Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te

Manti Te’o. Where can I start? This is literally the story that has shocked the sporting world and all people with simple common sense. Released by Deadspin, millions of people have taken the opportunity to sift through the mammoth report compiled by Timothy Burke and Jack Dickey. Their relentless patrol of the Internet uncovered that the “girlfriend” of the superstar Notre Dame linebacker who was said to have died from complications of leukemia on September 12^th, only hours after the passing of his grandmother(which has been confirmed).

In the lead up to the Notre Dame-Michigan State game that week, America held sorrow in their hearts for Te’o, who played despite the obvious grief he displayed on the field, racking up 12 tackles, leading the Irish to the upset over the Spartans (ranked tenth in the nation at that point). But that valiant performance is now clouded over by the non-existence of his girlfriend Lennay Kekua.

Yes, Notre Dame and Manti Te’o have both released statements declaring that they found out about the hoax in late December and that the All American linebacker is a victim of a cruel prank over social media. Some of the Deadspin writers, along with many fans, find this explanation to be faulty and believe that Te’o made up the sob story about the girlfriend for extra publicity.

I’m not going to broach an opinion on who’s right in this situation. The information is out there for all you to examine and make a decision on. Anyways, it’s still unraveling and anything can change. I don’t happen to share the same disdain that Joe has for the Domers, and am willing to get Manti a decent shot at explaining himself before continuing the “fake girlfriend” jokes.

What I really want to examine is what would happen if something like this happened at Boston College. Let’s say right after the BC victory in Coral Gables at the end of the 2011 regular season, it came out that Luke Kuechly had a fake girlfriend. Let’s say she “died” around the Duke game.

We first have to presume that since Kuechly doesn’t have as much popularity due to the minimal stature of the Eagles football program, but the obsessed writers at Deadspin figure out the plot. The Boston College administration follows the same steps as Notre Dame and our star linebacker releases a Te’o-like statement.

At this point, Twitter and social media are starting to make the same wisecracks that we are giggling at right about now and maybe even some of the Boston College students, trying to display that they are unfazed by the news, join in the frenzy.

Yet on the whole, the reaction on campus would most likely be grim. I’d compare it to the silence from New Englanders that shrowded the mornings after the Red Sox collapse and the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss. There wouldn’t be much laughter and probably no audible conversation about the matter. Luke Kuechly has been the brightest spot for Boston College Football since Matt Ryan.

The now-fallen star from a damaged season would completely devastate us, unlike anything that 4-8 2011 Eagles could have done.

If you have any thoughts, opinions on this scenario or just want to rant about Manti Te’o just leave them in the comments section below.

Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Last night, an interesting debate erupted on the ol’ “Twitter machine,” and it’s one that most Boston College fans who are well-acquainted with the coaching search have probably considered by now. It is fair to say at this point, without knowing any further details on how many times he has interviewed or when he plans to meet Brad Bates, that Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco is a serious candidate for the Eagles’ job. With that said, a unique scenario is unfolding, as Diaco is slated to coach the Irish defense in the national title game on January 7. If hired by Boston College, there becomes an issue regarding when his job would start.

Now, before we go any further, it must be stressed again that this is only presumptive, and this website has no inside knowledge from which to imply Diaco is being hired. This is merely a hypothetical debate that Brad Bates, and Diaco himself, are probably having.

The issue at hand is that you’ve got two camps. One says that Diaco should walk away from Notre Dame immediately and devote himself to Boston College, particularly on the recruiting trail. The other says that if he wants to stay and coach his defense in the BCS Championship, then that would be fair because, after all, it’s technically the only bowl game that isn’t an exhibition.

Those on the “Diaco should leave now” side would make several arguments: Boston College needs the extra month from Diaco to rebuild and Notre Dame would only be losing a coordinator, not a head coach, so someone can simply fill in. On the other side, they argue that if BC were to hire an NFL coach, we would have the same problem of waiting for the coach to start (especially now, since you can’t ask an NFL coordinator to quit in the middle of the regular season), and that the assistants can pick up the recruiting slack, as they’ve done already, until Diaco starts.

It’s interesting to ponder, but it’s not one of those situations where there’s “no right or wrong answer” because there definitely is a right answer: whatever Brad Bates and Father Leahy say it is. If Diaco wants the BC job but desires to wait until after January 7 to start, will Bates spurn him? That’s a fair question to consider, but we don’t know Bates’ thoughts on the matter. If he wants a coach to be able to start immediately, then that would probably eliminate the NFL guys for the aforementioned mid-season quitting reasons, but it could also present a problem in that BC might swipe a lesser coach just because they’re not willing to wait. That would seem counterproductive.

