Joshua S. Kelly-US PRESSWIRE

Finally, the 125th and final article of the 101 Days of Boston College Football, which started in the middle of May and has taken us up to the start of the 2012 season. Without a doubt, the last one will probably generate the most controversy, as it’s time to make some predictions.

I have followed the football team every single day this summer, reading up on all 100+ names on the roster and keeping up to date with news and notes. At the same time, I have kept an eye on our opponents during the offseason, getting a better feel for where their programs are and what those teams are likely to do this season. Finally, I have kept recent history as my guide. In my book, that’s immersion.

First, once more, the football schedule for 2012:

Many things will change over the course of the season, so anyone making predictions in August reserves the right to revise on a game-by-game basis when the time comes. It was not my plan to offer individual game picks at this point, anyway, but I think it’s possible to offer some best and worst-case scenarios and probabilities.

Boston College football 2012, best-case scenario
The Eagles open up their season with a solid win over Miami, after which they beat the stuffing out of Maine for a 2-0 start. Riding an unexpected wave of confidence, they squeak out a close one over the Northwestern team that beat them last season in Chestnut Hill.

Following the bye week, the Eagles take their first loss against a flat and overconfident Clemson squad in a game that’s much closer than predicted. After this, they head back out on the road and take care of business against Army at West Point to move to 4-1, then go down to Tallahassee where they barely lose to another flat and overconfident team, Florida State. The Eagles then split the four games with Georgia Tech, Maryland, Wake Forest, and Notre Dame before coming back home and getting their asses kicked by Virginia Tech for the fourth-straight year. They’ve already gotten the bowl berth by then, but they wrap up the regular season by beating Tom O’Brien’s team in Raleigh. 7 wins, 5 losses

Boston College football 2012, worst-case scenario
BC’s early injuries take a toll on them and Miami gets its revenge for the 2011 season finale by cruising by the Eagles. Then, in an ominous sign, the Maine Black Bears play the Eagles to within one or two scores like they did Pitt last season. The Eagles are at a shaky 1-1 heading out to Northwestern, where Kain Colter beats them again and sends them into the bye at 1-2.

Boston College comes out of the bye fired up, but Clemson remembers what they did to BC last year at home and does it again in Boston. Next, in a shocking twist, the Eagles manage to botch a close Army game late at Michie Stadium, becoming the Black Knights’ annual BCS upset victim. Nationally-ranked Florida State then rubs salt in the wound with a big win over the Eagles, sinking BC to 1-5.

BC figures out a way to beat Maryland, but lose to Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, and Notre Dame, arranged from closest game to biggest blowout. After losing to ND, the Eagles would be a pathetic 2-8 and the new athletic director would be buying Maalox in bulk. To cap off BC’s most disastrous season in decades, they close with blowout losses to Virginia Tech and NC State. 2 wins, 10 losses

Those are two very, very different visions of which way this season can go. Considering that the Eagles were an 8-loss team last year, I don’t think either outcome is particularly extreme; they’re plus or minus 2 or 3 games from where BC was in 2011. I cannot say I expect something as bad as the worst-case scenario, however.

In my gut, do I think BC’s win total will increase from last season? Yes. By a lot? No. Aside from a few coaching upgrades or reassignments, I still can’t pinpoint where exactly the team got better this offseason, either by improving the talent or rectifying depth issues. In certain areas, BC has less depth than last year, and that’s already being exposed by some key injuries. If everything went perfectly, they’d win seven, but I think planning on more than that is asking too much.

The most likely outcome is a five or six-win season. This is how I’ve felt almost all summer and little has happened to alter that view. I understand that the difference between five and six is huge, but at this stage I’m not sure myself which it’s going to be. I would tend to lean towards five, but acknowledge six, and a bowl bid, as a distinct possibility.

My new-found sense of optimism surrounding this program is in more of a long-term sense, not so much a short-term one. I have not forgotten how many problems BC had last year, and it would be both intellectually dishonest and lazy for me to brush them aside as flukes. They might fix a few, but probably not all.

Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

The penultimate article of the 101 Days of Boston College Football is not about firm predictions per se. Rather, it is about the expectations that will feed into those predictions. These are the things that Eagles players, coaches, and fans know must happen in order for this team to show real improvement, but it’s also a matter of whether or not they’ll be expected to clear those high bars. Consider this part one of the predictions article.

