The Boston College Eagles made and won a bowl game last year, but they pulled together their 7-6 season by beating teams which did not post a winning record in the regular season. Can Boston College beat a winning team this next season? It will be hard to do because the ACC has become a stronger conference, and because the ACC Atlantic Division, in which Boston College resides, is arguably the toughest single division in all of college football.
How Did They End 2016
The Eagles were expected to beat Connecticut in Game 11 of their 12-game regular season, and they did that to move to 5-6. However, they then had to go to Wake Forest and beat a Demon Deacon team which had a chance to put together a winning record. Boston College played one of its better defensive games of the year on the road, limiting Wake Forest to 14 points in a hard-fought 17-14 victory which made the Eagles bowl eligible. Once the bowl selection process took shape, the Eagles were given a good matchup against a very young and unpolished Maryland team in the Quick Lane Bowl. Boston College went to Detroit and played extremely well on offense, unloading for 36 points in a 36-30 win. The ability to win a defensive battle against Wake and then turn around to win a shootout against Maryland reflected the growth of this team under coach Steve Addazio.
Offseason Changes
Quarterback Patrick Towles is gone, meaning that Darius Wade will come in to replace him. Wade has patiently waited his turn. It is not a situation in which a wide-eyed freshman will hope to make something happen. This is a situation in which Wade will be expected to provide mature and steady leadership, making basic decisions and not turning the ball over. Boston College will not overwhelm opponents on offense, so it has to focus on not giving anything away.
Team X-Factor
Receivers Michael Walker and Jeff Smith are on a team which needs playmakers and outside speed. The Eagles need to hit vertical plays in the passing game. If they are always dinking and dunking the ball, they will hit limits against good teams. Not turning the ball over is priority one, but at some point, if the Eagles want to be good and not just average, they will need to make value-added plays. Their receivers must respond to that need more than anyone else on the offensive side of the ball.
What To Expect From The Eagles This Year
Boston College won at North Carolina State last season. That should change this year. The Eagles could be the same team they were last season, yet fall a game lower because the ACC Atlantic has become a tougher division.
Record Last 5 Seasons
2016: 7-6
2015: 3-9
2014: 7-6
2013: 7-6
2012: 2-10
Schedule & Outlook
The Eagles get to ease into their season with a couple of winnable games before things really get challenging. They’ll start off with a road trip to Northern Illinois and then they’ll come home to face Wake Forest. If the Eagles are anything but 2-0 after those games, it’s going to be a very long season. If they can win those, they will have a shot a bowl game.
Their third and fourth games of the season will see them host Notre Dame and then go to Clemson. This team doesn’t really seem capable of winning games like that. They’ll also have to play Florida State, Virginia Tech and Louisville. Those all project to be losses. If you’re doing the math, that’s already at least five losses for this Boston College team. The good news is they play a lot of home games this year, including seven of their final 11 games.
The Eagles will go 5-7. The ACC is simply brutal this season, and Boston College does not appear to have enough solutions on offense. This will very likely get ugly for the Eagles, who realistically need to beat Syracuse if they want to go to a bowl game, but that contest will be on the road against the Orange, so they will probably lose it.
Regular Season Win Total Prediction: Over 4
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