NCAA Football FanHouse

College Eye For The NFL Guy: Matt Ryan

Brian Cook — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, NFL Prospects

Now with an even more outdated cultural reference in the title! Remember metrosexuals? Far out!

WHAT NFL SCOUTS ARE SAYING

NFL.com's Pat Kirwan:

Ryan is the premiere quarterback of the class of 2008. He is a first round prospect with all the intangibles and is described accurately as a "winner." When compared to other draft classes, Ryan doesn't have the status of a Peyton or Eli Manning, Philip Rivers or Ben Roethlisberger to some clubs, but he is a guy you can build a club around. It will be hard for Atlanta, Kansas City and Baltimore to all pass him in the top 10 spots.

PROBABLY GETTING DRAFTED...

At the top of the first round.

GUY WHO WATCHED HIM FOR FOUR YEARS IS SAYING

Ah, Matt Ryan. White. Pretty tall. Strapping, even. Possessor of the most annoying nickname ("Matty Ice") this side of Chris Berman. Potential top pick in the draft according to people who must have never watched college football ever.

There's an uncanny consensus amongst college football fans on Ryan: Jesus, that kid is overrated. Rarely does an entire nation of college football fans agree on anything other than "Paul Maguire must be fired immediately," but ask any non-BC fan from sea to shining sea and you will get one response: don't draft that guy. Why after the jump.
With apologies Bill Maloney, the Fanhouse's BC rep, this is why:

Yes, Boston College had the nation's fourth-ranked passing offense, but Ryan was 62nd in passer efficiency. He completed 59% of his passes -- okay, not great -- and flung 19 interceptions to go with his 31 touchdowns.
Yes, "Matty Ice" led quite a comeback in BC's critical matchup against Virginia Tech, but BC was in that hole largely because he spent the first 55 minutes of the game throwing passes anywhere but the approximate vicinity of BC receivers. He ended up completing fewer than half of his 52 attempts, had two interceptions to go with his two touchdowns, and had a passer rating of under 100. In the rematch he again threw 52 passes; this time he managed to complete more than half but had two interceptions and no touchdowns in a 30-16 loss.
All of Ryan's stats, dubious as they are, came in the weakest BCS conference, the ACC. BC's nonconference schedule was Army, UMass, Bowling Green, and Notre Dame. In the bowl game, a 10-3 team that had gone to the ACC championship game played 7-5 Michigan State, which had gone 3-5 in conference.
"Matty Ice." I mean... come on.

Most importantly, Ryan just didn't play that well when you watched. He wasn't sacked that much, he didn't play against many good defenses, and at no point did he resemble a future NFL All Pro. He just seemed like a pretty good college quarterback, more John Navarre than Tom Brady.

Kirwan calls him a "winner," complete with quote marks, above, and that's often code for "team wins despite the fact he's not that good." See: Dorsey, Krenzel, etc. Anyone who takes Ryan in the top ten picks is asking for it.

College Eye For The NFL Guy: Matt Ryan originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matt Ryan Wins The Manning Award

Ian Cohen — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:16:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, ACC, BCS, NFL Prospects

While this may sound like a Sports Guy gambit, I assure you ... this award does in fact exist. Matt Leinart won it in 2004 by winning the Heisman and leading USC to its second straight championship. Vince Young won it in 2005 on the strength of possibly the most dominating single performance in college football history (the award takes bowls into account). Last year, JaMarcus Russell won it after leading LSU to a Sugar Bowl decimation of Notre Dame and eventually becoming the #1 pick in the draft. Matt Ryan, well- he won the Champs Sports Bowl. Scintillating!

Then again, considering that the Manning Award is meant to honor the accomplishments of all the Mannings, including Eli, maybe it's appropriate that the guy who ended the year a winner with lesser stats finished just ahead of the guy with the mindblowing stats and the crushing postseason loss. Ryan edged out Heisman winner Tim Tebow for the 4th iteration of the award, perhaps setting up the Manning as the new hotness in collegiate awards that discriminate against underclassmen. Quoth the elder,

"In an exceptional season for quarterbacks, Matt Ryan's performance rose above our most talented class of finalists ever to win this year's award," Archie Manning said. "His record-breaking season led Boston College to new heights and we are proud to announce him as this year's winner and look forward to honoring him in New Orleans later this year."

That's right, BC fans- you can win eleven games in a BCS conference and yet, a year in which you edge out the 8th-best team in the Big Ten a half-week before New Year's is still technically "record breaking." Ryan was later erroneously quoted as saying that he hopes to use the awards ceremony as a means of acquiring some sort of Big Easy voodoo charm that will allow him to endure his inevitable time with the Atlanta Falcons in a blissful, psychotropic haze.

Matt Ryan Wins The Manning Award originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posse On Bowl-way: Boston College

Ian Cohen — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:04:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Michigan State Football, ACC, Big 10, Bowl Games

Happy To Be Here?

To make a long story short, Boston College spent a good portion of the season in the top ten (deservedly or not) and even made its way up to #2 before losing to Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship. The Champs Sports Bowl gets the fourth selection from the ACC. There you have it. It is worth mentioning that BC had the weakest OOC schedule in the ACC, but once again, they find themselves up against a supposedly lesser opponent, in this case the 7-5 Michigan State Spartans who managed a sparkling 3-5 in conference record. Then again, they lost those five games by a combined 28 points, never losing by more than 7, so you might want to check the spread here.

Come Here Often?

