The one thing you know you're going to get out of the Boston College Eagles on a game in, game out basis is that they are going to play really hard. Steve Addazio has done a nice job of giving this team an identity as a run-first team which will try to bulldoze its way through the competition.
The talent isn't here in Chestnut Hill to make the Eagles contenders, even in the relatively weak ACC, but this could reasonably be a bowl team year in and year out, which should be considered an accomplishment.
2015 SCHEDULE
9/5: vs. Maine
9/12: vs. Howard
9/18: vs. Florida State
9/26: vs. Northern Illinois
10/3: at Duke
10/10: vs. Wake Forest
10/17: at Clemson
10/24: at Louisville
10/31: vs. Virginia Tech
11/7: vs. North Carolina State
11/21: at Notre Dame
11/28: at Syracuse
The first part of this schedule is a bit of a cakewalk for BC. The team really should be no worse than 4-2 through the first half of the year, maybe even 5-1 on the high end with the only likely loss coming against Florida State. The Seminoles are beatable too though, and they have had little luck in Chestnut Hill in the past.
It's the end of the schedule which is a real nightmare. There might not be a game from October 17 forward in which the Eagles are favored, and there's a legit chance that there are no wins in that bunch.
SEASON WIN TOTAL
The Eagles are lined to win just five games this year, which feels about right when you consider how difficult the end of this schedule truly is. They have a history of being bowl bound more often than not, so the temptation will surely be there to back the over, especially with two FCS teams on the docket to start off the campaign.
OFFENSIVE OUTLOOK
There are a lot more questions than answers here for the Eagles on offense. They have to replace all five of their starting offensive linemen from last year, and Tyler Murphy, who did it all for the team, has departed as well.
Darius Wade, who has all of eight pass attempts in his collegiate career, is going to likely start this year under center, and he is going to be turning around and handing the ball of a ton.
Jon Hillman ran for 860 yards last season along with 13 TDs, and he should get at least 200+ carries again in 2015. There will be a stable of backs in the backfield, but Hillman will be the workhorse behind what could be a particularly shoddy offensive line.
DEFENSIVE OUTLOOK
Boston College was actually second in America last season against the run, and though repeating that is going to be tough, this has the promise of once again being one of the best defenses in the ACC.
Five of the players from the front seven are back from last season, including both tackles, Truman Gutapfel and Connor Wujciak, both of which could end up getting a sniff at playing professionally down the line. These two aren't stat sheet stuffers, but they’re crucial to the overall success of this defense.
SEASON PREDICTION
The Eagles actually might have a better team this year than they did last season, but those question marks at quarterback are killers.
If Wade is the real deal, this team could top out at seven or eight wins. If he isn't, the defense is only going to be able to do so much.
If we had to guess, Addazio will again get the Eagles to a bowl game, but 6-6 is the only legitimate expectation that fans in Chestnut Hill should expect.
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