Only one recent scenario comes to mind that is somewhat analogous: Penn State’s Bill O’Brien was hired a month before his season with the New England Patriots ended, and despite being named the Nittany Lions’ coach, he remained offensive coordinator through the Super Bowl. O’Brien lost a month in recruiting and things have definitely gone better than expected there, but that’s them and this is Boston College; who knows if we would be so lucky.

Nevertheless, chances are that if Bob Diaco is hired by Boston College to rebuild this program, he will have some decisions to make about his short-term future with Notre Dame and how much help he can be to his new school prior to January 7. If he is hired, of course.

According to Eric Hoffses, reporter for Eagle Action, Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco will interview with athletic director Brad Bates early this week.

@eahoffses reporting on our site that he hears ND DC Bob Diaco will interview for BC job early this week #bceagles #wearebc

— EagleAction (@RealEagleAction) December 2, 2012

Diaco is one of the most high-profile names to emerge yet, and his stock is clearly high as the Fighting Irish are number one in the nation and Diaco’s defense has been stellar. There are no further details available as to the meeting location or the precise date, but it is expected to happen within the next few days.

Few names have trickled out so far relative to this search, but Bates has related to the fans on multiple occasions over the weekend that there is strong interest in the position. Pete Roussel of Coaching Search, relaying a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, has named San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator (and BC alum) Pete Carmichael, Jr., Saints offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan as willing to listen to Boston College.

Diaco is high up the Soaring to Glory coaches’ board because of his recruiting ability and excellent job coaching the Irish defense. It has been this editor’s belief since before Frank Spaziani was fired that Diaco would be a serious candidate when all was said and done, and it appears as though that will be the case.

Hope sprung eternal on Boston College’s campus, until Saturday night’s football game began.

When it was played, the #4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Boston College Eagles, 21-6. BC has now lost all four games to Notre Dame under head coach Frank Spaziani and falls to 2-8 on the season, matching last season’s loss total with two games remaining. For the weekend, with Eagles hockey winning on Friday night, BC split their two games against Notre Dame on Holy War Weekend.

In what turned out to be an expected low-scoring, slow-paced game, neither team scored more than a touchdown in any individual quarter. Notre Dame got on the scoreboard first with a 95-yard drive in the first quarter which gave them a 7-0 lead. Boston College eventually answered with a field goal to start the second quarter, but the Irish then scored two more unanswered touchdowns: on an 87-yard drive with 26 seconds to go in the first half, and on a 65-yard drive to open the third quarter. At this point, the contest was 21-3, but the Eagles added a Nate Freese season-long field goal with 13:44 remaining for the final 21-6 margin.

On the surface, it would appear that Boston College’s defense did an alright job in holding Notre Dame to 21 points, but the underlying numbers speak to a shaky performance. The Irish amassed just short of 400 yards and ran for 184, but the most telling statistic was Notre Dame going 11-for-14 on third down conversions, making their first ten in a row. Aside from two forced fumbles, the Eagles once more had a great deal of trouble getting off the field, and the tackling was highly suspect again.

At times, the Boston College offensive line appeared to give quarterback Chase Rettig plenty of time, but on the other hand, he was sacked five times. Furthermore, the running game was again ineffective, coming up with a net of only 53 yards. Rolandan Finch returned from his exile with seven carries for 40 yards.

The story, if any, during this exceptionally boring football game was Alex Amidon, who broke the Boston College single-season receiving record. It was previously set by Brian Brennan during the 1983 season; Amidon currently has 1,158 yards and is far and away the team leader.

This was another contest where it never truly felt like the Eagles were in the game, though the scoreboard said they were. It is a recurring theme for Boston College, who are lately struggling to score points (the Eagles have been held to 20 or fewer points for five consecutive games). They could not get into an offensive rhythm, and the defense repeatedly breaking down on third down did not help get them back out on the field. Notre Dame did not play a thoroughly dominant game, but the Eagles could not get out of their own way and did not present themselves as a serious challenge.

“It could have been worse” is not a point of pride for this football team, because it should have been better. The entire season should have been better, but it wasn’t. Excuses have long since run out for the coaching staff, who will almost certainly be participating in their final home game next week against a below-average Virginia Tech team.

No matter what happens in football on Saturday or hockey on Sunday against Boston University, the Eagles have gotten on the board during their Holy War/Rivalry weekend.

On Friday night at Conte Forum, the #1 Boston College Eagles hockey team defeated the #8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 3-1. The win brings the Eagles to 7-1, their seventh win in a row and most high-profile victory of the season so far.