Kiiiiinda. Though this is their first time at the Champs Sports Bowl, BC will now ensure that they've made a lesser bowl game in Orlando the last three decades. In 1982, they lost to Auburn 33-26 in the Tangerine Bowl (but what we'll remember most is the laughter) and in 1993, Glenn Foley directed them to a 31-13 win over Virginia in the Carquest Bowl.
Why Care?

You know, I should be telling you that it's a good opportunity to see MSU's pass rush against Matt Ryan, but the Spartans have gone Florida State Lite and suspended five of their players for this game. Unfortunately for them, this includes Jonal Saint-Dic and SirDarean Adams, who are every bit as good as their names. In any event, MSU will likely rely on its running attack, which finished 25th in the country on the strength of Javon Ringer (1346 yards) and Jehuu Culcrick (4th in the nation with 21 rushing TD's). As far as Ryan goes, he's the top ten draft pick of choice for uncreative types; sure he looks like the real thing and has led BC to some pretty bracing victories, but he's often been inconsistent and had a rather poor second half of the season once the competition ratcheted up. Granted, he doesn't really have a lot of weapons on the edge, but just wait until the Ravens draft him.

And The Winner Is...

This is not the mismatch you might assume it is. Yes, BC finished #2 in the ACC and yes, Sparty finished 8th in a questionable Big Ten. But you could make the argument that MSU played better towards the end of the year and if you give half a crap about motivational factors in bowl games, you could bring up the fact that this is MSU's first bowl since 2003 and BC slides backwards into a contest they likely see as beneath them. Nonetheless, you figure that Ryan will want to show off his skills in the short/immediate passing game to impress the scouts and Michigan State is missing some serious firepower on the defensive side of things. If I were feeling more frisky, I'd go with Sparty, but BC is just too good at winning games they're supposed to and nothing more.

BC 31 Michigan State 24

Posse On Bowl-way: Boston College originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACC Championship Live Blog: 2nd Half

Ian Cohen — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 16:10:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Virginia Tech Football, ACC, BCS

Really wish it didn't have to come down to this, but the fact is, Virginia Tech seems to have BC right where they want them at the end of the first half. Yes, the Eagles are on their way to about 500 total yards against one of the most daunting defenses in the country, but in spite of their ability to move the ball against the Hokies, their 16 points come off the strength of a strange turnover and a Matt Ryan scramble. Many red zone opportunities have been wasted. Many a Sully has been forced to drink and blame it on their genetics. Meanwhile, VT has yet to establish themselves on offense in a consistent way, but they've been able to keep pace with opportunistic special teams play and shifty QB play. Regardless of whether or not this game will lace the coffers of the Jacksonville bigwigs is pointless; at least up to this point, we've got ourselves a far more compelling and competitive game than the ACC title tilt has seen up to now.
- Exactly what is VT thinking having Sean Glennon work a 3rd and 4 instead of the far more mobile and threatening Tyrod Taylor? C'mon...even I realize sometimes that you need to snap a fake punt to your 99-speed havin' WR.

- BC receivers are beasts in the short game. They aren't on some Reggie Brown stuff when it comes to taking hits over the middle. But once again, the Eagles look like they're gonna stall at the 30. And that's exactly what happens after an ill-fated play action pass on 4th and 1.

- Well, that's the kind of stuff I've been talking about. Eddie Royal catches a 24-yard TD strike from Glennon on a 3rd and 13. Now I'm not gonna doubt Matt Ryan acuity in regards to making comebacks against Virginia Tech, but being behind 23-16 against a Bud Foster D that's seen your offense once already this year can't be encouraging.

- Matt Ryan has been an absolute surgeon on this past drive in the 4th quarter. Nothing along the lines of his godbody performance in Blacksburg, but nonetheless, still pretty good. Too bad they once again f'd up in the red zone, leading to a VT possession with little time left. Hope you didn't waste your frequent flyer miles on Jacksonville, BC fans. Looks like Orlando could be a realistic possibility...

-...particularly since Ryan got his arm knocked and uncorked a pick six. Well, it was a good season for both involved. Now, let's see what the spread is when it's ultimately announced that UGA will go up against VT and BC will go against Michigan.

ACC Championship Live Blog: 2nd Half originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 01 Dec 2007 16:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACC Championship Live Blog: 1st Half

Ian Cohen — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:41:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Virginia Tech Football, ACC, BCS

You know what's pretty good? Victory Golden Monkey. I don't know about you, but the ability to get a six-pack of 9.5% beer that actually tastes good and costs $10.99 at an LA BevMo is a pretty good find. And yeah, I know it's 10 AM, but you're not my mom. And if you are, I totally want a new pair of Wallabees for Hannukah.

You know what's also pretty good? Atlas Sound (beat the bloggers at their own game...this is some 2008 ish!). Just be thankful Deerhunter's not available in Getty Images, because Bradford Cox looks about as good as Brandon Cox plays.

Anyways, these two will guide me on my first-half Live Blog of the ACC Championship game. Just my thoughts, people...
- From the looks of things in the stands, VT fans appear to outnumber BC's by a ratio of approximately 150:1. The Eagles better win or hope there's a complete blackout of this game in Chick Fil-A corporate offices (playing on Sunday would've helped).

- Not sure if the Miami game was just a red herring, but Boston College looks ultra-prepared on this first drive. Lots of success with the short passing game, but a couple of incompletions show that BC's gonna have to take some chances eventually. As if to drive that point home more thoroughly, they get a 36-yard FG attempt blocked (of all things!), and I'm sure we'll be privy to about five dozen "Beamerball!" references by the time the first half is over. Then again, it's worth mentioning that, cool name aside, BC's kicker is a walk-on that actually kinda sucks.

