Boston College

[Laxfan500]

Intriguing match-up. Two teams that really know each other well. There are at least 10 top LI players on the field that have battled against each other for more than a decade - since their high school days. Coaches could also not be more familiar with each other. Kayla coached at BC for several years and helped with their first NC. Kenzie an all time great at BC knows their system well. Her offense will be going against her mom's BC defense. On top of all of that, the ACC regular season title is at stake.

Should be a great game !

[Seacoaster(1)]

Intriguing match-up. Two teams that really know each other well. There are at least 10 top LI players on the field that have battled against each other for more than a decade - since their high school days. Coaches could also not be more familiar with each other. Kayla coached at BC for several years and helped with their first NC. Kenzie an all time great at BC knows their system well. Her offense will be going against her mom's BC defense. On top of all of that, the ACC regular season title is at stake.

Should be a great game !

I had completely overlooked the fact that the Kent's will be on opposite sides in this one. Nice little all in the family wrinkle.

I like both of these teams. As a Syracuse fan, I am handwringing this game, and think there will be little separation between the teams by the late stages of the fourth quarter. Syracuse has shown it can win without dominating the draw. I think Syracuse's offense is slightly better than BC's defense, and I think BC's offense, when it is running well, is a touch better than Syracuse's defense. Goalie play favors Syracuse, at least so far this year. Just really close on paper. So I'll jinx the whole thing and say 15-14 Syracuse.

[user1020]

Intriguing match-up. Two teams that really know each other well. There are at least 10 top LI players on the field that have battled against each other for more than a decade - since their high school days. Coaches could also not be more familiar with each other. Kayla coached at BC for several years and helped with their first NC. Kenzie an all time great at BC knows their system well. Her offense will be going against her mom's BC defense. On top of all of that, the ACC regular season title is at stake.

Should be a great game !

I had completely overlooked the fact that the Kent's will be on opposite sides in this one. Nice little all in the family wrinkle.

I like both of these teams. As a Syracuse fan, I am handwringing this game, and think there will be little separation between the teams by the late stages of the fourth quarter. Syracuse has shown it can win without dominating the draw. I think Syracuse's offense is slightly better than BC's defense, and I think BC's offense, when it is running well, is a touch better than Syracuse's defense. Goalie play favors Syracuse, at least so far this year. Just really close on paper. So I'll jinx the whole thing and say 15-14 Syracuse.

If it’s close late I give it to BC, but I could see Cuse pulling away in the 4th.

[Brownlax]

Intriguing match-up. Two teams that really know each other well. There are at least 10 top LI players on the field that have battled against each other for more than a decade - since their high school days. Coaches could also not be more familiar with each other. Kayla coached at BC for several years and helped with their first NC. Kenzie an all time great at BC knows their system well. Her offense will be going against her mom's BC defense. On top of all of that, the ACC regular season title is at stake.

Should be a great game !

I had completely overlooked the fact that the Kent's will be on opposite sides in this one. Nice little all in the family wrinkle.

I like both of these teams. As a Syracuse fan, I am handwringing this game, and think there will be little separation between the teams by the late stages of the fourth quarter. Syracuse has shown it can win without dominating the draw. I think Syracuse's offense is slightly better than BC's defense, and I think BC's offense, when it is running well, is a touch better than Syracuse's defense. Goalie play favors Syracuse, at least so far this year. Just really close on paper. So I'll jinx the whole thing and say 15-14 Syracuse.

If it’s close late I give it to BC, but I could see Cuse pulling away in the 4th.

I'm totally torn on this game. Hopefully, it's a great game that is tight in the 4th quarter. I'm going with Cuse at home in front of a sell-out crowd 15-13.

[thedisciple516]

How is BC's faceoff game? If Syracuse can win around 50% of the faceoffs they'll win by 5-7 goals

[PhanLax99]

How is BC's faceoff game? If Syracuse can win around 50% of the faceoffs they'll win by 5-7 goals

Non-existent

[ultravisitor]

How is BC's faceoff game? If Syracuse can win around 50% of the faceoffs they'll win by 5-7 goals

BC ranks ahead of Syracuse in terms of both draw control percentage and draw controls per game. I'm not sure how that will play out when they play each other, though, especially since I'm not sure exactly what the caliber of their opponents has been. I'm aware that Syracuse's schedule is really tough, but I don't know much about BC's.

[thedisciple516]

How is BC's faceoff game? If Syracuse can win around 50% of the faceoffs they'll win by 5-7 goals

BC ranks ahead of Syracuse in terms of both draw control percentage and draw controls per game. I'm not sure how that will play out when they play each other, though, especially since I'm not sure exactly what the caliber of their opponents has been. I'm aware that Syracuse's schedule is really tough, but I don't know much about BC's.

Syracuse main FOGO was injured midway through the season and the replacement has been mostly ok but will at times get randomly dominated. UNC won 60-70% of the faceoffs and that's how they stayed in it (Loyola too). That'll be the key for BC

[Seacoaster(1)]

Would the BC team we've seen the last few weeks, and in particular last night, beat Denver on a neutral field?