For some perspective, expectations in 2008 were for a good team, but one that would take a big step back without Matt Ryan. They won the ACC Atlantic again, so one might say they exceeded them. In 2009, Frank Spaziani’s first year, the Eagles were panned by the media but won 8 games. The win total certainly exceeded expectations, though the play of the offense was far from adequate. In 2010, with a relatively easy schedule, there was a belief that BC would cruise to a good record and contend for the ACC Atlantic title. Instead, they eked out 7 wins after starting the season 2-5. Finally, last season, many had this team pegged at about 6-6 or 7-5, but the bottom fell out and they went 4-8.

Boston College enters the 2012 season having been disappointing each of the previous two years. What we all want to know is this: Which way will this season break?

This is BC football’s expectations baseline as I see it heading into this season:

• Exceeding the win total from last season. 2011 was a nightmare, but to carve out a new low would be completely unacceptable. Five wins is a low bar to clear, so there are no excuses on this one.

• The offense escapes the triple-digit rankings. The expectation here shouldn’t be that the Eagles’ offense will take a massive jump into the top quarter of FBS. I know lots of folks here like Doug Martin, but you have to learn to walk before you can run, and after three straight years in the total yardage and scoring offense gutter, it’s imprudent to expect BC to go from one of the worst offenses to one of the best overnight. Moving out of the 100s in those rankings is a must, however.

• We’ll know what we have in Chase Rettig. I’m not sure what I expect from him personally, to be honest, but one thing that’s certain is that by late November, we’ll know whether or not the Rettig era at BC will amount to much. This is his junior year, and it’s make-or-break. If he doesn’t put it all together in 2012, he probably never will. There is a lot of pressure on Rettig, but he (and his offensive line) has to make it work or this team’s not going anywhere.

• Kevin Pierre-Louis takes over on defense. No more Luke Kuechly, and nobody is going to replace him in any sense because, as they say (paraphrased) in memes, one does not simply replace one of the best BC defensive players of all-time. Nevertheless, someone is going to step up and take charge, and the likely candidate is KPL. He’s primed for a big year — not Kuechly big, but big enough. Pierre-Louis may be the best player on the team right now, so look towards him.

• Kaleb Ramsey helps lift run defense back to above-average levels. The Eagles run defense regressed last season, from #1 in the nation in 2010 to middle-of-the-pack in 2011. With Kaleb Ramsey moving back to the interior of BC’s defensive line, that should help contain opposing run games a little.

Tomorrow, the 101st day and the season prediction.

Yesterday, it was the six easiest games on the schedule (though that is a relative term), and today, it’s the six most difficult. Any team on this list isn’t going to be a pushover, and chances are Boston College will have to fight and claw every step of the way if they plan on winning.

We begin with #6, and work all the way up to the hardest game the Eagles will play this season.

Georgia Tech was an 8-win team last season, and are expected to be in second or third place in the ACC Coastal once again. Their offense is entirely one-dimensional as they run, run, and run some more, which ought to take some pressure off of BC’s thin secondary, but the Eagles’ defensive line has to be better at the point of attack and shut down the run more effectively than they did last season. Having Kaleb Ramsey back will help, but this game looks like no cakewalk.

GT only lost two home games last season, both to Top 15 teams. They defend their home field pretty well, score a lot of points, and play decent defense (the Jackets were more average in that department last year). This team isn’t far from being ranked, so they will be a tough test for the Eagles.

An entire college football season for most teams is twelve games. When you think about professional sports, or even some other college games like basketball or hockey, they’ve got so many more contests, but in this sport, a dozen games is all you get. A swing of one or two either way can be the difference between a great season or disappointment.

Boston College has twelve games to come this season, but which are the easiest and which are hardest? First, we look at the six easier games. One never wants to take any opponent lightly, but if BC is going to find themselves six wins, chances are most will come from this pile.

The easiest game on BC’s schedule has to be the FCS game. That would be Maine, the second game of the season at Alumni Stadium. Boston College may have had issues with most everyone else, but when it comes to schools at the lower division, the Eagles haven’t toyed around with them.

The Black Bears were actually good last year for an FCS team, going 9-4 overall and winning a playoff game before losing in the national quarterfinals to Georgia Southern. That probably won’t make much of a difference as the talent levels are different, but they weren’t terrible.

Of note: Maine played Pittsburgh to within a touchdown last season, losing at Pitt, 35-29.

Daniel Shirey-US PRESWIRE

The final unit preview of the 101 Days is one that had some problems in 2011. Boston College’s defensive secondary took consecutive knocks before the season even began, losing Dominick LeGrande and Okechukwu Okoroha approximately one year ago today. This led to some new faces working their way into the rotation, and while some were pleasant surprises, others did not impress. What’s in store for this group in 2012?