- Not that I have much desire to dredge up sympathy for Bostonians, but having watched their red zone offense over the last two drives...man, I feel for you. Because having seen VT play more times than I care to mention, be forewarned that this is the kind of stuff that comes back to haunt you once one of their 6'4", 4.3-runnin' wideouts catches some fluke TD in the second half. Anyways, Matt Ryan once again masterfully commandeers the Eagles to around the 30 yard line, but they can't cash in as a 4th and 6 pass fails.

- Tyrod Taylor now in for the Hokies on their second drive after going three and out. Looks far more effective for the time being, much to the chagrin of any ACC fan who's not in Blacksburg...at least until he gets the ball totally snatched away from him as if it was a pocketbook by wild-coiffed BC linebacker Jamie Silva on an option play and returned for a TD. Such are the vagaries of starting a true freshman at the QB position.

- After a totes ineffective 3 and out for Sean Glennon, BC gets the ball back and now leads in total yardage by about a 10:1 margin. The Eagles are pretty much moving the ball at will, at least until they get into VT territory. The fact that the Hokies are down 7-0 after the first quarter (on a defensive TD no less) should be considered somewhat of a blessing. Matt Ryan's already thrown 15 passes and completed 10 of them, looking far more composed and far less hassled than he was in Blacksburg earlier this year.

- Wow...didn't see that coming. BC once again stalls around the VT 30-yard line, but converts a 4th and 9 to Rich Gunnell. Still can't quite come through within the 20, but Aponivicius connects emphatically on a 37-yarder.

- VT definitely came back on that last drive. Josh Morgan catches himself a fade pattern (was Vic Hall out there?) for a TD, at least somewhat vindicating the use of Sean Glennon in this game.

- Okay...maybe those Glen Foley references aren't particularly accurate. Matt Ryan's been known to pull off nice looking runs when it's least expected, which is exactly what happened on a eerily easy-looking 14-yard TD run. Problem is....BEAMERBALL. XP gets blocked and returned for two points, pretty much draining any momentum BC gained from yet another leisurely drive down the field. 16-9, BC.

- Maybe I spoke too soon...Pennington-style duck tossed up Glennon, picked off by Silva around BC's 40. Keep in mind, this is a linebacker playing centerfield on a near Hail Mary.

- Despite mostly dominating most statistical categories, BC finds itself tied with VT after a particularly nice-looking escape trick from Glennon. Despite his statuesque mobility, Glennon managed to escape the goal line pass rush to hit Josh Hyman for a TD on a broken play.

- So, to the half at 16-16. Matt Ryan has already posted "are they playing Duke?" numbers- 21/31, 197 yards. Whereas VT has 149 total yards, but then again...BEAMERBALL.

ACC Championship Live Blog: 1st Half originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matt Ryan Is Your Wire-To-Wire ACC Player of the Year

Ian Cohen — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:53:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, ACC, BCS

As Matt Ryan has gone, so has Boston College. Both started off the season as dark horse candidates to win the biggest prize of 'em all. As the season progressed, it looked like more of a reasonable possibility. Then a pretty bad bender took them off the national radar, and put them around where most reasonable predictions had them at before the year began. But after coming up big late in the season, there's a chance that they can wrap up some nice consolation prizes; for BC, their first ever BCS bid. For Ryan, a solidification of his status as the best QB prospect in the draft.

In the meantime, being named the ACC Player of the Year will have to do. This doesn't come as much of a surprise, seeing as how he began the season as the Preseason POY (sort of a dubiously named honor if you really think about it). The bigger surprise is the margin by which he won it- Virginia DE (and ACC DPOY) Chris Long finished with 18 of the 71 first-place votes, about a third of Ryan's tally (50). No one else received more than one, among them Tashard Choice and Clemson QB Cullen Harper, who, loss to BC aside, may have statistically outplayed Ryan, at least until the two clashed for the ACC Atlantic title. Ryan set the BC single-season record this year with 28 TD passes, and provided he gets drafted by the Ravens (a likely possibility if previews are to be believed), he can expect to tally that in about four years time, flat.

Matt Ryan Is Your Wire-To-Wire ACC Player of the Year originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boston College RB Suspended For ACC Championship

Ian Cohen — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, ACC, BCS

There's a lot of talk about how Missouri being the #1 team in the BCS is more a matter of inertia than a determination of merit; after all, how could the best squad in the US and A be an underdog in a neutral field game? Well, when their opponent already spanked them once this year, I guess that's acceptable, even if it is a one-loss team vs. a two-loss team...that lost two games to unranked teams.

I can only imagine how Boston College fans feel at this point, seeing as how you could search nearly every legit sports site on the internet and not come up with a bowl projection that has the Eagles BCS-bound. Not only is the ACC championship in a neutral, cavernous site, but BC beat Virginia Tech in their own house. VT certainly has certainly been impressive over the last couple of weeks (beating Miami and UVA at home > beating Miami and Clemson at home?), but can it really be that cut and dry?

Well, BC can deal with another blow, that being the suspension of backup running back AJ Brooks for this Saturday's game for the ever-popular "unspecified violation of team rules"...which later became specified. As in, "being charged for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, i.e., his own shoe." He was released on bail, and certainly won't be making it to Jacksonville.

Cool out, oddsmakers! Brooks has ran for a total of 79 yards this year, about half of what he ran for in his first start as a freshman. Granted, it was against UMass, but everyone deserves their Polk High moments, I suppose.

