Pinstripe Bowl Opposition Research: What Penn State Is Saying About Boston College
By Joe Micik
For the first time in ten years, Boston College will face Penn State football, and it comes in the 2014 Pinstripe Bowl.
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A proud program, Penn State is playing in its first bowl game since 2011, the season when the Jerry Sandusky scandal set off a time bomb at the center of Nittany Lions football. For that reason alone, this game is going to get attention as it’s the first sign that their program is “back.”
At the same time, prior to the disasters of 2011, Penn State was accustomed to drawing big names in their bowl games. To name a few, the last 15 years included opponents such as Auburn, Florida State, Tennessee, USC, LSU, and Florida. The glory days have gone, at least for now.
One might get the sense that Boston College does not inspire much of a reaction in the State College locals. Yet, how do the Nittany Lions players and coaches as well as the fans feel as we approach the Pinstripe Bowl? Is there indifference, confidence, or anything else?
FanSided’s Penn State site, Victory Bell Rings, notes Boston College as an “interesting” matchup with a good defense (B. Leonard Jr.). Let’s be honest: it was much better than expected.
Penn State head coach James Franklin complimented Boston College and Steve Addazio:
"“Tough, hard-nosed, blue-collar, been there a couple of years now. BC’s always had a history of having a hard-nosed, blue-collar team, really good on the offensive line, things like that.”Penn State football: Nittany Lions set for Pinstripe Bowl, Boston College (Centre Daily Times, Travis Johnson)"
On Twitter, the reactions were generally positive about the game and the matchup, though Notre Dame is still overvalued:
Realize that Boston College doesn't move the needle for many fans, think it's a fun matchup against two units that are the team's strongest
— Ben Jones (@Ben_Jones88) December 7, 2014
@Ben_Jones88 I think it's a great match up. Lots of good games between these two in 70's and 80's. We beat flutie3 out of 4
— JoeG(@jgard0401) December 7, 2014
@Ben_Jones88 best possible matchup after nd
— FrizNitz5 (@friznitz5) December 7, 2014
And as for the average fans on BlueWhiteIllustrated, some are upbeat about the Pinstripe Bowl, though there is not a whole lot of discussion about the Eagles at this point. (More about Joe Paterno, the scandal, etc.) What few people have mentioned Boston College have generally been complimentary, some even going so far as to say that they believe the Eagles are the better team. We shall see indeed.