 ACC season.

Jeff: I'm still excited to be 1-0 on conference and I think we're headed to 8-8 or better and an NCAA bid. Football season isn't over though so next topic. BC dominated the first half of their first ever trip to the ACCCG yet the halftime score was 16-16. BC then goes on to lose the game 30-16. What happened?

Brian: Do we really have to talk about this again? Such a sore subject. I think while we won the special teams battle in Blacksburg (good punts, roughing the kicker calls that kept drives alive, onside kick), the special teams unit lost this game. Two blocked kicks were huge momentum changers. Still, we had our shots and couldn't put the Hokies away when we could. I think this team needs a bit more swagger next year. We seemed to play like the "nice story" that we are instead of going for the jugular.

Jeff: SPECIAL TEAMS. You hit the nail on the head. BC was perhaps a better special teams unit away from going undefeated and it showed the most when it counted most. Worst case we should've been up 20-14 at the half instead of tied 16 all. In the second half drives stalled out by not converting on some third and shorts. But we were close to being headed to Miami for the Orange Bowl. At least closer than the final score indicated. As far as the "nice story" though, I disagree. We simply finished exactly where we should've. Winners of the atlantic division. If there were no coaching changes BC would've been in the top 20 preseason but instead was barely left out of the top 25 because of the concern of the coaching changes. Now we sit in the top 20 headed into a bowl game that because of the opponent a victory will only keep us where we are rather than launching us into the top 10.

Brian: At least 1 ACC beat writer had picked Boston College to finish last in the Atlantic division preseason. So I'd say we were more of a surprise than we care to believe.