Boston College RB Suspended For ACC Championship originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ex-Big East Battle for the ACC Championship

Charles Rich — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 15:51:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Virginia Tech Football, ACC

The ACC plans for football dominance -- and dreams of more than one team in BCS bowls -- continues to be on hold. Boston College and Virginia Tech -- the two throw-ins the ACC had to take to get Miami to jump conferences will face each other for the ACC Championship and the BCS Orange bowl appearance.

Boston College put Miami out of its misery for the season the way it has done for most of the seaon. Not pretty, but enough to do the job. Lots of passing yardage, some missed opportunities and a defense that plays decently. A very anti-climatic game after last week's wild game at Clemson. It was the first win for BC, though, over Miami in 15 games. Not since 1984 and Doug Flutie threw a Hail Mary had that happened. So the Eagles do have that going for them.

Virginia Tech pulled away from Virginia in the second half as the defense clamped down on the Cavaliers. The fourth straight loss by Virginia to their instate rivals. The Hokies have managed to stay out of any real national attention by losing their two biggest games. The blowout early in the season to LSU and then snatching a loss from the jaws of victory at home on a Thursday night against BC. Outside of Blacksburg, no one has been able to put much faith in the Hokies.

Ex-Big East Battle for the ACC Championship originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 24 Nov 2007 15:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boston College: Win Or You're Screwed...Sorta

Ian Cohen — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:51:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Clemson Football, Virginia Football, Virginia Tech Football, ACC, BCS, Bowl Games

When the ACC puffed out to 12 teams several years back, it was pretty much anathema to anyone who wasn't John Swofford or affiliated with Virginia Tech. Most of this had to do with how it directly affected the basketball schedule; see the argument about Virginia being an "unfit" regular season ACC champion because they didn't get to play Duke or UNC twice (as if UNC winning at John Paul Jones was a given). On a less concrete level, it bothered purists who saw the ACC as a "basketball conference." Which is true in two fundamental ways: many of the conference's schools have achieved far more success on the hardwood than the gridiron, and (here's the important part), they don't have the characteristics of many "football schools." Besides having a handful of universities with enrollments of less than 10,000 (Duke, Wake, GT and now, BC) and mid-sized state schools (Virginia, UNC), even the larger universities (NC State, Florida State) aren't coming close to the nationwide alumni prevalence of an Ohio State or Texas or USC.

Now that the conference finds itself trying to fill out big boy bowls, this has arguably resulted in a dichotomy where the smaller schools get screwed during bowl season year in, year out because of misconceptions about a school's ability to "travel" and whether they're a "football" school. Of course, this ends up in the Catch-22 of schools like Virginia, Boston College and Wake being unable to change these reputations because they're being sent out to places like Hawai'i, San Francisco and Boise instead of somewhere within reason. They even had to instate a rule that preventing bowl selection committees from cherrypicking teams who have reputations that precede the actual product they put on the field; to illustrate the rule, if Wake Forest has a 7-5 record with a 5-3 conference slate, they can't be passed over for, say, Maryland if they're 7-5 with a 3-5 conference record.

Boston College has already been a victim of this once; despite finishing in the Top 25 in 2005, they were relegated to the Humanitarian Bowl due to the vicissitudes of the selection process (i.e., 4th choice doesn't mean you have to take the 4th best team), a large part being that Boise didn't want to bring Virginia for a second straight season considering the lack of enthusiasm they brought the first time. This year, there's far more at stake for them in the ACC Championship than just a trophy. Beat VT or UVA- you get an eight-digit payday at the Orange Bowl. Lose...well, I hear Orlando's really nice this time of year. From the looks of things, the Gator and Chick Fil A Bowl may have already decided that BC isn't part of their plans. So says Chick Fil-A president Gary Stokan:

"Everybody has a concern regarding BC with respect to its [fan] travel."

He doesn't rule the Eagles out completely, but you get the feeling that they're far less attractive of a choice than the loser of UVA/VT or southern mainstay/guaranteed sellout Clemson. Even with UVA's sketchy reputation for travel, they still have a good presence in the Atlanta area and haven't been to this bowl since 1998. All protests from BC/Atlanta Fanhouse correspondent Bill Maloney aside, you can see things from Stokan's perspective, but it still sucks hard. Meanwhile, the Gator Bowl bit the bullet last year by taking Georgia Tech just weeks after they lost the ACC Championship in the same stadium, and they're not looking to relive that thrill again. You'd best believe they're giving Clemson a good once-over.

Granted, the Champs Sports Bowl would probably sound like a far more attractive fallback plan if it didn't have that name. It doesn't have the same payday or the cachet of proximity to New Year's Day, but whatever Big Ten school fills the opposite slot (Penn State?) would pick up the ticket slack and still result in a meaningful, "name" matchup. And in the event that UVA ends up there (likely the case if BC wins the ACC), well, you have to admit that constitutes a wildly successful outcome considering expectations that preceded even the Wyoming game. But if things don't pan out that way, you basically have a situation where one of the conference's strongest teams is almost completely barred from two of its three most lucrative bowl games.

Boston College: Win Or You're Screwed...Sorta originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heisman Pundit Has the Answers

Ryan Ferguson — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:45:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Florida Football, West Virginia Football, Heisman, Missouri Football, Arkansas Football

Austin Murphy calls him "indispensable." ESPN's Bruce Feldman says, "He takes the Heisman more seriously than probably 99% of the Heisman voters themselves." And Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel says he "knows what he's talking about ... which is more than I can say of some pundits."