[Puck Swami]

Would the BC team we've seen the last few weeks, and in particular last night, beat Denver on a neutral field?

Good question. BC is improving, certainly. But Denver has also improved since beating BC. At the beginning of the season, it was Denver's defense that earned the wins, but now, Denver's offense is coming alive, too. Denver was averaging 10.4 GPG through the first 10 games until the BC game, and since then, it 16.6 GPG over the last six games. Of course, some of that is due to opponent quality, but I'd say that it is more about team confidence and sharing the scoring opportunities, as Denver has developed its scoring balance.

[Seacoaster(1)]

Would the BC team we've seen the last few weeks, and in particular last night, beat Denver on a neutral field?

Good question. BC is improving, certainly. But Denver has also improved since beating BC. At the beginning of the season, it was Denver's defense that earned the wins, but now, Denver's offense is coming alive, too. Denver was averaging 10.4 GPG through the first 10 games until the BC game, and since then, it 16.6 GPG over the last six games. Of course, some of that is due to opponent quality, but I'd say that it is more about team confidence and sharing the scoring opportunities, as Denver has developed its scoring balance.

OK, thanks for that. But the last six games have been against Xavier, Stanford, Connecticut, Butler, Villanova and Jacksonville. Not a gauntlet in anyone's estimation. UConn stayed with them pretty well after a tough first quarter. Not being unpleasant; just pointing out some facts.

[Brownlax]

Would the BC team we've seen the last few weeks, and in particular last night, beat Denver on a neutral field?

yes - 100%

[Seacoaster(1)]

Would the BC team we've seen the last few weeks, and in particular last night, beat Denver on a neutral field?

yes - 100%

Thanks. As I say, I just haven't seen Denver enough to have an opinion. But BC looks every bit the tough, mature, composed squad I expected to see when we started all this back in February.

[Brownlax]

Would the BC team we've seen the last few weeks, and in particular last night, beat Denver on a neutral field?

yes - 100%

Thanks. As I say, I just haven't seen Denver enough to have an opinion. But BC looks every bit the tough, mature, composed squad I expected to see when we started all this back in February.

It's so hard to compare Denver. I have not seen them a lot this year but have seen them in the past. They have two key wins this year - BC and Maryland. After that, they don't really have any other great wins. They play in a league that is definitely down this year and that hurts their SOS. They finish up with Georgetown and Marquette so they could very well end the season at 17-0.

[GratefulRed]

Holy War 3.0 – still cracks me up but let’s go with it.

Statistically, these are teams are mirror images of one another. The only category outside the margin of error is Notre Dame’s 7-point advantage in draw wins on the season. Otherwise, offensive/defensive efficiency and goaltending are virtually even. So, what will be the difference this time around?

After the Irish ‘big 3’, their offensive point production drops off. For example, the top 3 are the only players on the roster with double digit assists on the season. (As a team, UND only assists at 41%) In the last meeting, the Eagles were able to match those players well and also dial up some pressure. The BC defense and goalie are unlikely to pitch another 4 hitter, but should be able to keep the Irish under/around 10. They will need to remain stout down the alleys and make the expected low angle saves to limit secondary scoring.

For a BC offense ranked top 10, it still feels like they have only broken out a few times this year. Would be great to see improved shooting early to get some separation rather than rely on the Weeks and Co. for late game heroics. Eagles advantages in depth of scoring, assist rate (55%) and quickness in the midfield should provide a cushion, as long as the possessions stay relatively even.

BC has won the last 6 meetings so the Irish must really want this one. Will they be able to channel the emotion in a positive way? They have been prone to lapses in discipline on the field and sideline. The Newton campus will be packed with about 2000 neon nutjobs testing their limits.

Let’s go, Eags!

[DMac]

BC's typical post season doggedness and will to win takes them to the next round.
BC 14-9.

[Seacoaster(1)]

BC's typical post season doggedness and will to win takes them to the next round.
BC 14-9.

Hard to bet against BC. But I think it’ll be closer than this; say, 15-14.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

By Christopher L. Gasper 
August 9, 2023

"College football’s active fault lines make the San Andreas Fault look like a mere salt shaker. The entire sport was reshaped in a flurry of moves last week, and the once-iconic Pac-12 conference was swallowed up by the seismic shift of allegiances. The topography of the sport from coast to coast is unrecognizable; the Power Five conferences unsentimentally consolidated into the Power Four in a snap. It’s Survival of the Richest, with a finite amount of space at the media-money trough.

Only the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten really reside on stable, unshakable ground, although the Big 12 was the biggest winner of the Pac-12′s implosion. Trying to go Apple streaming for a TV deal left the Pac-12 bleeding out.

At its essence, college football is fueled by three elements: passion, pageantry, and tradition. You can chuck tradition and replace it with financial security. That’s why Colorado sparked this latest round of radical realignment, defecting to the Big 12. It’s why Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah followed suit. It’s why Oregon and Washington signed the Pac-12′s death notice by absconding to the Big Ten for less than a full-member cut of that conference’s lucrative new seven-year, $7 billion TV contract. Welcome to the Big Ten with 18 members.

