BC Buffalo Preview

Boston College looks to be over .500 for the first time this season with a win over the Buffalo Bulls on Saturday. The Bulls come in to the game at 1-2, coming off an overtime win over Army.  BC enters ate 2-2 and won easily over Wagner last weekend.  BC has a clear advantage in talent, and are 19 point favorites heading into Saturday.

What to Watch When BC has the Ball: Buffalo has struggled so far this year stopping the run.  The Bulls have given up an 100 yard rusher every game so far this season.  BC should be able to exploit this.  The Eagles really need to get Jon Hilliman going, before they play Clemson next week.  Hilliman improve for 90 yards last week, but he still had 9 rushes of no gain or negative yards.  Hilliman has been able to break long gains, but he has yet to constantly gain the yards needed to be an every down back.  Davon Jones had a breakout game last week, and look for him to continue to get carries this week.  BC should also be able to move the ball through the air.  Michael Walker and Jeff Smith are more athletic than anyone in the Buffalo secondary, and should be able to produce big plays.  Look for Towles to be given plenty of time to stand in the pocket, and to hit open receivers.

What to Watch When Buffalo has the Ball: Buffalo has struggled to move the ball all year, as they have only scored over 20 points once, and that was in an overtime game.  The Bulls QB, Tyree Jackson, has thrown for only 433 yards in three games so far.  On the ground, the Bulls have not fared much better, with only 544 yards.  The Eagles should be able to dominate the Bulls up front.  BC’s front 7 is by far the best that Buffalo has faced all year, and they should be living in the back field on Saturday.  In the secondary, the Eagles should have no trouble against Jackson, who is very inaccurate.  The one thing the Eagles need to work on is to stop allowing defensive breakdowns.  In their two wins over clearly inferior opponents, BC has given up long touchdowns when the defense losses their assignments.  That has to stop in order for BC to beat better opponents.

Overall: The Eagles are more talented than this Buffalo team.  Look for this game to be similar to the UMASS game earlier in the season.  It will most likely be raining for most of the game, so each team may be sloppier than usual, and big plays could come from each sides special teams units.  BC should be able to control most of the game, but it may be close for the first half. Eventually the BC offensive and defensive line will wear down Buffalo, and produce an easy win.

Prediction: Boston College 33 Buffalo 9

Predictions and Best Bets for Week 5

Last Week: 10-6

Season: 37-20

Thursday Night

UCONN @ #6 Houston

Houston and Greg Ward Jr. are too talented to be upset for the second straight year by Uconn.

Kansas @ Texas Tech

Kansas is able to keep it close for a half, but Texas Tech’s offense puts up too many points for the Jayhawks to keep up.

Friday Night

#7 Stanford @ #10 Washington

In the game of the year in the PAC 12, Christian McCaffrey is able to generate enough big plays to score against the Huskie defense, while Washington struggles to score.

Saturday

#22 Texas @ Oklahoma State

Texas’ win over Notre Dame does not look as good anymore, while Oklahoma State has played much better than their record.  Look for the Cowboys to beat Texas through the air.

#14 Miami @ Georgia Tech

The Hurricanes look to be finally living up to the hype this year, while Georgia Tech’s offense has struggled against quality defenses so far.  Look for that trend to continue.

Notre Dame VS Syracuse (East Rutherford, NJ)

While Notre Dame’s defense has struggled all year, Deshone Kizer and the offense will score enough for the Irish to beat Syracuse.

#8 Wisconsin @ #4 Michigan

Michigan faces their first big test this season when they take on the Badgers.  Wisconsin dominated Michigan State last weekend.  However, Michigan’s offense will be able to put up points, and Wisconsin is not a team that thrives when coming from behind.  Alex Hornibrook is efficient, but will struggle when asked to do too much on Saturday.

#11 Tennessee @ #25 Georgia

Tennessee finally got over the hump of beating Florida, while Georgia got exposed through the air against Ole Miss.  The bulldogs will struggle to score without Nick Chub as the Volunteers win in a route.