We're talking, of course, about Heisman Pundit and his website dedicated to "breaking down the politics of the most prestigious award in sports." The zigs and zags of this year's Heisman Trophy race being almost impossible to keep up with, FanHouse turned to the Chris Huston, a former Sports Information Director at USC, for answers. Huston conceived and directed the Heisman campaigns of both Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart .

FH: Is this the strangest Heisman race you've ever seen?

HP: Without a doubt. I've never seen another race filled with so many twists and turns. I've never seen so many viable preseason candidates fall by the wayside.

Who do you see as the frontrunner for the Heisman at this point?

Tim Tebow is the front runner. I think he has an 85% chance of winning at this point.

What does he have to do to clinch it?

All Tebow has to do is be Tebow in his last game against Florida State. The Gators have to win and he has to play well.

The only way he can lose it is if he plays poorly in a loss and Chase Daniel has amazing games against Kansas and OU on the way to leading Mizzou to the BCS title game.

Can you envision a scenario in which, say, WVU's Pat White or Arkansas' Darren McFadden rise up in their final games to knock Tim Tebow out of first place?

The only scenario for McFadden is for him to rush for 300 plus yards in a win over LSU. Even then, he may not win and I don't see it happening anyway. White has no shot at this point.

Couldn't Mizzou's Chase Daniel have a big game against Kansas, thereby moving his team into a BCS title game berth, and take the Trophy?

It's not only the Kansas game, but the ensuing Big 12 title game, which is also played before the Heisman, that can help him. Again, he would have to have two awesome, memorable games in a row to have a shot.

Your Heismandments say that there will never be another two-time Heisman Trophy winner. Since Tebow is only a sophomore, it stands to reason he could play even better as a junior. If he wins it this year, and plays at least as well if not better next year, doesn't he stand a chance to break this rule?

No. This is one rule that I stand by. If Tebow wins the Heisman this year, he will do so rather grudgingly from the voters. I think two things will hurt him next year: The thought that he has already won and that someone else deserves a shot; and also the fact that his stats aren't likely to be as good as Florida should have a more legit running game to take away some of his numbers. All that aside, the odds of a guy having a singularly special Heisman-worthy season two years in a row, while no one else steps up, is very remote.

If Matt Ryan's BC squad was undefeated right now, despite his lackluster play down the stretch, would he be the favorite at this point?

I think it would very close between him and Tebow; he would probably be a slight favorite.

Should teams campaign for their Heisman candidate student-athletes?

Absolutely. Every school has a sports information department whose job it is to promote their athletes for honors. That is why they are paid. Unfortunately, some SID offices don't think it is in their job description to do so, for whatever reason. Mostly though, it's because most (with a few exceptions) are not very creative, lack a good PR sense and are not in tune with the college football scene to understand how to approach it. Me, my motto when I was an SID at USC was "My job is to make an All-American out of someone that doesn't deserve it".

There have been some big-time players emerge this year as freshmen; Georgia's Knowshon Moreno and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford come to mind. If a sophomore wins it this year, does that improve their odds to win it next year?

Only marginally. I still think that extraordinary circumstances had to occur for Tebow to win it. If anything, it may be harder because all sophomores who follow will be held to Tebow's standards.

Heisman Pundit Has the Answers originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clemson Fails to "Finish the Job"

Charles Rich — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Clemson Football, ACC

Cue the Bowden, hands over the face photo.

That motto for Clemson this season, rings quite hollow for Tiger fans. Once more, a Tommy Bowden Clemson squad comes out tighter than Nancy Pelosi speaking at a Southern Baptist Convention. From the coach down to the players, they were feeling the pressure of being a favorite and expected to get to the ACC Championship.

Clemson had it all set up for them to go to the ACC Championship. They just had to beat Boston College at home. The Tigers had been hot. Four straight wins. Scoring at least 30 points and not letting any team score more than 17 in that stretch. Running the ball really, really well. The passing game opened up.

Boston College was reeling after two straight losses, no running game and a very beat-up defense.

Hindsight says, you could just hear the "Ka-Boom" of an implosion coming. That it just couldn't end any other way. Boston College pulled out a late, gut-wrenching 20-17 victory that almost defied belief if it hadn't been so familiar.

Clemson spent much of the game forgetting to run the ball. Not that they were particularly effective when they did. C.J. Spiller and James Davis combined for 62 yards on 23 carries. Spiller got 24 of his yards during the second last possession for the Tigers.

The Clemson defense played well, but spent way too long on the field as BC had a +13:30 time of possession advantage. The Clemson special teams helped with field position -- the Tigers started 5 drives past their own 40-yard line. Clemson's offense just couldn't move the ball and couldn't even eat much clock.

Boston College, as usual, was the Matt Ryan show. Ryan kept BC in the game and was -- pardon the cliche -- magical in the fourth quarter. The Eagles took a 13-10 lead midway through the 4th for the first time.

Clemson answered with their first solid drive since the start of the 3d quarter to retake the lead, when they remembered that running the ball makes it a lot easier to pass.

Then Ryan took over. He was 6-7 for 68 yards on the final drive. The killer was a perfectly thrown, hit the receiver in stride 43-yard pass for the score. At that moment, Clemson Memorial Stadium went dead silent.

Clemson tried to answer, and QB Cullen Harper deserves a lot of credit. The problem is his receivers went tight. Really, really tight. Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham both dropped big passes as Clemson tried to drive. Kelly, especially, dropped what would have been a TD that was thrown perfectly. Instead, he let it clang off of his arms as he was running free.