Boston College Secondary, 2012

Coaches
Mike Siravo
Tom Boudreau, grad assistant
Sean Welch, grad assistant

Current depth chart
Cornerback
Manny Asprilla, sophomore
Al-Louis Jean, sophomore [injured]
CJ Jones, sophomore*
James McCaffrey, sophomore

Safety
Josh Keyes, sophomore
Jim Noel, senior
Spenser Rositano, sophomore
Sean Sylvia, sophomore
Dominique Williams, sophomore

Others
Ted Davenport, sophomore†
Dave Dudeck, freshman
Bryce Jones, freshman
Ameer Richardson, redshirt freshman
Griff Rogan, sophomore
Justin Simmons, freshman
Zach Wolfe, redshirt freshman

* – coming off of major injury; status a matter of dispute
† – being converted to running back

The Eagles secondary got some mixed reviews against opposing teams last season. While they did rank 37th in the nation in pass efficiency defense and 43rd in interceptions, they came in 81st in passing yards allowed. This unit was led then by Donnie Fletcher, a senior captain who did not have the kind of finish he would have liked, though other new faces stepped up. For example, Manny Asprilla had a solid season as a true freshman, making 30 tackles, breaking up three passes, and even coming up with a sack.

The player who led the secondary in tackles last season was Spenser Rositano, a true freshman who racked up 40 of them. Rositano’s season hit its peak on a special teams play when he blocked a punt early in the season. Unfortunately, and he was not alone in this, there were some plays he had last season that didn’t belong on a personal highlight reel.

Boston College, since the start of the Spaziani days, has been partial to the “cushion” style of play in this area of the field. Defenders play well off the receivers, allowing other teams to collect some extra yardage before the tackle. Some years you can live with it, and some years you can’t. In the past, the Eagles have been able to bend but not break, though last year, they broke a little more often, being closer to average in scoring defense.

Now, this group will be without Al Louis-Jean for at least the first few games, and might also be without CJ Jones, though his status remains a mystery. As mentioned elsewhere, give Jones a little honeymoon period when he does get back into the lineup after his major injury. Nevertheless, like in most other areas of the team, a lack of depth is being exposed back here. The guys who are supposed to be starting are fine on their own, but behind that, you’re throwing a lot of inexperience out there. The fact that Jim Noel is the only upperclassman in the entire secondary does stand out. If ALJ and Jones return and no other harm comes to this group, BC can get by, but if there’s a wave of injuries here, Boston Collge will be in a most undesirable position.

Joshua S. Kelly-US PRESSWIRE

The more potent of the two offensive halves of Boston College these last few years has undergone many changes. When the Spaziani era began, BC had the “1-2 punch” of Josh Haden and Montel Harris. That became just Montel Harris, who had a great BC career before injuries sidelined him and he was unceremoniously dismissed from the team. It’s now officially a new day for this unit as Rolandan Finch looks to do greater things as the Eagles’ featured back.

Boston College Rushing Offense, 2012

Coach
Sean Desai

Special coordinator
Jim Bollman

Current depth chart
Running back
Rolandan Finch, junior
Tahj Kimble, sophomore

Fullback (position not listed on depth chart)
Jake Sinkovec, junior

Offensive line
See offensive line preview

Others
George Craan, freshman
Mike Javorski, senior
Paul Maglio, junior
Andre Williams, junior

This unit was leaned on more heavily than the passing game last season, and part of that had to do with the relative success that Rolandan Finch and his backups had running the football. BC totaled over 100 more rushing attempts than quarterback throws, but in spite of that, the Eagles only had the 8th-most prolific run offense in the ACC in 2011. Their 130.9 yards per game was about average nationally, but 20 yards fewer than the opponent average for last season. Seven teams in the ACC had more yards per carry than the Eagles.

Actually, the Eagles’ stats are inflated a bit by the Maryland “snow game,” in which they ran 62 times for 372 yards. BC spread about 1200 yards over the remaining eleven games, the average of which (109 ypg) would have dropped them to 10th in the ACC. Finch and the others have some talent, there’s no denying that, though the offensive line didn’t really help matters. Looking at what they accomplished last season objectively, however, the BC run game had its bright spots but was no better than decent.

You can attribute this to the loss of Montel Harris (aside from a game and a half) if you’d like, but BC’s rush offense was 9th in the conference with Harris in 2010 and managed a few less yards, with about the same in yards per carry. It’s not worth worrying about not having him anymore because they’re roughly at the same level of production as-is, and he wouldn’t be here much longer, anyway.