The first period was a scoreless, relatively even frame between the visitors and defending national champions, but the second was not, because the Eagles dominated it. The first goal of the game came off of the stick of captain Pat Mullane on a breakaway during a 4-on-4 at 4:41, giving Boston College a 1-0 lead (assisted by Wey). That was Mullane’s fourth goal of the season.

It just wouldn’t be a BC hockey game, however, without Johnny Gaudreau making an appearance on the score sheet. He got there with a brilliant top-shelf shot over Steven Summerhays at 16:30 of the second period, putting the Eagles ahead, 2-0 (assisted by Matheson). The Gaudreau goal was one of twelve Boston College shots during the period, compared to just two for Notre Dame.

The third was a little sloppier at first for the Eagles as the team did not get off to a great start. A scrum in front of the net at the 7:10 mark led to Notre Dame’s only goal of the game. Thomas DiPauli tucked it in the net to make the score 2-1; it was reviewed to see if it was kicked in, but the call on the ice was upheld (assisted by Schneider).

From there, the Eagles buckled down. For good measure, Gaudreau ensured that his name was well and truly remembered by the home fans, potting an empty net goal with about three seconds remaining in the game (assisted by Arnold). It was Gaudreau’s second goal of the game, and sixth on the season.

Boston College’s offense didn’t do anything extraordinarily special as a team against Notre Dame’s solid defense, but Parker Milner took over from there. In fact, for the entire game, Milner was sensational, making tough save after tough save and keeping the Fighting Irish sticks mostly quiet. The Irish only got off 20 shots of their own, and that too could be owed to an exceptional defensive effort. Boston College’s shot total for the game was 22, and though they only scored two goals with a net-minder on the ice, they had many more opportunities. Summerhays had a good game in-goal himself, but it was not good enough to hand Notre Dame the win.

This was a strong performance for Boston College against another very good team. Gaudreau and Mullane provided some exciting goals, but it may not have been enough without Milner’s help, which was crucial in the victory.

Boston College travels to Agganis Arena on Sunday afternoon for their next game at Boston University.

Matt Cashore-US PRESSWIRE

They say that hope springs eternal. Lately, that has not been the case surrounding the Boston College football team as they’re 2-7 overall and, dating back to the start of 2011, have gone 6-15. When the Fighting Irish are on the schedule, however, Boston College fans always want a reason to believe.

I’d like to give you one, and I’m not going to dissuade you from rooting for your team or hoping for the big upset, but I do have to maintain an air of impartiality.

How Boston College Will Win
The Eagles can win this game if they do what all of these other teams who played Notre Dame close did not: find a way not to screw up a low-scoring game. Low-scoring is what it will have to be, because ND’s defense is probably going to be very unkind. The Eagles not only have to face an elite defense, but they do so having not been greatly effective on offense over the last several games. Notre Dame’s offense is only average (overall, but are good at rushing); to win, the Eagles will need to find a way to finally stop a good running game. If they do that, they may have a shot. BC does need several things to break their way, probably not the least of which is luck. That has been almost universally on the side of Notre Dame so far this season, if their multiple close wins are any indication.

How Notre Dame Will Win
Notre Dame will win the game if their defense plays like it’s second in points allowed in FBS and the BC defense gets thoroughly gashed on the ground (which would not be the first time). That wouldn’t just be a recipe for a loss — it might be a recipe for Notre Dame to cover that enormous spread. If the Irish play their game and don’t screw around, the fact is that they will probably win.

Bottom Line
Notre Dame cannot afford to take BC or any team lightly, because (1) they are playing for a national title and (2) the Eagles now have nothing to lose and a home game against a bitter rival. On the other hand, Boston College has lost to far, far worse teams than Notre Dame this year and don’t appear much closer to figuring out their problems. The Irish have just gotten by frequently enough in the last month, which is why I am inclined to believe that they don’t cover the spread, but logically, the statistics and the odds favor them by a decently-sized margin. Anything can happen in games like these so one can’t rule out the possibility of an upset, but it is more unlikely than likely. I’m 7-for-9 on these picks this year, so I’ve got a good batting average, but of course I’d like to be wrong on Saturday.

STG Outlook: Notre Dame at Boston College
• Score Estimate: Notre Dame 21, Boston College 10 (ND by 11)
• Highly unlikely that both teams will score 30+ points
• Some chance Notre Dame will cover spread (-19), but unlikely

Additional Notes
• Notre Dame has won three in a row against Boston College
• Notre Dame won the last meeting at Alumni Stadium, 31-13, in 2010

Matt Cashore-US PRESSWIRE

Holy War Weekend brings out all of the Superfans’ interest, even if these days, hockey gets more of the attention. There’s still a nationally-televised football game coming up as well, and the eyes of America will be on Alumni Stadium. This week’s 5 Big Questions will be answered by the opposing side: Andrew of Slap the Sign, Fansided’s Notre Dame home base.