Even then, Clemson was at the BC 30 on 3d down. At least get a field goal attempt. Instead, Harper makes his own big mistake. He takes a sack to lose 7 yards. The 54-yard FG attempt wasn't close.

Clemson Fails to "Finish the Job" originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 17 Nov 2007 23:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does Cullen Harper Deserve More Heisman Buzz Than Matt Ryan?

Ian Cohen — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:23:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Clemson Football, ACC, BCS

Going into Death Valley this Saturday, we have two QB's battling for national recognition. One has thrown for over 2,400 yards with 66.5% completion percentage and a staggering 26/4 TD-INT ratio. The other, while having racked up over 3,200 through the air, has completed 59.4% of his passes and thrown at least two INT's in his last three games and is a miracle drive away from a three game-losing streak. Care to guess which one was in the Heisman discussion for most of the year and which one is Clemson QB Cullen Harper?

Now, I'm not saying that Harper necessarily should divert attention away from the mindblowing statistics of a Tim Tebow or Chase Daniel, but the fact that he's only now getting any kind of mainstream media recognition is somewhat indicative of the inertia that often plagues awards-givers-types. Senior+QB+winning team= HEISMAN CANDIDATE!!! Even better if he's a traditional, drop-back type that will almost certainly draw comparisons to QB's who play "the right way."

Granted, Ryan can turn his fortunes around with a win against Clemson and a victory in the subsequent ACC championship against either UVA or Virginia Tech. But check his career stats, and you'll find that his 24-13 INT ratio stands as by far his best. I won't say that he's got "bust" written all over him, but if I don't see at least one predraft Glen Foley comparison, well...people haven't done their homework.

Does Cullen Harper Deserve More Heisman Buzz Than Matt Ryan? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boston College Plays the Same Song

Charles Rich — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 23:34:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Maryland Football, ACC

By the time Tom O'Brien left Boston College for North Carolina State, it seemed a lot like an amicable divorce. Boston College appreciated the job he had done for them, but it was time for both sides to move on to something else. BC fans were a little tired of solid 7-9 win regular seasons, a minor bowl, and a ranking in or near the top-25. There had to be something better.

Enter Jeff Jagodzinski and a more open offense. The Eagles reeled off 8 straight wins, had a Heisman candidate QB and a solid defense. This year, at least, things would be different.

Um, no. After the loss to Florida State, Boston College gets dropped by Maryland 42-35.

Maryland had lost three straight including a stunner to North Carolina and hadn't scored more than 17 points in that space. In only one game against 1-A opponents did Maryland exceed 30 points this season. Tonight they exploded on offense. Despite starting running back Keon Lattimore not playing, Lance Ball ran for over 100 yards and Chris Turner threw for over 300 yards.

Boston College hadn't allowed a team to score 30 points all season. Against the Terrapins, the BC defense continued to give up big plays.

The Eagles are now 8-2 with a game at Clemson next week. Essentially to decide who will be going to the ACC Championship game from the Atlantic division.

Boston College Plays the Same Song originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 10 Nov 2007 23:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So Much for the Ryan Heisman

Charles Rich — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:42:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Florida State Football, ACC, Heisman

QB Matt Ryan becomes the latest star QB to be summarily dismissed for the Heisman after a bad performance and a loss -- joining Tim Tebow, Brian Brohm, Andre' Woodson and a host of other QBs this season. In Matt Ryan's case, this was coming for a while. His final minutes heroics last week salvaged what had been a less than impressive performance for the first 55 minutes. This time the knee jerk reaction almost seems justified as BC lost 27-17.

Facing a Florida State team forced to start Drew Weatherford after Xavier Lee was suspended, the ~~Golden~~ Eagles were lousy. Boston College was at home and the weather was lousy. Florida State never trailed in this game. They never really pulled away, but Boston College was just off the entire game.

Ryan piled up 400+ passing yards and even 30 yards rushing, but he also threw 3 interceptions and completed less than 50% of his throws. Most importantly to damage his Heisman candidacy, the ~~Golden~~ Eagles lost on a national, prime-time night game that many people saw. The final interception was returned 38 yards for a touchdown to ice the game in the final minutes.

The big problem for BC was that on a wet night, the lack of a running game really caught up with them. BC's backs only produced 36 yards on 11 attempts.

So Much for the Ryan Heisman originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bud Foster Doesn't Play The Prevent Defense

Ian Cohen — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:28:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Virginia Tech Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Fans, NCAA FB Coaching

It's understandable to think that Virginia Tech's improbable and still shocking 4th quarter collapse against Boston College was the result of every armchair defensive coordinator's scourge: the prevent defense. It's certainly not unreasonable to think that the Hokies were guilty of doing this. After all, throughout the first 58 minutes, they had been battering and confusing Matt Ryan into feeble passes, ill-advised passes or just forced passes. Next thing you know, Ryan's biting off 20 yard chunks at a time against one of the best defenses in the country and finally delivering a stunning knockout blow with a touchdown to Andre Callendar on 3rd and 20.

But VT DC Bud Foster ain't hearing that noise:

"If everybody wants to know, there was no prevent defense," a defiant Foster told reporters Sunday. "Anyone saying that doesn't know what the hell they're talking about. That's why they're fans and we coach, OK?"

And sure, I guess it wasn't a prevent defense, because it didn't really prevent much of anything. And it humorously recalls Al Groh's infamous dismissal of chair moisteners from sector 7G:

"I understand fans. I don't think fans understand coaches. I fly on a lot of airplanes. Just because I fly on airplanes doesn't qualify me to be a pilot. I own stocks. Just because I own stocks doesn't mean I have any idea how my broker picks the stocks."