#23 North Carolina @ #12 Florida State

Florida State finally got Dalvin Cook going last week against USF.  Look for that to happen again this weekend, but UNC will be able to put up enough points to keep things interesting.

Oklahoma @ #21 TCU

If Oklahoma is ready to play, after a bad start, on Saturday they should put up big numbers against TCU’s defense.  Even as the team is 1-2, QB Baker Mayfield has been playing very well. 

#18 Utah @ California

Utah is undefeated, but only by the skin of its teeth.  Its defense will get exposed this weekend, as Cal will throw all over them.

Memphis @ #16 Ole Miss

Chad Kelly will light up the scoreboard and Ole Miss will avoid being upset by Memphis for the second season in a row.

#3 Louisville @ #5 Clemson

In a matchup of top 5 teams, and arguably the best 2 players in the country, it is Deshaun Watson and the Tigers that pull out the victory.  The difference maker is the Clemson defensive line, which will make Louisville one dimensional.

Oregon @ Washington State

Oregon bonuces back from a loss to Colorado to beat the Cougars.  Look for a lot of points to be scored in this one.

Arizona @ UCLA

Both of these teams are last second losses away from being undefeated.  The Bruins will be able to pull this one out behind the play of QB Josh Rosen.

Best Bets

Last Week: 2-3

Season: 10-10-1 (Locks of the Week: 2-2)

Florida @ Vanderbilt- Florida -10

Michigan State @ Indiana- Michigan State -6.5 Lock of the Week

Stanford @ Washington- Stanford +3

Central Florida @ Eastern Carolina- ECU -3.5

Oklahoma @ TCU- Oklahoma -3

Tennessee @ Georgia- Tennessee -2.5

What to Watch in Week 5 of College Football

Thursday Night

UCONN @ #6 Houston- 8:00 ESPN

Kansas @ Texas Tech- 8:30 FS1

The week in college football starts off on Thursday Night as Houston tries to revenge its only loss from last season when they play UCONN.  Houston is clearly the superior team, but UCONN beat Virginia earlier in the season.  Kansas tries to win its first conference game in almost two seasons as they take on Texas Tech.  Tech plays shootouts, so look for a lot of points to be scored in this one.

Friday Night

#7 Stanford @ #10 Washington- 9:00 ESPN

Arguable the best Friday Night game of the season takes place this week when Stanford heads up the Pacific coast to Washington.  Both teams eked out victories over PAC-12 opponents last week, with Stanford scoring with under a minute left to beat UCLA and Washington needing overtime to beat Arizona.  The winner of this one is the clear favorite to win the PAC-12 and will be a playoff contender. 

Saturday Day

#22 Texas @ Oklahoma State- 12:00 ABC

#14 Miami @ Georgia Tech- 12:00ESPN2

Notre Dame VS Syracuse (East Rutherford, NJ)- 12:00 ESPN

With the rest of the Big 12 struggling, Texas and Oklahoma State are dark horse candidates to win the conference.  Oklahoma State lost last week to Baylor, and another loss may knock them out of contention, while Texas’ opening weekend win over Notre Dame is losing its shine.  Elsewhere, Miami take on Georgia Tech.  Miami is a favorite to win the ACC coastal, and faces their first conference opponent in Georgia Tech.  The Yellow Jackets are looking to bounce back after getting dominated by Clemson last weekend.  Notre Dame needs a victory over Syracuse this weekend in Metliffe Stadium to avoid their season turning into a disaster.  The Irish have already fired their Defensive Coordinator during their 1-3 start.

