Eagles on Notice
Ive been muddling over how to introduce the BC section of this website for a while now.
Bill Obriens 3rd year as head coach in what is a possible make or break season. The history of BC Football and the recent struggles. Maybe BCs inability to join the rest of the world and come together to form a powerful NIL collective. All stories that will eventually be told. But then something incredulous happened. Not to the Boston College Eagles football team, but to the UMass Amherst Minutemen.
You know, UMass Amherst, the single worst team in FBS football the last 20 years. A team that evidently should have given up on FBS dreams and dropped down to join my alma mater UMaine in FCS CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) with the rest of the New England State schools. A recent newcomer to the MAC – but still a nothing burger of a program. The little brother of Massachusetts football, to BC, who is the little brother of the entire ACC and Power 4. A program who realistically is forgotten more than they’re made fun of. Well … I may eat those words soon enough.
As of last night, the fighting Minutemen made their way down to the birthplace of college football to take on Rutgers. A team who realistically is no better than BC but is far beyond the measures of little UMass. At least that’s what I and the rest of college football fans thought. UMass took those boys to town on the back off William “Pop” Watson the Third. A Virginia Tech transfer and Springfield, MA native, Pop is the first UMass QB with 80% completion rate and 3 TD (via ESPN Insights) since Liam Coen in 2008. You know Liam Coen the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Crazy right? UMass won 37-21 and could be on their way to best season in recent years. But this isn’t about UMass even though they deserve the credit. This is about Boston College.
How might you ask? Well, their opponent, Rutgers, just happens to be your first home opponent of the season. A game that takes place on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and Red Bandana game, a game now famous throughout College Football in recognition of Welles Crowther who gave his life to save countless others the day of the attacks. This home opener will have a full house, the governor, and the eyes of the world watching. Bill Obrien is in his make it or break it season having a decent first year followed by a disappointing second. At the very least you need to beat the competition that’s your equal and beneath you and if the pressure wasn’t high enough, your little brother just took care of business in YOUR OPPONENT’S HOUSE, so you better be able to get it down in your own.
Isn’t that the worst. When the team you could always look at and say “Well at least were not them” starts to turn the corner? We’ll let me tell you misery enjoys company, but there might not be anyone left in the hole. So, when the lights come on and the crowd starts cheering, you better be ready to pull yourselves out.