But it's certainly disconcerting considering that before LSU pretty much decimated their souls, their last loss found them blowing a ginormous lead in the Chick Fil-A Bowl to a Georgia team featuring a freshman QB and a season's worth of mixed (at best) results. We'll see tonight if Bud ratchets things up.

Bud Foster Doesn't Play The Prevent Defense originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet The Press: Matt Ryan for Heisman

Brian Grummell — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:55:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, ACC, Heisman

And in so doing loses its journalistic integrity . . . I kid, I kid. Sports is not Left/Right//Center politics.

So anyway, check out the image at right of one grinning Tim Russert and his Ryan for Heisman shirt. Not bad for a quarterback at a private Jesuit school in pro sports mad Boston. Beat Miami on a Hail Mary to Kevin Challenger and he may really be onto something.

As for Russert, well last I checked he still has a Berman-esque affection for his hometown Buffalo Bills. Yet it's nice to see his interests expanding into the college game.

The NFL is boring. Matt Ryan's stirring comeback performance in the last two minutes against Virginia Tech . . . is not.

(Via: Eagle in Atlanta)

Meet The Press: Matt Ryan for Heisman originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fourth Quarter Live Blog: Boston College @ Virginia Tech

Brian Grummell — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:15:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Virginia Tech Football, ACC

B.C. @ VaTech | 1st Qtr | 2nd Qtr | 3rd Qtr | 4th Qtr

Welcome back. Virginia Tech leads #2 (cough) Boston College 10-0 and is driving as we start the fourth quarter. Matt Ryan looks worse than below average and the Hokie defensive line has him all kinds of jumpy. Those Heisman hopes are probably shot, but his team has a chance - however limited - to salvage this game.

Live Blog after the jump . . .

10:23 - Whoah, JoLonn Dunbar. We haven't heard your name all night superstar. What gives? Hokie punt. A needed stop there, Eagle ball at the 20.

10:26 - Think Boston College is feeling the pressure of being #2? Duke scored more in the first quarter against this Hokie defense than the Eagles have through three quarters today.

10:27 - Holding on third and one. Ouch. Psychologically, that's a killer. Third and 11 and Ryan has to call a timeout. We'll try this again in a moment. Update: no good. Punt time.

10:33 - I'd like to say Matt Ryan's been awful, but he hasn't. He hasn't been a turnover machine. He's gotten some ok passes off. Let's just say he's been incredibly ineffective. Very Sean Glennon-like. Meanwhile Glennon's done just enough to give his team a lead while the defense pitches a shutout.

10:36 - ESPN just replayed that earlier touchdown. It's quite clear now that the play wasn't a touchdown. It still would have been Hokie ball inside the ten, but maybe they get a field goal and this game is 6-0 instead of 10-0 and Boston College is a little more focused.

10:37 - Meanwhile Branden Ore's running well. Virginia Tech's gonna salt this away nice and clean. Er, nevermind? Bad shotgun snap and Glennon has to fall on the ball. Why call a shotgun play as you're running well and icing a lead with under 7:00 to go? Stupid call. Third and 14 and they throw deep into double coverage. Another stupid call. Punt time.

Strange coaching by both teams tonight.

10:42 - Interception! Terrible decision there by Matt Ryan, throwing into double coverage. Easy pick there. What's up with Matt Ryan tonight? Hokie ball at the 31 with 6:00 to go.

10:46 - Nothing going. Hokies punt and pin Boston College at their own eight.

10:51 - Amazingly, B.C. has gotten a few long passes off here with 3:21 left. Ball inside Hokie territory. And there goes another one. Almost too little too late, but thanks to VT's shady offense they're still within range.

10:55 - WHOAH! Over-the-shoulder touchdown, Boston College! Yep, replay shows it's good. Beautiful throw. Bonus points for that being against Macho Harris. Virginia Tech 10 - Boston College 7 with 2:11 to play. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a ballgame.

10:58 - Think the Hokies' bogus touchdown earlier matters now? This would be a one-point Eagle lead right now.

10:59 - Boston College recovers the on-side kick! It didn't go ten but a Hokie touched it and it bounced around a bit. Wow.

11:00 - Here we go . . .

11:01 - Matt Ryan stares into the pressure and hits a pass to the Hokie 41-yard line. It's all crumbling for the Hokies now.

11:02 - And Ryan hits another pass to the Hokie 26-yard-line with 1:00 left. Timeout.

11:03 - And after another minute of scrambling Ryan finds Challenger at the 12 with 0:46 left.

11:04 - Incomplete, 0:36 left.

11:05 - TOUCHDOWN, but it's coming back after a holding penalty. Nothing's come easy tonight for either team, wow. Ball on the 24 with 0:27 left and a shaky kicker. Second down.

11:06 - Incomplete, setting up third and 20.

11:07 - T O U C H D O W N ! ! ! Ryan scrambles and eventually found a wide-open Callender in the right front of the end zone. What an ending! Boston College 14 - Virginia Tech 10

11:08 - #2 Boston College is 11 seconds from an unlikely victory and avoiding the upset. Fowler: "they scored 14 points in the last two minutes". This has to be absolutely crushing for Bud Foster and his defense. Virginia Tech is now 13-3 on Thursday night games, all three losses to Boston College (assuming nothing miraculous happens here).

11:09 - Squib kick, Hokies just fall on it to set up the last 10 seconds.

11:10 - Incomplete, :08 left. Ew, Matt Ryan just coughed up his dinner there. And then again!