Saturday Afternoon

#8 Wisconsin @ #4 Michigan- 3:30 ABC

#11 Tennessee @ #25 Georgia- 3:30 CBS

#23 North Carolina @ #12 Florida State- 3:30 ESPN

Oklahoma @ #21 TCU- FOX

Wisconsin continues their tough stretch of games when they head to Ann Arbor.  Michigan has yet to be challenged in a game this season, while Wisconsin blew out Michigan State last weekend.  The winner of this one becomes the favorite to make the playoff out of the Big 10.  In the SEC Tennessee tries to build off of last week’s win over Florida as they take on Georgia.  Georgia got blown out last week by Ole Miss, but Tennessee was down 21-0 at one point.  Georgia has the talent to put a scare into the Volunteers, but need to play their best game of the season so far.  UNC had a miraculous win over Pitt in which they converter 3 fourth downs on their last drive and scored the game winning touchdown with 1 second left.  They take on FSU who finally got Dalvin Cook going last week when the Seminoles beat USF.  If Cook is able to run like that this week, FSU should have no problem. However, if Cook is slowed, the Tar Heels could pull off the upset.  In a late afternoon start, the two preseason favorites out of the Big 12 face off after both had disappointing non-conference losses.  The Sooners are already pretty eliminated from the playoff, but if they play up to their potential, they can easily win the conference.  TCU played 3 bad quarters against Arkansas, but almost came back to win.  They can jumpstart their season with a victory.

Saturday Night

#18 Utah @ California- 6:00 PAC12 Network

Memphis @ #16 Ole Miss- 7:00 ESPN2 SEC Network Plus (TBA on Friday)

#3 Louisville @ #5 Clemson- 8:00 ABC

Utah has survived some close game this years as it has stayed undefeated.  They take on a tough Cal team, that can light up the scoreboard.  This game will be a challenge to Utah’s offense as they will need to keep pace with Cal.  Cal could pull the upset, but Utah will be the toughest team they have played yet. In Oxford, Ole Miss takes on Memphis.  Memphis upset the Rebels last season, and are undefeated this season.  Ole Miss struggled in the second half against Alabama, and Florida State, as they could not run the ball.  If they can’t run on Saturday, Memphis may pull off the upset.  In the ABC nightcap, two top 5 ACC teams square off.  Louisville dominated Florida State two weeks ago, winning by 52.  Clemson’s offense has struggled so far, but its defense has been excellent, including holding Georgia Tech to under 25 yards of offense in the first half this week.  This will most likely be the best defense Lamar Jackson will face all year.  The winner of this one will could be the #1 team in the land on Sunday. 

Saturday Late Night

Oregon @ Washington State- 9:30 PAC12

Arizona @ UCLA- 10:30 ESPN

2 PAC12 games cap off the weekend in college football.  Oregon and Washington State are both struggling out of the gate this year.  Both of these teams were dark horses to win the PAC 12 North when the season began.  Now the loser may struggle to reach bowl eligibility.  In Los Angeles, Arizona faces off against UCLA.  Both of these teams lost heartbreakers to top ten teams last weekend.  However, both need to bounce back quickly in order to take control of the PAC 12 South. 

LSU Should have Stuck with Les Miles

LSU longtime coach Les Miles on Sunday after the Tigers lost to Auburn 18-13, after the apparent game winning touchdown was called back for the snap taking place after time expired.  Miles had been the head coach at LSU since 2005 and compiled a record of 114-34, which amounts to an average of a little over 10 wins a season.  Miles also won a national championship, and played for another, while winning 2 SEC titles.  The Tigers never won less than 8 games, and only won 8 games twice in his tenure, but had 7 seasons of double digit wins.  He is undoubtedly the most successful coach they have ever had in Baton Rouge.  But it still wasn’t enough to keep his job.

Les Miles was fired because he was able to set expectations so high at LSU, they were unattainable.  He was so successful early in his tenure, that two going two seasons without double digit wins, and a 2-2 start was enough to get rid of him.  Miles team had finished 17^th last year in the final polls, and LSU is likely to finish ranked, or close to it at the end of this year.  However, this is the new era of college football were if you are not on your way up and competing for national titles every year, then you are competing for your job.  Head coaches have almost no margin for error anymore, even those who have been there for 11 years, and have won national titles.  This is due in large part to the success of Nick Saban and Urban Meyer.  Saban and Meyer have won 9 out of the last 13 national championships.  Their teams have been in contention almost every year they have not won.  They set the expectations that any coach at a top football program should come close to winning it all every year.  However, this is unreasonable.  Even these coaches have down years.  Saban went 7-6 his first year with Alabama.  Urban Meyer went 8-5 his last year at Florida and left a team that was in shambles.  These are two of the best coaches of all time at top tier programs, and even they have years they struggle.

