Due to my searing hatred for Boston College fans, I let Chili carry the workload for the "Know Your" segment with Eagle in Atlanta. For the record, I don't hate Bostonians, I just hate the residents of Chestnut Hill. I went up to the game last year expecting a friendly environment akin to ours. Not at all. We had to walk through the on campus dorm section to get the the stadium and were heckled and had things thrown at us. Imagine a UGA/Miami hybrid. Yeah, that bad. Here's our responses on his site.
A rough depiction of how Boston College's season is turning out.
1. How do we take BC's recent 2 game slide? Is this a minor setback or a Bowdenesque collapse? BC was probably overrated at #2 and surely underrated at #18, what ranking do you give them?
In my opinion it is too early to tell. Jagodzinski is in his first year and this is his first setback of any kind as a head coach. If he rights the ship and wins the division, then it is minor. If BC loses out...then it is a different story.
As for the ranking -- in my blogpoll ballot I slotted BC at 16 this week. Given the team's accomplishments, I think that's about right.
2. How do you think BC will attempt to exploit Clemson's defense? What's their gameplan versus our offense?
BC will throw because at this point in the season the offense is pretty one-dimensional. What has worked best, and what I expect to see more of, is a lot of delay routes over the middle to Tight Ends and RBs. BC was running the screen very well early in the season but as struggled lately. Teams have done a great job sniffing it out. It will be interesting to see if Steve Logan keeps going back to it.
On the defensive side, I think you'll see the same approach BC has used the past two years against Clemson -- try to shut down the run and prevent the big plays. It worked well in 2005, not so much in 2006 (Spiller's 80-yarder scant in Chestnut Hill was one of the best I've seen). Our pass rush has been pathetic, so expect Harper to have plenty of time to throw.
3. Your current head coach is a student of O-line guru Alex Gibbs, how much has his tutelage trickled down to your offensive schemes? Do you think the loss of O'Brien has adversely affected BC?
Jags did put in the Gibbs zone blocking scheme. The unit has had some growing pains getting used to it. In part because it is new and also due to injuries and some guys who were recruited for another system. It has trickled down to the offense. Unfortunately the results are the same -- BC didn't run the ball effectively last year and isn't running very well this year.
I don't think O'Brien's departure has adversely affected BC. It was time for him to go. After ten years, I think he wanted something new, the AD wanted something new and many fans wanted something new. It is still very early in the Jags' era and I have no idea how it will end (I think it will be a good time to be a BC fan) but I can say this with confidence -- BC would not have started 8-0 under O'Brien.
4. Is Ryan your Heisman pick? If not, then to whom should it go?
Who knows? Having a player in the Heisman talk is very eye opening. You realize how silly and subjective this whole thing is. I guess it is Dixon, but what if Oregon loses again? All I know is that Ryan has carried BC for two and a half years and will be a first round pick. I am not losing sleep over who gets the trophy.
5. What's your prediction for the game?
I always pick BC to win. I don't feel that great this week but still won't go against the Eagles. I think it is close and the BC defense finally gets back on track. BC 28, Clemson 20.
A rough depiction of how Boston College's season is turning out.1. How do we take BC's recent 2 game slide? Is this a minor setback or a Bowdenesque collapse? BC was probably overrated at #2 and surely underrated at #18, what ranking do you give them?
In my opinion it is too early to tell. Jagodzinski is in his first year and this is his first setback of any kind as a head coach. If he rights the ship and wins the division, then it is minor. If BC loses out...then it is a different story.
As for the ranking -- in my blogpoll ballot I slotted BC at 16 this week. Given the team's accomplishments, I think that's about right.
2. How do you think BC will attempt to exploit Clemson's defense? What's their gameplan versus our offense?
BC will throw because at this point in the season the offense is pretty one-dimensional. What has worked best, and what I expect to see more of, is a lot of delay routes over the middle to Tight Ends and RBs. BC was running the screen very well early in the season but as struggled lately. Teams have done a great job sniffing it out. It will be interesting to see if Steve Logan keeps going back to it.
On the defensive side, I think you'll see the same approach BC has used the past two years against Clemson -- try to shut down the run and prevent the big plays. It worked well in 2005, not so much in 2006 (Spiller's 80-yarder scant in Chestnut Hill was one of the best I've seen). Our pass rush has been pathetic, so expect Harper to have plenty of time to throw.
3. Your current head coach is a student of O-line guru Alex Gibbs, how much has his tutelage trickled down to your offensive schemes? Do you think the loss of O'Brien has adversely affected BC?
Jags did put in the Gibbs zone blocking scheme. The unit has had some growing pains getting used to it. In part because it is new and also due to injuries and some guys who were recruited for another system. It has trickled down to the offense. Unfortunately the results are the same -- BC didn't run the ball effectively last year and isn't running very well this year.
I don't think O'Brien's departure has adversely affected BC. It was time for him to go. After ten years, I think he wanted something new, the AD wanted something new and many fans wanted something new. It is still very early in the Jags' era and I have no idea how it will end (I think it will be a good time to be a BC fan) but I can say this with confidence -- BC would not have started 8-0 under O'Brien.
4. Is Ryan your Heisman pick? If not, then to whom should it go?
Who knows? Having a player in the Heisman talk is very eye opening. You realize how silly and subjective this whole thing is. I guess it is Dixon, but what if Oregon loses again? All I know is that Ryan has carried BC for two and a half years and will be a first round pick. I am not losing sleep over who gets the trophy.
5. What's your prediction for the game?
I always pick BC to win. I don't feel that great this week but still won't go against the Eagles. I think it is close and the BC defense finally gets back on track. BC 28, Clemson 20.
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