Is Boston College football dead without Matt Ryan? No! Last season, Ryan's name became synonymous with Eagles football. Why? Because he was the best quarterback we have had since Doug Flutie? Because he took the team further than it had gone in memory?
The previous statements may be true; "Matty Ice" did win the Unitas Award for a reason, and BC was ranked second for a couple of weeks. But was Ryan the only reason?
There were multiple factors in the great 2007 season: a new head coach, who brought in more coaches, a strong offensive line, a great run defense, and some really great players.
Some of those players have left, graduated, and moved onto the NFL. Ryan, Gosder Cherilus, and DeJuan Tribble were drafted, and others will probably be picked up as free agents. But we still have the coaches, some returning players, and some new standout players.
Chris Crane may not have received much playing time last year behind Ryan, but the year before, he started against Buffalo when Ryan was injured. No quarterback is expected to have a great game in conditions like those of Oct. 28, 2007; there were torrential downpours and gusty winds - nothing conducive to handling a football. Still, Crane scored three touchdowns, two running and one passing, and led the team to a 41-0 win.
So we have a decent quarterback, but there are other holes to fill. When the season ended, there was one running back who would remain on the team, and John Siravo had never touched the ball in a game.
Andre Callender, L.V. Whitworth, and A.J. Brooks were all gone. The former two because they graduated, the last because of a couple of questionable decisions- but he always seemed to fumble anyway. Since then, Josh Haden has enrolled as a freshman, and Jeff Smith has decided to return to the team. The two of them have serious speed and strength. Despite his small size (5-foot-8, 190 pounds), Haden was reported to have been able to stop Brian Toal (6-feet 252 pounds) in his tracks. He looked good at the spring game. Smith came in two years ago projected to be the running back of the future and returned multiple kickoffs for touchdowns.
The returning defense is solid, maintaining about half the starters. Toal and B.J. Raji will return to the lineup after a year off. So, the projected starting defense will feature a majority of players who have started in the past.
The run defense, which was No. 2 in the country last year, should remain pretty much intact. Mark Herzlich, who proved himself at linebacker last year, will return next year along with a strong group of linebackers, while even the backups looked strong at the spring game.
The pass defense may be a bit shaky, but it has never been defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani's focus. We will miss the impact of Tribble and Jamie Silva, who together had 12 interceptions last year. Paul Anderson is the one returning starter in the secondary. Donnie Fletcher also looked good at the spring game, and is predicted to do well in his first season.
All in all, BC football is not dead, and far from it. There are some holes to fill, but they are being filled. Part of what is great about college sports is the turnover and growth from year to year. It just would not be nearly as much fun without it. It is sad to see the seniors go, but the team will survive with who remains and who is joining. BC will still be the solid team is has been. Only 121 more days until the first game.
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