Boston College found itself in an all-too-familiar position once again on Sunday night - alone, being passed over by the big-name bowls.
For the third year in a row, BC was jumped by an ACC team with a worse conference record.
Two years ago, the football team was sent to enjoy the late December chill in Boise in the MPC Computers Bowl, when a 4-4 Clemson team went to Orlando, Fla.
Last season, the Eagles were sent to the friendly confines of Ericson Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. for the Meineke Car Care Bowl when Maryland went to Orlando.
And this season, it happened again.
On Sunday, a day after BC lost in the ACC championship to third-ranked Virginia Tech, the Chick-fil-A Bowl (formerly Peach) picked Clemson, and then the Gator Bowl turned around and took Virginia. Both bowls had the opportunity to take BC, but both passed it over for a team with a worse record. The result? A trip to Orlando for the Champs Sports Bowl, the game slotted for the fourth-place ACC team.
Despite the disappointment of being passed over for schools with larger fan bases, Eagles head coach Jeff Jagodzinski did not complain or sound defeated in his Sunday teleconference.
"We're really excited about coming to Florida and Orlando," the coach said. "Our guys are excited about the opportunity to get to 11 wins."
Eleven wins is something that Jagodzinski really stressed in the conference. "There's not many teams that have 10 wins, let alone 11, in the country," he said. "I don't think you need to look at it as a consolation. I'm excited about it."
The opportunity presents itself against the Michigan State Spartans, a team that finished the regular season with a 7-5 record.
The Spartans, who went just 3-5 in Big Ten play, still finished the season strong with two tough wins against Purdue and Penn State.
The Spartans 35-31 comeback win against the Nittany Lions propelled them into a game that Champs Sports Bowl Commissioner Steve Hogan sounded excited about: "We are so proud to be here. We've certainly got a very proud tradition. For us, this is a bonus."
Hogan's excitement and Jagodzinski's confidence following the disappointing weekend emphasize the fact that BC is once again going to a bowl game.
That's the bright side. The team has won 10 games, and "should have most of our players back for the bowl game," Jagodzinski said.
But it does not change the fact that once again, BC did the job on the football field - and it still was not enough to get to that elusive and prestigious bowl game.
2008 Woodie Awards