5. To outside observers, it seems like Notre Dame keeps miraculously pulling games out of the fire this season. What do you think is behind it? Talent? Luck? Ability to execute at big moments? All or none of the above?

Slap the Sign: Any undefeated team needs a little bit of luck. For example, every undefeated team this season, including Alabama, has had things break their way in order to remain unblemished. Notre Dame has garnered a significant amount of luck this season. But, luck only gets teams so far. Notre Dame’s toughness is driving the turnaround this season. The Fighting Irish are a physically and mentally tough team that outlasts their opponents in the fourth quarter. Brian Kelly’s coaching had instilled this idea in them. It has taken three years to gain full effect but we are now seeing the rewards of his coaching. For example, this is a Notre Dame team that will not quit. They dominated Pitt late in the 4th quarter and in overtime because they were the more physical team. This was also key in the victory against Stanford in which Notre Dame halted Stanford at the goal line in OT.

Matt Cashore-US PRESSWIRE

If there is one weakness that Boston College football has above all others, it is defense. This unit has, for the most part, not had a good 2012 and the final numbers probably will not be too impressive. Notre Dame, despite being a Top 5 team, also has a weakness (if one can call it that), and it is their offense. The meeting of these two could produce some spectacularly crappy football.

First, the Notre Dame offense. The statistics aren’t bad across the board, but the bottom line is more meh than wow. As a team, the Fighting Irish are 61st — almost dead in the middle — in the country in total yardage (404.44 ypg) and 71st in scoring (26.67 ppg). These have improved somewhat in recent weeks, and not a moment too soon for them, because the games are getting more crucial each week.

Notre Dame’s run game is actually good. They rush for just over 200 yards per game, which is 30th in FBS. Indeed, their rushing offense is far more prolific than their passing game, in that it has resulted in 18 touchdowns (compared to 8 passing TDs) and nearly as many yards as they’ve thrown for with Everett Golson. This sophomore quarterback out of South Carolina has 219 rushing yards on the season but is only fourth in that category on his own team. Notre Dame’s feature back has been Theo Riddick, who leads the team with 610 yards.

They do not pass nearly as much as they run, but their offense has spread the ball out in that regard. In total, 14 Notre Dame players have caught a pass this season, but that’s nothing compared to BC, who have had 17 different players with a reception. Junior TJ Jones has the most receptions on the team with 31, which is about one-fifth of the total. Put that against Boston College, where Alex Amidon has 67 of BC’s 200 receptions, or about one-third.

The sum of all of those numbers is that Notre Dame’s offense is passable, but more one-dimensional (though they happen to do that dimension relatively well). Boston College’s defense, on the other hand, has had a very difficult year. They are now 109th in total defense out of 120 teams in FBS, allowing 478.56 yards per game. The scoring defense is 85th, with the Eagles giving up 30.89 points per game. The item that should be of most concern, however, is that BC’s run defense is 5th from the bottom, allowing 233.33 yards per game on the ground.

The gameplan for Notre Dame’s offense, as it has been for so many other teams that have faced the Eagles, is their typical: run the ball. It’s something they do particularly well, and stopping it is not something BC has been able to do with any regularity all season. Do not be surprised when Notre Dame keeps pounding the football. In fact, if that’s not their gameplan, it would be somewhat shocking. It’s not that BC is great against the pass, because they’re really not, but rushing is an area of strength for Notre Dame and Boston College should plan accordingly.

Notre Dame has the advantage when these two units are on the field, though it is not as much of an advantage as they have when their defense is present. The Irish are far from being Oregon, but they have been somewhat effective in certain offensive areas. Boston College, on the other hand, has been bad defensively in just about every conceivable way. The Eagles are going to need a big effort to hold the Notre Dame running offense down and give their own offense a chance to win.

Matt Cashore-US PRESSWIRE

Offense is not something for which the current Notre Dame Fighting Irish are known. It is lately also not a strong suit of the Boston College Eagles football team after a roller-coaster ride of a season for that unit. Notre Dame’s calling card is defense, and the Irish will pose a stiff threat to BC when those two groups are on the field on Saturday night.

The Eagles started off the 2012 campaign improved in this regard, as they had spent the 2009 through 2011 seasons being one of the worst offensive teams in the country. During the earlier stages of the year, Boston College looked like more of a threat to move the football (though only through the air, as a bad running game has been the one constant all season long), but over the last four games, the Eagles have leveled off.

