Re-Evaluating BC Football’s Second-Half Schedule
By Joe Micik
What we thought about this game in the offseason
Miami might be pretty good this year, but what about the scandal? Will players be suspended? Will NCAA investigators be dumping out all the papers in Donna Shalala’s desk and interrogating every football player they’ve had for the last ten years under a bright spotlight? How can Al Golden succeed in the face of all that? Normally, I’d say they’d be a second-place type of team in the ACC Coastal if all things were as they should be, but who knows what will come of their problems.
What we think about it now
The Shapiro-pocalypse hasn’t happened, at least not yet, anyway. The Hurricanes have fallen below .500 near the half-way point of the season and are middle of the road offensively; they’re also a little below that defensively (if you treat ACC rankings as a guide).
There are some real pluses for the Canes, however, and one is that Jacory Harris is not the interception machine he used to be. He has thrown 9 TDs and only 3 INT so far this season, helping him to the second-highest passer efficiency in the conference. Further, in the absence of a healthy Montel Harris, Lamar Miller has broken through as the top ACC rusher and promises to be a tough out.
Boston College win probability
Low. Again, this is another case of a team looking better than BC. Former BC assistant Al Golden can, and probably will, coach proverbial circles around Frank Spaziani and remember, BC has not won in Dade County since the Hail Mary game in 1984. That, for the record, was the only time BC has ever won down there, and I don’t see Doug Flutie walking through that door. Unlikely that they’ll pull their heads out of their rears for this one, and with any luck, this will be the last game coached by many on this staff.