College football drives college sports. More than anything we’ve seen on the field, the off-field financial jockeying has become a brutal, no-holds-barred, loyalty-free bloodsport. Forget Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision; college football is now subdivided into the Desirables and the Undesirables. We have a college football caste system. The sport has become a game of musical chairs. When the music and the money stop, some schools will be left without a leg to stand on. Effectively, we’re looking at European soccer-style relegation to less relevant status. The burned-out husk of the Pac-12 is still smoldering, but it doesn’t feel like the chaos ladder is over.

The name of the game now is mergers and acquisitions.

Beware, Boston College.

It has to be chilling for the folks at The Heights to see Stanford and California, two of the most prestigious academic institutions in the country, left for dead, along with Washington State and Oregon State, in the ruins formerly known as the Pac-12. The conference has been in existence in some form since 1915, but this will be in its final football season in a familiar form.

Like BC, the Bay Area elites are academically stringent schools in a major media market. If estimable Stanford, which won the Pac-12 as recently as 2015 and went to 10 straight bowl games between 2009 and 2018, can be tossed aside like a candy wrapper, then the same fate could befall BC if the Atlantic Coast Conference fractured. The same goes for Duke and Wake Forest in a cruel new world ruled only by football marketability and viability.

Power Four footing is tenuous. BC has one conference title to its name in 123 seasons. In fairness, BC didn’t play in a conference until the now-defunct Big East started in football in 1991. The Eagles helped hasten the demise of that league in 2003 by defecting to the ACC starting with the 2005 season in search of brighter lights and bigger paydays. They captured a share of the Big East title in 2004 as a parting gift. That’s it.

Offensive Line U and the college football incubator for Art Donovan, Fred Smerlas, Doug Flutie, Matt Ryan, and Luke Kuechly has advanced to the ACC Championship game twice, in 2007 and 2008. That’s one more than erstwhile national power Miami can claim. But BC is not one of the six schools to ever win the title game.

Now, the folks in Chestnut Hill can point to the ACC’s holy grail grant of rights that runs through 2036. It’s college football’s version of a chastity belt. The ACC owns member schools’ media rights and their media money through 2036, barring a negotiated buyout or settlement. However, it hasn’t stopped disgruntled bluebloods like Florida State from threatening to depart. Last week, Florida State president Rick McCullough said at a board of trustees meeting that FSU would consider leaving the conference without “radical change to the revenue distribution” from TV money. FSU is not content with the ACC’s plan to award more money based on achievement.

The Seminoles and other teams have studied the ACC’s grant of rights and aren’t convinced there isn’t some way to escape that straitjacket. As the Associated Press reported, at least seven ACC schools — Clemson, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, and Virginia Tech — have had discussions about breaking the grant-of-rights deal.

You notice who wasn’t included in that cabal?

If eight of the ACC’s 15 members vote to dissolve the grant of rights, it disappears faster than Kiké Hernández as the face of the Red Sox franchise. Those schools could court other conferences or form their own conference, leaving the rest of the ACC as warmed-over leftovers.

Florida State and Clemson simply can’t afford a $30 million deficit to their in-state rivals in the SEC, which is the most powerful football brand outside of the NFL. Necessity is the mother of invention. Greed is the father of duplicity.

There has been scuttlebutt about the ACC throwing a long-distance lifeline to Stanford and Cal to form a new ACC (the American Coast Conference). But the value added for existing ACC members is debatable, unless they can convince ESPN to reopen their TV deal before 2036 for bringing in Stanford and Cal from the cold. That seems unlikely.

Are these changes good for college football? Financially, yes. Competitively, no. But it doesn’t matter when the whole sport is singing the Wu-Tang Clan classic “C.R.E.A.M — Cash Rules Everything Around Me.” The only way the tide will be reversed is if fans lose interest because their teams become mired in the middle of the pack of mega-conferences. The expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams is the oxygen allowing super-sized conferences to breathe, but in a 16- or 18-team conference, there can still be only one conference champion.

That’s going to grate on fan bases that view success as a birthright.

All pretense of balancing academics and athletics — along with geography — has been forfeited. The Pac-12 was the biggest domino to fall, but it won’t be the final one."

[Carolinagrad]

Clemson and Florida State are going to leave the ACC. The B10 covets UVA and UNC. In the next three to five years I think you can see Clemson and Florida State in the SEC and UVA and UNC moving to the B10. The ACC is in big trouble. It is all about TV revenue, and the ACC is significantly behind the B10 and SEC in TV revenue.

[Essexfenwick]

I think only FSU is safe. All the other ACC teams may be stuck which they all are anyway until 2036. Uva and Unc have small alumni numbers, poor tv ratings and state political issues with larger schools in the same state. They definitely have less value than Stanford and the San Francisco/ No Cal market. Clemson splits a small state and has low alumni numbers. Maryland was the only school that is a solitary flagship in its state, inside the beltway of a huge media market and has huge alumni numbers. All the other schools besides FSU ( not the only school but an enormous state/population and large alumni numbers ) have issues.