Heading into this season, we’ve heard of an injury to Rolandan Finch, and Andre Williams and Tahj Kimble have both been sidelined for much of summer practice. In the latest scrimmage, BC offered up walk-on Mike Javorski and Ted Davenport, cornerback, at the halfback position. This makes my overall point on depth, and BC’s lack of it, quite clear.

With Doug Martin coming in and pledging to open up the passing game, it’s possible that we’ll see the Eagles rely on Finch, Tahj Kimble, and Andre Williams less (though the injury status of the latter has been a matter of dispute for some time and we may have to wait until September 1 to see if he gets into the games). Still, more creativity is needed here as well. There were a number of times last season where Boston College stuck to some very conservative, predictable runs in places where they were not necessary, and this lack of boldness helped send the team to eight losses. Martin certainly needs to diversify the passing playbook, but some variation in the rushing attack will help as well.

Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE

There are two things that Boston College football fans have learned since 2009: loyalty is a great career advancement tool and that all good things must come to an end. Head football coach Frank Spaziani’s tenure at Boston College as the man in charge has definitively proven both to be true. As he enters his fourth season, he does so under the intense scrutiny of fans and national media who have placed him atop their “hot seat” lists.

A native of northern New Jersey, Spaziani was a defensive end in college for The Pennsylvania State University during much happier times in Happy Valley. His first coaching gig was under Joe Paterno (and Jerry Sandusky, unfortunately) as a defensive grad assistant while Paterno was still in his first decade and the latter just became defensive line coach. In 1970, he left his alma mater to pursue a Master’s Degree from Seton Hall while serving as a coach at Hempstead High School on Long Island and Raritan High in New Jersey.

Spaziani returned to the collegiate ranks in 1975 at Navy under coach George Welsh, himself a former Penn State assistant during Spaziani’s playing days. In 1982, Welsh took the job at Virginia and brought Spaz with him, eventually making him the defensive coordinator in 1985. He left Virginia after the 1990 season and following a year out of major football, Spaziani was hired as the defensive coordinator of the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He spent five years north of the border before Tom O’Brien brought him to Boston College in 1997. In the first two of those seasons, he served as running backs coach, but became defensive coordinator in 1999.

Finally, after being passed over in late 2006 following Tom O’Brien’s departure, Spaziani won in his quest to become head coach, taking over for Jeff Jagodzinski in 2009. Since then, Boston College’s win total has declined annually, down to just four in 2011. The good thing that came to an end was BC’s bowl streak last year, snapped after a dozen winning seasons.

Most would probably agree that Frank Spaziani’s defenses were quite good when he coordinated them. They might not have always been the best in the country, but they earned him and his players respect. The unfortunate thing is that his track record as head coach is taking a blowtorch to his legacy. Fond memories of better days with him coaching the defense have been replaced by recent lousy seasons and a program that is no longer in the top half of the ACC.

With the coming change in athletic directors, chances are that Frank Spaziani is on his way out, one way or another. I have long advocated for his departure, but at the same time, I want him to succeed this year. Not for his own sake, but for our seniors and everyone else putting on the uniform. I have a greater sense of long-term optimism for this program now, so Spaz can have his happy ending in 2012. If he doesn’t, well, it probably won’t make a difference anyway.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Boston College football’s passing offense has left much to be desired since 2009. Far away are the days of Matt Ryan charging his team down the field, that’s for sure. In comes a new offensive coordinator with a penchant for the pass; can he finally get this unit back on the right track after so many years of frustration?

Boston College Passing Offense, 2012

Offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach
Doug Martin

Assistant coaches
Jim Bollman, offensive line
Sean Devine, tight ends
Aaron Smith, wide receivers
Rich Gunnell, offensive grad assistant (BC WR, 2006-2009)
Cory Martin, offensive grad assistant (Doug Martin’s son)

Current depth chart
Quarterback
Chase Rettig, junior [starter]
Josh Bordner, sophomore

Wide receivers
Alex Amidon, junior [starter]
Johnathan Coleman, junior
Spiffy Evans, sophomore
Colin Larmond, Jr., senior [starter]
Brian Miller, redshirt freshman
Bobby Swigert, junior [starter]

Tight ends
Chris Pantale, senior [injured]
Mike Naples, junior
Dave Bowen, redshirt freshman*

