Boston College at Miami: Opening Line and the Basics

Fear not, Eagles fans: we only have to do this one more time this year.

Following the worst weekend in Boston College sports of the 2011-2012 season so far, in which both basketball teams got destroyed, men’s hockey took a brutal loss, and both soccer teams were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament, one more sport will be coming to its conclusion.

I’m sure that with this definitively being the last week of Boston College’s football season there will be some disappointment. I think, however, that there is just as likely to be a sense of relief amongst the Eagle faithful. What has turned out to be a miserable and thoroughly unenjoyable season is soon to end.

Friday is the day where the 2011 season officially comes to a close for Boston College football, and that happens in Dade County, Florida. The Eagles will take on the Miami Hurricanes, who, in the midst of their NCAA investigation, have elected to decline a bowl invite this season. I guess you could say this is their bowl game, but not really.

Boston College lost a close, ugly game on Saturday, whereas Miami won a close, ugly game. Even so, the line is very favorable to the Hurricanes at MIA -14.5.

Admittedly, I don’t have a good feel for this game, but that line seems high. The Hurricanes are a better team than BC, but I’m not sure they’re THAT much better right now. Apparently, however, the bookies believe they are.

Probably very little or nothing of it has to do with BC’s record against the Hurricanes. All-time, the Eagles are 4-23 when matched up with Miami, and 1-14 as the visiting team. That one win, of course, was in 1984. In 2007, the last time these two teams played, Boston College won, 28-14, behind Matt Ryan. That victory snapped BC’s 15-game losing streak to the Hurricanes.

At the end of the day, it’s irrelevant what the line is. It’s also irrelevant what BC’s record against Miami is. Finally, what happens in this game is largely irrelevant to both teams. Neither team is playing on past Friday; Boston College because they’ve been awful, and Miami by their own decision. I suppose it would be a lot to ask, therefore, for the Eagles to take some chances and play a bold, aggressive game, particularly on offense, but they haven’t done it in years, so I wouldn’t expect them to start now.

The players on this team do, however, still have personal pride. They have shown it time and time again, even when they’ve been shackled by higher powers who decide to play it safe. “Playing not to lose” has helped us get to 3-8, and may yet get us to 3-9. It will be up to the players to essentially do it on their own, willing themselves past a pesky Miami team and finishing the season with one of only a few wins. 4-8 looks better than 3-9, but that’s really about all. When all is said and done, this year will go down as one of the most disappointing BC has had in over a decade, and this game in Miami won’t change a thing.

Our players owe us nothing. They should continue to play hard, if for nothing else, for themselves. Losing on the scale BC has this year cannot be easy for them, but they should at least be able to sleep comfortably at night knowing that they did their best. I know, close doesn’t count and moral victories are for losers, but the guys have heart, and that can’t be squandered by sub-par coaching.