Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Over/Under: Spring Game and NFL Draft

It's been a few months since we played a game of Over/Under, so let's get to it. We discuss this weekend's spring game and the NFL Draft.


Over/Under - 4,162 people at the Boston College spring game (Duke got 4,162 to Wallace Wade last weekend)

Jeff: According to the LA Times we had 250 more people at our spring game than Duke did last year. But there seems to be some buzz about the Duke Football program which won't allow Greg Paulus to play as the Blue Devils quarterback because he isn't good enough. This weekend I am going under and I think BC will get about 3,500 again. In the south going to a spring game is a Spring Saturday well spent but in Boston people would probably look at you funny.

Brian: I will reluctantly go under here too. There isn't as much hype around this year's BC football team as in years past. Sure, fans want to see what Spaz and his new staff can do, and may be mildly interested in the quarterback competition, the triple-headed, crowded backfield, and/or who is going to clog the running lanes, but there is no headlining offensive star on this team to really draw Eagles fans' attention. Add in the fact that both the Celtics and the Bruins are in the playoffs, the Sox have started playing and that the spring game is the same weekend as the NFL draft, and I don't think BC will crack the 4k mark this weekend. Sadly. Under.


Over/Under - 100 yards for any one of the three running backs (Haden, Ninja, Smith) in this weekend's spring game

Brian: I think there is a very strong possibility that one of our three backs will rush for 100+ yards on Saturday. Last year's spring game saw little to no rushing attack from the Eagles (Mulrooney leading rusher for 33 yards?). Haden and Ninja, in particular, have been putting up much better numbers in our first two intrasquad scrimmages. While the defense tends to usually dominate the offense in the spring, this year our backs won't have to navigate through 650 pounds of Raji/Brace clogging up the rushing lanes. And with a quicker, no-huddle tempo on offense, I think we'll get more plays and more rushes in this spring. I'm optimistic one of these three goes over 100 so I'll go over.

Jeff: The only chance of one of these guys rushing for 100+ is if they break one run for 65+. There is no chance of that happening. I'm going way under.


Over/Under - August 15 Spaziani names a starting QB

Jeff: I think this is an easy where I am going to take the under. Spaz is not going to enter the summer without having named a #1 QB. We will know who that is either after the game Saturday or next week sometime. Fortunately for Spaz and the coaching staff we open up against Northestern so getting the starting QB right for game 1 is not critical. The guy who sees second half action in that game could end up starting the next. Who knows right now, but I do not envision a situation, other than injury, where Davis does not see any snaps in our season opener.

Brian: Over. A lack of quarterback competition over the summer could breed complacency, and Spaz will want these three guys hungry for the starting job. I'm feeling more and more like Boek could actually get the starting job because I don't see Davis or Tuggle pulling away early. If my memory serves me correctly, Crane was named the starter in late August last year. Back in 2004, Paul Petersen was named the starter as late as August 23 of that year. I think it is in Spaz's best interest to keep this competition open until much later this summer and will say that Spaz picks a start after August 15. Over.


Over/Under - Raji picked with the (unpushable) 5 1/2th pick in the first round of this weekend's NFL Draft

Brian: I am going to go under here. I'm hearing a lot of experts - including ESPN's Todd "McDreamy" McShea - predicting that Raji will be drafted #5 by the Cleveland Browns. I would say Raji in the top 5 is slightly optimistic given that Georgia's Matt Stafford, Wake Forest's Aaron Curry and now - out of nowhere - USC's Mark Sanchez appear to be locks for the Top 5. Sports Illustrated has since redacted the "Raji tests positive for marijuana" headline ("Redact it! REDACT IT!!") and when its all said and done, I don't think that non-story will hurt his draft stock at this point. Mel "The Hair" Kiper is not as optimistic as McShea, and has Raji going #9 to the Green Bay Packers. So I will say under but wouldn't be shocked if Raji falls past 5. I would, however, be shocked if Raji falls out of the top 10.

Jeff: You and I must not read the same articles and listen to the same sports shows because Aaron Curry has been talked about as a potential first defensive player taken for as long as I can remember NFL 2009 draft talk. On the Raji subject though, now that the alleged failed drug test thing is cleared up I am going under without hesitation and expect him to go to the Browns or a team that trades up for him.

Brian: You must not be reading what I wrote Jeff because I said that Stafford, Curry and Sanchez are LOCKS for the Top 5.


Over/Under - Brace going in the second round of this weekend's NFL Draft

Jeff: This is the easily pushable question so I will go with a push here and say Brace will go in the second round. Legitimate DTs are few and far between on draft day and Brace is a legit NFL prospect so I would imagine he will fill a team's need on the first day.

Brian: The answer here is indeed a push. From everything I'm hearing, Brace will go anywhere from 30-40 in the draft which makes him an early to middle second round selection. Could Brace pull a Kiwi and get scooped up with the final pick in the first round? Possibly, although I don't really see this happening. So I'll begrudgingly agree with Jeff and go with the very un-manly push on this one.


Last one, Over/Under - Purvis being drafted at all this weekend ...

Brian: ESPN.com's Heather Dinich has Purvis on her list of potential late round ACC picks. My heart says that Purvis will be drafted this weekend, but my head doesn't really think it's going to happen. Purvis had a monster junior year with Matt Ryan under center only to see his numbers and his productivity decrease dramatically last year. Purvis went from 553 yards and 4 TDs in his junior year to a mere 176 yards receiving and 0 scores in 2008. I think this is going to hurt Purvis' draft stock more than anything - he just didn't see the ball much at all last season. Our only recent experience with having an Eagles TE get drafted is Sean Ryan, who went in the 5th round, 144th overall in the 2004 draft. Sean Ryan put up monster numbers at BC after moving from DE his sophomore season (75 catches, 950 yards, 12 TDs). While I personally think Purvis is more than capable to play in the league, I unfortunately don't think a team will take a chance on him. Would be fun to see Purvis become Mr. Irrelevant, but my gut tells me he won't get drafted. So I'll go over?

Jeff: I have no idea on this one. I'll go with my old standby logic of assuming you are going to be wrong and I'll take the under that he does get drafted.

4 comments:

Claver2010 said...

I might take the over on attendance. It's supposed to 75 and sunny on Saturday and the draft doesn't start till 4. The bandwagon C fans don't have a game that day and the Bruins, if they don't clinch, will be playing at 7.

conlonc said...

Under on attendance (although I'll be there I don't count as 950 people last I checked), under on 100 yards (cuz it never happens and our defense is still beastly), over on starting QB (there will be a #1 on the depth chart, but not one with any security), Raji over (but obviously I'm shooting for under), Brace push, Purvis - no chance of being drafted. Any team would think they can get him or a very similar guy signed after the draft; no reason to waste a pick (how often is TE really a "draft need").


Check out BC '03er Tom Pelissero act non-homerish in talking about Raji for the Pack's first pick:

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80fe0bbf

Erik said...

My Dad and I will be there, so there's gonna be at least 3 people in the stands.

Brian said...

4,159 to go!