Massachusetts at Boston College: 5 big questions
By Joe Micik
1.) If BC loses this game, will they go 0-12?
Some would say that this is a trick question, because even a lousy BC team wouldn’t lose to UMass, but I didn’t think they’d lose to Duke, either. It’s unlikely, but it must be considered as a realistic possibility given how they’ve played.
Anyway, I’m hesitant to say yes, because there is always the possibility for a “WTF win” somewhere down the line, but I am absolutely convinced that a loss here would guarantee double-digit losses in 2011. For those who cannot do simple math without a calculator, this means BC would either go 2-10, 1-11, or the dreaded 0-12 (which would be a disaster so wide in breadth that GDF would have virtually no recourse but to fire the coach).
Consider the following, however: the last time Boston College lost to UMass was in 1978 — a year in which the Eagles went 0-11. Here are the other years in which the Eagles lost to UMass, complete with their final record: 1901 (1-8), 1902 (0-7-1), 1912 (2-4-1), 1972 (4-7). Now, clearly, you can’t read a whole lot into games so long ago, or a small sample size (since BC tends not to lose to UMass), but the historical trend indicates that the Boston College teams which do lose to UMass are really quite dreadful.
These days, the difference between BC and UMass is exacerbated by the FBS/FCS divide, so losing to them would probably be more damning than, say, 33 years ago when the level now known as FCS was formed (and the last time that BC lost to UMass). Losing to this team would be nothing short of catastrophic and would point towards a 10-12 loss season. Frankly, if they can’t beat the easiest team on their schedule, then who can they beat?