The major thing to worry about if you are LSU is will they follow some of the other recent major programs to fire a successful head coach struggled for years after they let their coach go.  Nebraska let go of Frank Solich in 2003 even though he won 3 conference titles in 6 years.  They have yet to win another.  Tennessee got rid of Phillip Fulmer in 2008 one season after he won 10 games.  Tennessee has yet to win that many since he was fired, and they only have 1 season of over 7 wins.  Hopefully for LSU they do not follow this pattern. 

Week 5 Poll

	AP Poll	Three Yards Poll
1.	Alabama	Louisville
2.	Ohio State	Ohio State
3.	Louisville	Alabama
4.	Michigan	Wisconsin
5.	Clemson	Texas A&M
6.	Houston	Houston
7.	Stanford	Clemson
8.	Wisconsin	Michigan
9.	Texas A&M	Stanford
10.	Washington	Tennessee
11.	Tennessee	Florida State
12.	Florida State	Ole Miss
13.	Baylor	Miami
14.	Miami	Nebraska
15.	Nebraska	Michigan State
16.	Ole Miss	Baylor
17.	Michigan State	Arkansas
18.	Utah	San Diego State
19.	San Diego State	TCU
20.	Arkansas	Arizona State
21.	TCU	West Virginia
22.	Texas	Florida
23.	Florida	Georgia
24.	Boise State	North Carolina
25.	Georgia	Washington

AP Poll Breakdown:

ACC: 4

Big 10: 5

Big 12: 3

Pac 12: 3

SEC: 7

Group of 5: 3

BC Wagner Recap

BC got back into the win column as they beat Wagner 42-10.  BC started slow, going down 7-0, but dominated the rest of the game.  The Eagles picked up their first home win, since beating Northern Illinois almost exactly a year ago. 

When BC had the Ball:  The offense was able to move the ball both throw the air and on the ground.  Davon Jones was a surprise star as he had 90 yards on 12 carries.  Jon Hilliman continued to struggle as he had 19 carries for 83 yards, but 9 of his carries went for no gain or for a loss.  Look for some of Hilliman’s carries to go to Jones in the coming weeks.  Patrick Towles had a decent game as he went 9/16 for 157 and 2 touchdowns.  Jeff Smith had another long touchdown reception, and BC needs to continue to throw it deep to him.  The Eagles have struggled to produce long, grinding drives, and the deep passing game eliminates this need.  Michael Walker also had a touchdown reception as he made multiple guys miss on a screen pass. 

When Wagner had the Ball:  BC’s defense did well as they gave up less than 100 yards of offense to the Seahawks.  The front four did an excellent job getting pressure, and they were in the backfield all game.  The secondary did a good job in coverage, and had an excellent game tackling.  The defense made two mistakes all game.  On the Wagner touchdown, the secondary and linebackers got caught all on the same side of the field, allowing the Wagner QB to run for a long touchdown untouched.  The second was a personal foul that lead to a Wagner field goal.

Overall:  BC won handily against a team that they should beat.  They did not have any injuries.   Not much more can be said when you play a clearly inferior team.

BC Wagner Preview

BC finally takes the field on Saturday after playing its first three games away from home.  They take on the Wagner Seahawks, an FCS school that finished 1-11 last season.  This one could get ugly quickly, and may be reminiscent of the Howard game last year.