Whether it’s BC’s opposing defenses getting better or the Eagles offense getting worse, the bottom line is that the offense has not been as potent lately. The Wake Forest defeat was the first time since Army that BC had gotten above 300 total yards, and they still have not exceeded 20 points in any game since then. The Eagles have just the 90th-most prolific total offense in the country, but have slipped to 96th in scoring with just 22.11 points per game. BC is ahead of where they were last season, more in certain areas of the offense than others, but with three-quarters of the year now over, it is safe to say that there will not be a sharp improvement from here on. Even if the Eagles play great on this side of the football for the last three games, the total body of work will still reflect a below-average performance with some individual bright spots.

Chase Rettig had been the brightest spot for most of the season, but the guy he throws it to the most is perhaps now shining just as brightly. Alex Amidon is on track to have a potentially record-setting season as Boston College’s #1 wide receiver. Rettig is still having a fine year statistically, but he has fallen off of his early pace for touchdowns and is gaining more interceptions. Regardless, it is the best year of his career so far, and without him, BC might not even have two wins.

The Eagles’ running game remains a major problem. Andre Williams, the last veteran running back left standing, was knocked out of the Wake Forest game, and though Frank Spaziani denies having sealed Rolandan Finch off from the football field, his services are apparently not wanted. If Williams is not able to go on Saturday, BC will be left with two converted defensive players, Dave Dudeck and James McCaffrey, and a bunch of walk-ons. Considering how the Eagles are already 118th out of 120 in rushing offense, it can’t get much worse, but it’s probably not going to get better, either. The run blocking is just as much to blame for that.

Defensively, not much is an issue for Notre Dame. Bob Diaco’s unit is currently ranked 10th in the nation in total defense, allowing just under 300 yards per game, and second in the country behind Alabama with 11.67 points per game. They allow only about 16 first downs per game, a little over a third of opponents’ third downs, and only 61% of red zone scoring chances, the latter of which is tied for fourth-best in FBS.

They do not have many weaknesses, if any at all. Led by Manti Te’o, the senior linebacker who is finally no longer obscured by Luke Kuechly, is having a tremendous season for the Fighting Irish. Truth is, Notre Dame has a number of playmakers on this side of the ball and the results speak for themselves. This may be the best defense Boston College faces this season, and moving the ball on them will not at all be easy.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, they’re strong neither offensively or defensively, which in this case creates a substantial mismatch. Pittsburgh is an average offensive team and they needed 60 minutes of regulation and three overtimes to score 26 points. Notre Dame recently also held a very good Oklahoma Sooners team to 13 in their own building. If the Eagles score more than 14 points, they should be very pleased with themselves.

Matt Cashore-US PRESSWIRE

Whether 7-2 or 2-7, whenever Notre Dame is on the schedule, people at Boston College notice. Students renting RVs and driving out to South Bend is something of a school tradition, but such expenses are hardly necessary when the game is at Alumni Stadium. Much like last year when these two teams met, the Eagles have very little for which to play, but in Notre Dame’s case, they’ve got a perfect season and potential national championship bid on the line.

After pulling another crazy win out of their posteriors on Saturday night, the Fighting Irish have improved to 9-0 and remain near the top of the BCS rankings. Such things cannot be said about the hosting Boston College Eagles, who were defeated by Wake Forest to fall to 2-7, eliminating them from bowl contention for the second straight year. The Eagles are almost certainly playing out the remaining few games in the tenure of head coach Frank Spaziani, who has guided the team to its worst stretch in over 15 years, while it is Notre Dame soaring high under Brian Kelly.

The bookies have recognized this and handed Boston College an embarrassing opening point spread: Notre Dame -20. It has fallen in early betting to -18.5. There’s no shame in losing to a good team, but that the Eagles are massive underdogs in their own building to a rival says a lot about this team, and none of it is good. Given how the Irish have had their close calls recently, a spread this big is intended to be just as much a statement of how bad BC is, not just how good Notre Dame is.

Boston College has not had success against the Fighting Irish since Spaziani was hired in 2009. The Eagles are 0-3 against Notre Dame in that stretch, with the most lopsided loss coming in 2010 at Alumni Stadium. That, for those who do not recall, was the night BC benched Dave Shinskie and Chase Rettig made his collegiate debut. Quite a lot has happened for the young man since then, who continues to mature into a respectable quarterback, though he did not have a great game against the Demon Deacons on Saturday.

Things have not gone well for the Eagles this year; they’re a frustrated team that only has their pride left. That is going to have to be enough for them as they face a team that is starting to believe they might be en route to a dream season. It will be a tough game