Throughout the season, talk about the football team's success has centered on Boston College's strong senior class. Every time Matt Ryan or Jo-Lonn Dunbar is interviewed, they seem to praise their fellow classmen- and for good reason. The Eagles start 12 seniors, six on offense and six on defense, each of whom has seen the highs and lows of the program in the past four years.
Three seasons ago, when they were all freshmen, these players witnessed BC's cruelest collapse. The Eagles entered their final regular-season game with an 8-2 record, playing at home against a struggling, 5-5, Syracuse team. What should have been a monumental win for the school turned into an embarrassing loss, as BC blew its opportunity to win the Big East and go to a BCS bowl.
Last season, BC had another opportunity to win a conference championship - albeit this time in the ACC. With a potential championship game berth on the line, BC laid another egg, losing to a reeling, 5-6 Miami team. The Eagles, who entered the contest with a 9-2 record, saw their BCS hopes once again crumble, and they were sent to the Tire Bowl.
Which brings us to this season. Once again, BC has just two losses. And once again, the team has an opportunity to win a conference championship. This time, however, the team controls its own destiny. A win on Saturday and BC will play in the ACC championship. But unlike Tom O'Brien's grand finale last season, BC faces a foe that also has a championship berth at stake.
That formidable opponent is Clemson, fresh off four consecutive blowout wins, including last Saturday's 44-10 thriller against Wake Forest. The Tigers, who many consider the most talented team in the ACC, will host BC under the lights on Saturday in Death Valley; a place Ryan calls "one of the greatest venues for college football."
Over 80,000 fans will welcome a BC squad that appears ready for the challenge.
Despite the Tigers' staunch defense, which has allowed just 15.1 points per game, Ryan remains confident.
2008 Woodie Awards