What to Watch When BC has the Ball: BC should have a massive advantage on the offensive line.  They will be able to easily push Wagner around.  A key this week is for Hilliman to be able to read the holes the line is creating and to make someone miss.  Outside of 2 long touchdown runs this season, Hilliman is averaging 1.4 yards per carry.  That is awful.  That is someone who shouldn’t be getting the ball.  This needs to be a week where his yards per carry is approaches 5 or 6.  If it doesn’t someone else needs to take over his carries.  Through the air this week, Towles needs to get some of his confidence back.  He looked rattled last weekend against Virginia Tech, and Saturday he should be able to complete easy passes.  The receivers also dropped multiple passes last week, and need to do a better job of beating their man one on one.  Against a bad team like Wagner, these should all happen.

What to Watch When Wagner has the Ball:  Last week Virginia Tech was able to spread out BC and then pick them apart across the middle.  By spreading them out, BC was unable to blitz, and did not have linebackers there to drop into the throwing lanes of deep slants and posts.  This week, BC should be able to get pressure with their front four.  It will also be interesting to see how the secondary responds after last week.  Virginia Tech went right after the one on one coverage on the outside, and was able to pick multiple touchdowns on fade routes.  A key for this weekend is to make sure they do not have any breakdowns in coverage like they did against Umass and Georgia Tech.

Overall:  This one should not be close.  Wagner is a very bad FCS team.  BC should be able to win by 40+ easily.  The main thing that I will be watching closely on Saturday will be how the team approaches this game.  They just got embarrassed, and are now playing an uninspiring opponent that they could beat in their sleep.  Last year as the season started to go downhill, you could tell by the players body language that things weren’t going well.  It was clear the team that finished the season, wasn’t the same as the team that started it.  They cannot happen this year.  BC still have an easy path to a bowl game, and can begin to right the ship with an easy win this week, and a win the next week over Buffalo. 

Week 4 Predictions

Last Week:  7-6

This Season: 27-14

Thursday

#5 Clemson @ Georgia Tech

Clemson exercises their demons as Deshaun Watson and the Tigers offense finally play up to their potential.

Friday

USC @ #24 Utah

USC is slowly becoming a train wreck this season.  They have only scored 2 touchdowns in 2 games against power 5 schools.  Replacing their QB may help, but it won’t be enough against Utah.

Saturday

#12 Georgia @ #23 Ole Miss

Swag Kelly throw for 425 yards last week against Alabama, as the Tide needed 3 non-offensive touchowns to beat Ole Miss.  Look for him to light up the Georgia secondary.

#11 Wisconsin @ #8 Michigan State

Michigan State wins back to back big games as Tim O’Connor produces enough offense for the Spartans to win a slugfest.

#13 Florida State @ South Florida

Florida State bounces back after getting blowned out at Louisville last week.  Dalvin Cook finally gets going in t he victory.

East Carolina @ Virginia Tech

East Carolina has won 6 straight games agasint ACC opponents.  However, Virginia Tech is coming off of a 49-0 beat down of BC and should be ready to face the Pirates. 

#19 Florida @ #14 Tennessee

Florida has won 11 straights times against Tennessee including some improbable victories.  Until that changes, the Gators will be the pick in this rivalry.

Penn State @ #4 Michigan

Michigan has been able to put up points all season against inferior opponents and it will be no different against a Penn State team that struggled to beat Temple last week.

Pittsburgh @ North Carolina

North Carolina should be able to score against Pitt and look for Elijah Hood and Ryan Switzer to put up big numbers in this one.

BYU VS West Virginia (@ Washington D.C.)

West Virginia continues their undefeated season as they beat a BYU team that has yet to score 20 points this season.

#18 LSU @ Auburn

LSU has struggled throwing the ball this season, but they still have Leonard Fournette. His coming out party was against Auburn last season, and he should have a great game again on Saturday.

Oklahoma State @ #16 Baylor

If it wasn’t for a controversial call, Oklahoma State would be undefeated and ranked going into this game.  Baylor’s offense has not looked as high powered as it has been in the past few years, and Ok State will be able to score against Baylor’s defense.