Others
Shane Cranmore, sophomore, QB
Dan Crimmins, freshman, TE/WR
Jarrett Darmstatter, sophomore, TE
Carmen Dello Iacono, sophomore, TE
Donte Elliott, senior, WR
Mike Giacone, freshman, TE
Marcus Grant, sophomore, WR [ineligible]
Harrison Jackson, freshman, WR
Jeffrey Jay, sophomore, WR
Joe LaCorte, senior, WR
Austin Lommen, freshman, QB
Mike Marscovetra, senior, QB
Nigel Matthews, freshman, WR
CJ Parsons, sophomore, TE
Griff Rogan, sophomore, WR
Dave Shinskie, senior, QB
Christian Suntrup, redshirt freshman, QB
Joel Zoungrana, freshman, WR

*Offensive lineman now converted to TE

Boston College had one of the worst offenses in the nation last year. That is not opinion, either: it’s a fact. The numbers got downright ugly in 2011; first, as it pertains to the passing game:

• 167.83 passing ypg (100th FBS, 11th ACC)
• 111.66 passer rating (103rd FBS, 11th ACC)

And as for the rest of the team:

• 298.75 ypg (112th FBS, 12th ACC)
• 18.17 ppg (112th FBS, 12th ACC)
• 15.92 first downs per game (111th FBS, 12th ACC)
• 72% red zone conversions (107th FBS, T-10th ACC)
• 37.35% third-down conversions (91st FBS, 10th ACC)

I don’t care what anybody says: this is not going to be an easy fix. Boston College has had several years just like the last one on that side of the football, and 2011 may have been the worst yet. Literally nothing worked, and just as much blame was appropriated to the playcallers as the players themselves for execution. Now, BC is on a fourth offensive coordinator in four years under Frank Spaziani, and the playbook changes once again.

This will be a make-or-break year for Chase Rettig. He is going into his junior year, and if he doesn’t put it all together here, a likely new coach (under the new athletic director) in 2013 might not let him stick around as the starter for one more go. In fact, he might not even get to finish the year if he struggles. He got little help from his offensive line in 2011, which hurt matters quite a bit, but Rettig’s accuracy and poise were suspect at times. The best drive Rettig led all season was near the end of the first half at Notre Dame, but glimmers of hope like that are all we got. His backup, Josh Bordner, got playing time last season in a cheap imitation of the Wildcat, but I am not as yet convinced that he is ready to step in as the starter if needed. After all, if spring games were decisive and relevant, Mike Marscovetra would have been BC’s starter in 2010.

The receiving corps no longer has Ifeanyi Momah, who got inexplicably screwed out of a medical redshirt by the NCAA, but it’s still solid. Bobby Swigert, Alex Amidon, and Colin Larmond may not be the flashiest wide-outs, but they are consistent and reliable. The others and new guys coming in behind them also have had some success, whether at this level or in the high school game.

Doug Martin has expressed great interest in opening up the passing game, but we may have to see it to believe it with the way things have gone around here lately. Amongst other things, he’ll try to implement more of a vertical passing game with Rettig and attempt to utilize the tight ends. Of course, Chris Pantale getting hurt in practice didn’t help, and now BC is preparing to play an offensive lineman at that position. That would be Dave Bowen, though it does not fill me with good tidings to hear that a 285-pound lineman got trucked by a safety who is 80 pounds lighter (both for the fact that Bowen got hurt and they were going full-contact, allowing this to happen).

Without the offensive line holding up, this team is going nowhere, but if it can, Martin will have to open up the playbook and actually exercise some creativity. There are other moving variables, however, like Rettig’s accuracy and/or receivers catching the ball, but practice makes perfect. I’ll have respect for a team that tries to hit the home run by stretching the field every now and then, as opposed to the 2011 team that ran draw plays on 2nd or 3rd & forever and stayed conservative to a fault. I do not envy Doug Martin his task.

Boston College football is set to welcome its fifth offensive coordinator since 2008. First, there was Steve Logan in 2007 and 2008, followed by Gary Tranquill in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, an NFL coach by the name of Kevin Rogers was brought in, but he left about as soon as his tenure started. Dave Brock replaced him, and now with Brock off to Rutgers (he’d have been demoted to special teams anyway), Doug Martin steps in to try to tame a lackluster BC offense.

Martin has an SEC background, having played for the University of Kentucky Wildcats. Martin was a quarterback and later a holder for some pretty good teams, at least one of which won a bowl game. After graduating from UK in 1985, Martin signed on as a graduate assistant for the 1986 and 1987 seasons.

