Boston College at Clemson: Opening Line and The Basics
By Joe Micik
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
This is the game we had circled over the summer as being the most difficult on the schedule this year for the Boston College Eagles. Why not? They’re going to face a top five team in its building, at the site of some horrific losses the last two times the Eagles have been there. Right away the deck is stacked against the Eagles, but after a representative performance against Florida State on September 28 and a win over Army on Saturday, they will be hoping that their breakthrough win comes this weekend.
Boston College at Clemson: The Line
• Opening Favorite: Clemson -23.5
• Current Favorite: Clemson -24.5
Boston College at Clemson: Us
• Head Coach Steve Addazio (1st; 3-2)
• Last game: defeated Army, 48-27
• This season: 3-2 (1-1 ACC)
• Consecutive losses to Clemson; last win 2010
• Last win at Clemson: November 17, 2007
• Last road win: November 25, 2011 (Miami)
• 0-1 on road this season
Boston College at Clemson: Them
• Head Coach Dabo Swinney (6th; 45-21)
• Last game: defeated Syracuse, 49-14
• This season: 5-0 (3-0)
• Currently ranked #3 in AP Poll and #4 in USA Today Poll
Boston College at Clemson: The Game
• 23rd all-time meeting between Eagles and Tigers
• BC 9-11-2 all-time against Clemson
• BC 3-4-1 all-time against Clemson on the road
• Last meeting: September 29, 2012 (at Boston College): Clemson 45, Boston College 31
• Saturday, October 12, 2013, 3:30pm ET
• TV: ABC or ESPN2 or ESPNU
• Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
• Long-range Forecast: Mostly sunny, 74
• STG Preseason Difficulty Rank: 1st of 12
Boston College at Clemson: Initial Evaluation
In this game, the Eagles are bigger underdogs than they have been at any point this season, and they will not be such substantial underdogs again. This is not unexpected. Looking objectively, it is going to be very difficult for the Eagles to win because Clemson is on a different plane right now. Boston College is rebuilding and trying to grind out a bowl appearance, while the Tigers are built to win now.
Never say never, because the Eagles were able to give the Seminoles a game not too long ago, but this is another road test, and the first one did not go well. That game against USC featured a partially-empty stadium, a demoralized fanbase, and a coach who was two weeks from getting fired. This game features the #3 team in the nation and a full crowd that realizes how close Clemson is to potentially doing great things.
No doubt, Boston College would like to prevent those great things from happening, but it is going to be a very difficult task.