#7 Stanford @ UCLA

Stanford has won 2 impressive games this season over USC and Kansas State without lighting up the scoreboard.  They will do that again as they beat UCLA in a game that isn’t as close as the score indicates. 

#17 Arkansas VS #10 Texas A&M (Arlington TX)

Arkansas had a huge win 2 weeks ago over TCU where they controlled the game until a furious 4^th quarter rally by TCU.  They have an outstanding offensive line which should be enough to stop A&M’s strength, their dline, from controlling the game.

California @ Arizona State

Cal is coming off of an upset victory at home against Texas last weekend.  Cal has been able to put up huge scoring numbers all season, and should continue against a weak Arizona State defense. 

#9 Washington @ Arizona

Washington has not been tested all season and has been severely overhyped.  They will struggle on offense as Arizona upsets them

Best Bets

Last Week: 2-2-1

Season: 8-7-1 (Locks of the Week 1-2)

#13 Florida State @ South Florida- FSU -5.5- Lock of the Week

#18 LSU @ Auburn- LSU -3

Oklahoma State @ #16 Baylor- Oklahoma State +8

#7 Stanford @ UCLA- Stanford -3

BYU VS West Virginia- Under 52

What to Watch in Week 4

Thursday Night

#5 Clemson @ Georgia Tech- 7:30 ESPN

Clemson heads to Atlanta looking to pick up their first win at Georgia Tech since 2003.  The Tigers have struggled this season, particularly on offense, and the Yellow Jackets will be their first real test.  GT looked very good last week, blowing out Vanderbilt.  GT has only given up 31 points in 3 games so far this season, but they have yet to face an offense like Clemson.

Friday Night

USC @ #24 Utah- 9:00 FS1

The wheels are flying off of Clay Helton’s first season in Los Angeles.  They have been blow out in 2 of their first three games, and have already replaced their starting QB.  Utah, on the other hand, is undefeated, which includes a last second victory over rival BYU.  If BYU gets up early, this one could get ugly.

Saturday Day

#12 Georgia @ #23 Ole Miss- 12:00 ESPN

#11 Wisconsin @ #8 Michigan State- 12:00 Big Ten Network

#13 Florida State @ South Florida- 12:00 ABC

East Carolina @ Virginia Tech- 12:30 ACC Regional Networks

Two big conference games take place at noon.  Georgia takes on Ole, while Wisconsin heads to Michigan State.  Georgia needed a last minute 4 and 10 touchdown to beat Missouri, while Ole Miss lost a 20 point lead for the second time this season.  They are the only team to lose when having a 20+ point lead, and they have done it twice so far this season.  In the other game Wisconsin is still riding high from upsetting LSU to open the season.  Michigan State is coming off of a big win at Notre Dame. This is the first of a brutal stretch of three games, where Wisconsin plays Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State, all in a row.  If Wisconsin wants to win the Big Ten West, they must win at least one of these games against top 10 opponents.  Elsewhere, Florida State heads to South Florida looking to rebound after getting blown out by Louisville, and Virginia Tech takes on East Carolina, who has a 6 game winning streak against the ACC.

Saturday Afternoon

#19 Florida @ #14 Tennessee- 3:30 CBS

Penn State @ #4 Michigan- 3:30 ABC

Pittsburgh @ North Carolina- 3:30 ESPNU

BYU VS West Virginia (@ Washington D.C.)- 3:30 ESPN2

Tennessee looks beat Florida for the first time in 12 years in the Third Saturday of September rivalry (which is being played on the fourth Saturday this year.)  Florida has won 18 out of the last 23 matchups in this series.  Tennessee struggled in their first game against Appalachian State, and came out slow against Virginia Tech before turning it on in the second half and winning easily.  The Gators enter the game undefeated, without being challenged in their first 3 games.  The winner becomes the clear favorite to win the SEC East.  Penn State heads to the Big House as they try to upset Michigan. Michigan played a sloppy game against Colorado last week, whereas Penn State snuck out a win against Temple.  Penn State should struggle to stop the Wolverine offense.  Pittsburgh plays at North Carolina in a matchup of the two top teams in the ACC Coastal from a season ago.  This game features two of the most underrated running backs in the country in Pitt’s James Conner, and Carolina’s Elijah Hood.  In the game with the most contrasting fan base, BYU plays West Virginia in Washington D.C.  This one will be a contrast in styles as BYU has both yet to give up and score more than 20 points all season, while West Virginia likes to play shootouts. 