His first real coaching gig came in 1988 when East Tennessee State hired Martin to be the running backs coach. After just one season in his native Volunteer State, Martin was promoted to offensive coordinator, with side jobs coaching the quarterbacks and wide receivers. Martin’s work there got him bumped up a step to East Carolina, with which he stayed for 11 seasons. He eventually, he got promoted there from tight ends and special teams coordinator all the way up to offensive coordinator, remaining in that post between the 1996 and 2002 seasons.

A lateral move came for Martin in 2003 with the Kent State Golden Flashes making him their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. It only took him one year to get his first, and to date only, shot at the big chair. In 2004, Kent State made him the head coach. Martin’s best season was a 6-6 campaign in 2006; overall, he was 29-53 as coach of the Golden Flashes before resigning in November 2010.

Martin did not remain unemployed for long, as the Aggies of New Mexico State made him their offensive coordinator for 2011. His team was average offensively (and definitively better than Boston College, which says more about us than it does about them). The 4-9 Aggies were 47th in total offense in the nation, but just 79th in scoring offense; the two of those together give you a middle-of-the-pack squad, which for the WAC probably isn’t so bad. Running back Kenny Turner cracked the FBS top 50 in yards per game under Martin’s watch.

Martin’s task is easy to explain but hard to execute: fix this disastrous offense. He is inheriting a unit that has spent several years languishing in the triple-digits in key offensive rankings and is closing in on three years since the last time they hung 30 points on another FBS team. The offensive line has been breaking down and our quarterback isn’t taking big strides. The rushing game has some talented backs, but for all they run the football, they can’t get out of the bottom half of the conference in yardage (and now BC has injury/depth issues there). The tight end position has been underutilized and conservative game-planning has shackled creativity. All of this needs to change under Martin.

Can Martin prove up to the task? It’s not imprudent to take a wait and see approach. Others have recently tried and failed to get this offense back on track, so guaranteeing results given BC’s track record since 2009 wouldn’t be wise. It’s our hope that he can finally break the spell of poor play from this unit, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work.

Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

From 2009 to 2011, Boston College’s linebacking corps had a very special guy in the middle. That individual ended up breaking the BC tackle record in just three seasons before becoming a top-ten NFL draft pick. The teammates that Luke Kuechly left behind in this unit might not be future NFL superstars like him, but they’re still the best group on the team.

Boston College Linebacking, 2012

Coach
Bill McGovern

Current depth chart
Strong-side linebacker
Steele Divitto, junior [starter]
Andre Lawrence, junior

Middle linebacker
Sean Duggan, sophomore [starter]
Nick Lifka, redshirt freshman

Weak-side linebacker
Kevin Pierre-Louis, junior [starter]
Nick Clancy, senior

Others
Patrick Bowler, junior
AJ Caruso, freshman
Steven Daniels, freshman
Michael Gaffney, freshman
Connor Galligan, sophomore
Tim Joy, freshman
Mike Strizak, freshman
Bobby Wolford, freshman

Even without Luke Kuechly racking up almost 200 tackles, this unit still boasts some of the best talent on the team. I don’t intend this as a slight to the current linebackers, but when you take the the best linebacker in the country out of the rotation, your group is going to appear worse by default, and as such, players here and there (like Kevin Pierre-Louis and Sean Duggan, Kuechly’s likely replacement) will be unfairly compared to him all year. We don’t have any Kuechlys these days, but this group is still good and should be respected. They can be successful doing their own thing.

Having Kuechly in the middle depressed stats for just about everyone in this region of the field. Instead of other guys stepping up and snatching some of those tackles, Kuechly behaved like a heat-seeking missile and did a lot of the work by himself. Now, in 2012, new linebackers will get the chance to rise up. The most likely candidate to lead this unit in tackles is Pierre-Louis, who was second on the team to Kuechly with 74 (117 fewer).

Boston College will also get to see some new faces work their way into games, like Steven Daniels and Nick Lifka. The former will almost certainly not redshirt, as BC already made him wait a year in academic exile at Worcester Academy and they’ll want to pull the bubble wrap off of him right away. Lifka has already redshirted and will play in 2012. As for the other true freshman, they probably will — probably should — redshirt barring an unforeseen depth cataclysm.

Is it possible that having Kuechly here last season masked some deficiencies in the unit that would otherwise be apparent? Perhaps, though it certainly appeared that the rest of the linebackers played just fine by themselves. Regardless, now Boston College will learn what it truly has back here in terms of depth as they prepare for life without Luke. Led by Pierre-Louis and Divitto, it would be surprising if this group does not play well this season.