Meineke Car Care Bowl Q&A

With the Meineke Car Care Bowl fast approaching, I sat down with Boston College Fan House Blogger Bill Maloney to discuss the upcoming matchup between Boston College and Navy. You can check back later at the Boston College Fan House for the second part of our Q&A, in which I address Bill's questions about Navy football. For more Boston College news, including all your coaching updates, you can also check Bill's Boston College Football Blog Eagle in Atlanta.

First and foremost. By now everyone surely knows (I hope) that Tom O'Brien, who coached the Eagles to seven straight Bowl wins, has moved on to NC State and will not coach in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. What, if anything, changes with interim head coach Frank Spaziani at the helm?

I don't expect any real changes. The rest of the staff is in place through the bowl game and I doubt they'll use this time for new looks or twists (there probably busy looking for homes in Raleigh. What may be different, and will be easy to determine early on, is the team's motivation and emotions. If the assistants don't care, since they are moving on, will the team mirror that attitude? Or will the players come out fighting with something to prove to their former coach? I expect the latter.

I've had the opportunity to watch a number of Boston College games this year, and I think the first word that comes to mind, for me anyway, is inconsistency. They've posted some great wins over the likes of Wake, Clemson, Maryland, and BYU, but have also lost to major disappointments in NC State and Miami. What do you attribute this to?

I attribute it to O'Brien, really. The team is a reflection of its coach and O'Brian's steady but conservative and unemotional style lead to this team coming out flat for the Miami and NC State game. Both teams were bad. Both games were winnable and BC tripped up with the classic O'Brien Achilles heals (defensive letdowns, special team's limitations and stubborn play calling). O'Brian's consistency was a big selling point to NC State. But that even keep approach can be very frustrating. At this point most BC fans found it to be a limitation.

A lot has been made about the Bowl selection process in regards to the ACC this year, with many BC fans questioning the "worthiness" of a Maryland or a Clemson to be selected to higher-level Bowls. Do you believe BC got the short end of the stick in the equation?

No; but I am in the minority among BC fans. I really see the third tier bowls as interchangeable. Does anyone really care who played in Nashville and who played in Charlotte ? These bowls are strictly made for TV events with little to no history or significance. And while BC did beat Maryland and Clemson, all three teams finished with the same conference record. What does upset me is when BC fans are blamed for BC's series of undesirable bowls. I am always quick to point out that Wake Forest is in the Orange Bowl based on what they accomplished on the field, not because of their fans. If BC ever earns or gets invited to a Gator or Peach Bowl, I think the school and fans will turn out. Until then, I think you'll keep seeing a lot of empty seats in places like Boise and Charlotte.

Just by browsing the Internet, it seems like most Boston College fans are writing this game off as just another win against a lesser Bowl opponent. What are your impressions of not only this years Navy team, but of the program Paul Johnson has built?

I really respect Paul Johnson. I was disappointed that he didn't emerge as a candidate for our Head Coaching spot. I know Weatherbie created some excitement in the mid 90s but Johnson's sustained level of success is very impressive. The USNA is lucky to have him and I think it is just a matter of time before he takes his track record to a bigger program. I am not writing off this game. I have no idea what frame of mind BC will be in. I they come in flat, Navy will kill'em.

I think most fans would recognize that Matt Ryan is probably the star on this Boston College team, but by watching a number of games this year I've noticed that there is a good deal of talent on both sides of the ball. Who should we keep our eye out for come December 30th, and who is going to need to step for the Eagles to be successful?

Ryan carries the offense and he will be the key. I think the game has potential to be a shootout and for BC to win, they need to stop Navy. Therefore Navy fans should keep an eye out for these defensive stalwarts – Brian Toal, Jolonn Dunbar and Ryan Glasper. Toal is our most highly touted player. He's fought through injuries the past two seasons, but has been healthy for about a month and playing out of his mind. He is very quick and I expect him to shoot the gaps and try to disrupt the Navy offense as often as possible. Jolonn Dunbar is our middle linebacker and obviously is also crucial to slowing Navy's attack. He sat out the Miami game with an ankle injury. BC needs him at full strength against the Middies. Dunbar is a solid tackler and has a good nose for the lose balls. The final crucial player is Ryan Glasper. Glasper is a Senior Safety. Wake Forest is a team most similar to Navy whom BC has faced on a regular basis. In those games, Wake used misdirection for big passing plays. Glasper will need to be disciplined against the Middies to prevent the big play.

Looking over the statistics, I've noticed that the Eagles are ranked 13th against the run in the country. Those are pretty good numbers, but are they good enough to stop Navy's top ranked rushing offense?

The ranking is somewhat deceiving. BC faced some passing focused teams like BYU and Central Michigan. BC also got up early against Maryland and saw them try to pass their way back into the game. But still the run defense is good. I think they will be good enough to stop Navy. My bigger concern is the concentration. As you know, Navy can be relentless. BC has a problem staying focused for 60 minutes. My fear is that they could stop Navy for a few series, then let up and allow a long drive. Will they respond? Will the stay focused? We'll find out.

Any injuries we should know about?

For the most part everyone is healthy and at full speed. If BC has problems, the fans and media will have plenty of excuse from which to draw, but injuries won't be one of them.

Alright, time to go out on a limb here. Who wins and why?

Despite all of the chaos, I still think BC wins this game. I think the staff will provide a solid enough game plan. I think the kids will have something to prove. I think Johnson will try to slow the game down and limit BC's possessions, but I still think the Eagles win. Final score: BC 31, Navy 17.

Last question, I promise. As a long suffering Buffalo Bills fan, I'm as big a Doug Flutie fan as anyone, What are the chances we see him in Charlotte?

I think there is a very good chance that Doug will be there. Doug is obviously a big fan, but this season has an added interest in the team – his nephew, Billy is a redshirting QB. Because of Dougie Jr's disability, Doug has taken an added interest in Billy's athletic endeavors. The only reason he might not be in Charlotte is if ABC has him doing something else.