Saturday Night

#18 LSU @ Auburn- 6:00 ESPN

Oklahoma State @ #16 Baylor- 7:30 FOX

#7 Stanford @ UCLA- 8:00 ABC

Its as battle of the tigers as LSU plays Auburn.  Both of these teams have struggled on offense this season, while being led by excellent defenses.  Look for this one to be very low scoring.  At 7:30 Oklahoma State coming off of a big win over Pitt, takes on Baylor.  This is Baylor’s first real test of the season under new coach Jim Grobe.  Oklahoma State would be undefeated and ranked if not for a controversial loss to Central Michigan.  In the ABC game, Stanford heads to their second home at the Rose Bowl against UCLA.  Both teams are coming off of impressive wins over USC and BYU respectfully.  UCLA will have to slow down superstar Christian McCaffrey if they want a shot to win.

Saturday Late Night

#17 Arkansas VS #10 Texas A&M (Arlington TX)- 9:00 ESPN

California @ Arizona State- 10:00 ESPN2

#9 Washington @ Arizona- 10:30 Pac 12 Network

The Southwest Classic features the two surprise teams of the SEC this season.  Arkansas had a big upset win on the road against TCU, while Texas A&M began the season with an upset of UCLA.  A&M has won this rivalry four straight seasons, with the last two coming in overtime.   Later, Cal heads to Arizona State.  Cal is coming off of a big upset home victory over Texas.  Arizona State is undefeated, including a shootout victory over Texas Tech.  Look for a lot of points to be scored in this one.  In the final game of the night, Washington faces their first real test against Arizona.  Many wonder why Washington is ranked in the top ten as they are coming off of a 6-6 regular season from a year ago, and have yet to play a quality opponent this season.  Arizona lost a close one to BYU to open the season, and won two easy games since then.  This will be a good test to see if Washington is for real this season. 

Should BC Start Wade

After Saturday’s loss to Virginia Tech, it feels like the sky is falling.  BC not only got shut out, but had no offense the entire game.  This has led many to thinking that Darius Wade should start against Wagner on Saturday.  The arguments against it are simple.  Patrick Towles was a clear winner of a QB competition between the two of them.  Towles have a better arm than Wade, and is able to hit receivers on a deep ball.  Towles has also led the offense to a win and a near victory against Georgia Tech.  With 3 winnable non-conference games left, and Syracuse, NC State, and Wake Forest left in the ACC, BC can still make a bowl game. 

For those who want Wade to start they can just point at last week’s game.  The BC offense did absolutely nothing against Virginia Tech and punted a BC record 13 times. Towles has completed just 35 passes over the course of 3 games.  BC’s offense has scored just 40 points all year.  Wade has a running ability that Towles does not have, and could use it to help out the running offense,.  Another factor is that Towles is a senior, while Wade has 2 years left after this season.  They could use the rest of this season to get Wade more experience.  Also, the BC coaching staff owes nothing to Towles, who is a transfer who has been in the program for 3 games.  This isn’t someone who has worked hard in the system to earn their shot.

In my opinion BC should continue to start Towles at this for the next 3 week.  However, Wade should see playing time in the next two games, against Wagner and Buffalo.  In the following week against Clemson, Towles should start again, but Daz should not be afraid to pull the trigger to switch to Wade.  The main reason for this is that the offensive problems feel more systematic than just problems relegated to Towles.  BC has just 2 scoring drives that has lasted longer than 1 play.  That shows the offensive system does not work.