Happy Time: Gerbe, BC Coastal Opponents and Preseason All-ACC

It's Thursday so we get happy.

Happy Birthday Nathan Gerbe. It's not really clear whether Nate's birthday is today or Saturday, but we wish him a Happy Birthday nevertheless. We weren't really sure what to get Nate for his birthday, but considering that he helped Boston College win a National championship and Hockey East championship, was the Frozen Four MOP and the Sabres just signed him for 3 years, $2.55 million, we figured we were covered.


Happy Trails to BC's easy Coastal Division slate. The Washington Times blog D1scourse crunched the numbers to show that Boston College will face the toughest set of Coastal teams this coming football season (based on the 2008 preseason ACC poll) - Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and Georgia Tech. Those that have the easiest Coastal matchups in 2008? Clemson, Wake Forest and NC State. All three teams miss presumptive Coastal Division winner Virginia Tech.

If you did the same analysis looking back at the 2007 season, using the 2007 preseason ACC poll, the results would have been much the same for BC:

Wake Forest: 15 (Virginia Tech-6, Georgia Tech-5, Miami-4)
N.C. State: 12 (Virginia Tech-6, Georgia Tech-5, Duke-1)
Maryland: 11 (Virginia Tech-6, Miami-4, Duke-1)
Florida State: 10 (Georgia Tech-5, Virginia-3, North Carolina-2)
Clemson: 9 (Miami-4, Virginia-3, North Carolina-2)
Boston College: 6 (Virginia-3, North Carolina-2, Duke-1)

Now I know you have to "beat the best to be the best," but I hope that when the current format of the ACC football schedule expires, they will reevaluate the format of the "rival game." It doesn't seem fair that Boston College always has to go through Virginia Tech every year while Wake Forest's rival game is Duke (even if Virginia Tech has been held to 0 legit touchdowns the last two regular season matchups - Eddie Royal wasn't even close to being inbounds last year!).

The ACC's scheduling of 5 games within the division, 2 rotating games (one home and one away) and one game against a permanent rival is the same system that the 12 team Southeastern Conference uses. The Big XII system is a bit different, where teams play three teams from the other conference on a home-and-home basis for two seasons, and then the other three teams the next two years.


Two more Happys to dispense ...

A BC Interruption shout out to LB Brian Toal, DT Ron Brace and TE Ryan Purvis, who all made the Preseason All-ACC Football team.

Also, congratulations to Jeff who got engaged last night. Now it's time for me to return the favor and give you much grief about when your wedding date is! OMG!! Not during football season!?

Joking aside, a heart-felt congratulations from your blogging partner in crime!