The two-week-long euphoria of the Super Bowl has once again swept up sports fans across the country, all over the world, and especially here in Chestnut Hill. In addition to the rooting interest of the large contingent of both Giants and Patriots fans on campus, students at Boston College have added incentive to pay close attention to Super Bowl XLVI due to the many ties both participating franchises have to BC, particularly its football program.

While many people like to focus on how many stars a certain college football recruit may have, head coach Frank Spaziani prefers to look at a little bit of history.

This stinks. The New England Patriots and the New York Giants are in the Super Bowl—again. And here I am, a New York Jets fan, not sure who in the world to root for—again. It was bad enough that I had to deal with this back in 2008. Now the football gods are asking me to do it all over again? Oh, woe is me.

After two season-ending injuries outside of his control, Boston College wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah has been subjected to the mercy of the NCAA crapshoot and came out at the wrong end of yet another inconsistent ruling by the organization. It was announced this week that Momah, who missed all of the 2009 season due to a knee injury and only appeared in the 2011 opener before being sidelined for the year, will not be granted a sixth year of eligibility after applying for a medical hardship. BC is appealing the decision, but precedent shows that Momah deserved the hardship outright.

Junior Luke Kuechly declared for the NFL Draft via phone conference on Jan. 6. The captain led the nation in tackles this season with 191, including 102 solo stops. He ends his Boston College career as both the ACC and program leader with 532 total tackles. The reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year leaves after a strong junior campaign in which he was awarded the Butkus Trophy, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Rotary Lombardi Award, and the Lott IMPACT Trophy. He was a unanimous selection to the all-ACC first-team defense and was twice named a consensus All-American. "Over the past couple of weeks, I sat down with my parents, talked to different coaches at Boston College, the people I felt are closest to me and have the best thing at heart for me," Kuechly said. "And after the past couple of weeks, I came up with the decision to forego my senior year and head into the NFL Draft this year."

Should he stay or should he go? Boston College football fans everywhere will ask this question in reference to star middle linebacker Luke Kuechly. As the semester comes to a close and the pressure of finals rises, rest assured that Kuechly is probably in a much more stressful situation: declaring for the spring's NFL draft or remaining for his senior season.

For all Superfans who blamed the players during the NBA lockout, it turns out that you have a lot more in common with them than you think. No, it's not a 40-inch vertical, and no, it's not backstage access to the Watch the Throne Tour. Put yourself in the position of the players and you'll realize that we, as Superfans, have our very own David Stern (Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo), our own hard-line owner (football coach Frank Spaziani), and our own "nuclear winter" going on right now. Up until a week ago, when the possibility of an NBA season looked bleak, this analogy worked really well. Now that a deal has been reached and basketball is back on, it becomes less of an analogy and more of an example for how this problem can best be solved.

Strong Finish Is No Indication Of Success

Debilitating injuries, midseason coaching changes, and close losses defined the 2011 Boston College football season. To those of us who witnessed it, however, it will be remembered for a petty four wins, a fifth-place finish in the ACC Atlantic Division, and the end of an era filled with the Eagles participating in the college football postseason.

Late-season Improvement Leads To Optimism

With the end of the 2011 Boston College football season, Superfans witnessed the program's first losing season since 1998. While a 4-8 record would not seem to be an indicator of any future success, a closer look at the Eagles' season tells a different story.

In a sport where the participants all wear helmets that conceal their true identities, certain stars emerge by dint of their achievements on the stat sheet. Players like Luke Kuechly, Chase Rettig and Montel Harris became household names for tackling anything that moves, scoring touchdowns, and breaking longstanding records. The other 90 or so players on the team are thereby marginalized, banished to further obscurity behind the shining stars. Even when commentators speak of the unheralded players, they point to the lesser-known offensive linemen or the secondary. 

Locked in a defensive struggle with Notre Dame, Boston College turned to an unlikely hero in the battle for field position: punter Ryan Quigley.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

Boston College will have to deal with the two-headed monster in the Notre Dame backfield this weekend if it is to have any chance of winning.

Even during a season filled with disappointment, students and fans alike will be buzzing come Saturday as Boston College takes on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend, Ind. (4 p.m., NBC).

The football team's 14-10 victory over NC State at Alumni Stadium was a statement game for the graduating class. On Senior Day, the Eagles seemed to bring a new energy that Superfans have not seen in weeks. Head coach Frank Spaziani understands the emotional aspect of this day; however, he is telling his players to remain focused on finishing the otherwise disappointing season.

Beating NC State 14-10 on Saturday at Alumni Stadium had several ramifications for the Boston College football team. The seniors earned a victory in their final home game, a gritty display of heart for a team that could have given up on the season long ago. The home fans also saw BC defeat an FBS opponent in Chestnut Hill for the first time since Nov. 20, 2010, against Virginia. Most importantly, though, Frank Spaziani likely secured another season as the head coach of the Eagles.

"I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today."

    These are the words of longtime Penn State head football coach Joe "JoePa" Paterno. After over six decades of coaching, the resiliency and dedication of Paterno can be shown through this quote. However, the story behind these words paints a different picture.

Coming off a spectacular 224-yard rushing day against Wake Forest, North Carolina had a grand total of three rushing yards against North Carolina State last week, shutting out its rival Tar Heels on Saturday. The Wolfpack are now coming to Chestnut Hill ready to stop the Boston College run game as well. It's going to take a huge turnaround from the performance against Florida State for the BC running game to get back on track.

With former-Boston College head coach Tom O'Brien leading NC State on Saturday, both offensive units show a lot of similarity. Accordingly, execution or simply who can run the same plays better will be a key game determinant. In 2006, O' Brien left BC taking the offensive coordinator, tight end coach, offensive line coach, special teams coach, defensive backs coach, and defensive line coach with him. The highest position coach that stayed was then Defensive Coordinator Frank Spaziani.

Point-Counterpoint: What's The Best Way To Get To Notre Dame?

Let me preface my argument by stating that I am well aware that I am fighting a losing battle.

Point-Counterpoint: What's The Best Way To Get To Notre Dame?

Flying is for the weak.

Thursday night's 38-7 drubbing by Florida State guarantees the Eagles a losing record and sets an early end for the season, as Boston College is officially bowl ineligible for the first time since 1998.

We all got that e-mail from "Coach Spaz" on Monday, but most people probably didn't read it. Here's what the letter said, and then what the letter really said.

Why would anyone walk away from what he is not just good at, but the best at?

The Eagles face a monumental task tonight in trying to stop one of the best signal callers in the ACC.