11:11 - Incomplete, :02 left.

11:12 - Game over. What a comeback as the Eagles survive. I still don't think they're in the top five or so, but that was a comeback that champions are made of especially against a defense that had owned them all night. What an absolutely bitter (to borrow Chris Fowler's phrase) finish for the Hokies as Lane Stadium is absolutely silent.

Be sure to watch the highlights to see the celebration from Eagle coach Jeff Jagodzinski, crazy stuff but fun.

Fourth Quarter Live Blog: Boston College @ Virginia Tech originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Third Quarter Live Blog: Boston College @ Virginia Tech

Brian Grummell — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 22:10:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Virginia Tech Football, ACC

B.C. @ VaTech | 1st Qtr | 2nd Qtr | 3rd Qtr | 4th Qtr

Welcome back!

We'll return to the third quarter in just a few minutes. In the meantime, be sure to tune into Lou Holtz's "pep talk" for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Those are always entertaining.

Virginia Tech leads #2 Boston College 7-0 at halftime of a rainy game. The Hokies have clearly been dominant, if slightly underperforming on offense.

Lou Holtz quote: "we solved sexism, racism . . ." People aren't going to like that.

His thesis: Nebraska football changes when the players start to "care" and make people's lives better.

Live blog after the jump . . .

9:32 - Who else but Chris Ellis on that deflection on first down? Great game for him so far.

9:33 - And Matt Ryan finds Kevin Challenger the very next play to cross midfield.

9:34 - Next play: interception! What a weird night for Ryan. His receiver fell down, but it was a misfire just the same. Poor decision-making there. They'll review this one as well. You know what, hate to go against the Hokies here but from that angle it looks like he didn't get an appendage down in-bounds. The officials will have a rough time overturning that, though.

9:37 - Call stands. Eeeeeeeehhhhhh. Two questionable calls go into Virginia Tech's favor here. Eagle fans and coaches aren't going to be happy about that. Where's the equity? Heh.

9:40 - Thank you ESPN. Matt Ryan is 11/26 passing for less than 100 yards right now. His Heisman hope are ovah pending some miraculous comeback.

9:42 - I LOVE this Thursday night gig, but you never want to be caught covering a game where a punter is getting high marks for his performance. I hope that changes and both offenses wake up a bit.

9:53 - Macho Harris should have had that pick there. That would've helped changed the complexion of this game. The last two quarters have been this eerie dance, as if the two teams were "in limbo". To borrow a coaching phrase, time for some "sudden change".

9:55 - Well, that's a start. Play-action, lazy deep pass goes to Eddie Royal deep into Eagle territory for 42 yards. That's almost a mirror-image of the play Royal dropped earlier in the game.

10:00 - Interception on a poorly thrown deep pass, but the pass interference is called. Yeh that's pretty obvious, if light.

10:02 - The 45-yard field goal attempt is . . . good. Well done! Virginia Tech 10 - Boston College 0. Number two's in deep doo doo here if they can't get their offense together in the next 20 minutes.

10:08 - SACK. The Hokie defensive line has been relentless all night. That sets up third and 30-something after a penalty on first down. Punt time after a surrender draw on third down.

10:09 - Wow. Virginia Tech got flagged for a personal foul for running into the kicker, netting an automatic first down. That's a weak "personal foul". GREAT flop-job by the punter.

10:14 - I'm with Craig James here, BC needs to run the ball more. They have quality backs. They're not the most explosive but they can put a dent in the aggressive Hokie defense and set up some down and short situations to get some easy completions and relax the clearly jumpy Matt Ryan.

10:16 - I never thought I'd see a very average Sean Glennon badly outplay Matt Ryan.

10:17 - I sense some deflation with the Eagle defense. They're not making good tackles this drive. The only comeback scenario I see right now: Virginia Tech scores quickly on this drive and then relaxes. This is what I call "the relent". Psychologically they'll check out of the game for a few minutes on one or both sides of the ball and give some hope for Boston College if they can get their act together for even one offensive possession.

See you at the Fourth Quarter Live Blog

Third Quarter Live Blog: Boston College @ Virginia Tech originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 22:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Second Quarter Live Blog: Boston College @ Virginia Tech

Brian Grummell — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Virginia Tech Football, ACC

B.C. @ VaTech | 1st Qtr | 2nd Qtr | 3rd Qtr | 4th Qtr

We've got a barn-burner here. Not really. Not even close, in fact.

Through one quarter it's scoreless. Virginia Tech's driving, though. Just ignore that last little reverse that went for a negative gain setting up a down and long situation for shaky Sean Glennon.

Live Blog after the jump . . .

8:26 - Aaaand Glennon scrambles for the first down on third and ten. What do I know?

8:29 - Virginia Tech's on pace for a 200-yard rushing night. BC's allowing under 50 rush yards/game so far. Guess that answers that question about Boston College's "NCAA leading" rush defense.

8:30 - Damn, Fowler stole my material. BC finally got a good hit in there and the defender celebrated a bit much with the "shhhh" gesture. I was about to say that keeps getting flagged. Fowler just said as much. I will not quit typing the rest of this commercial break in protest.

8:33 - Great stop there, tackling Glennon before he even had a chance to hand the ball off. Played differently that usually results in a turnover.

8:35 - Weird play, but Hokie touchdown (for now), Glennon buying time and sneaks the ball into Royal in the front corner of the end zone. Real close there but it looks like his foot was slighly in the air once he gained possession. I don't think that's a touchdown. Play upheld, touchdown. I call shenanigans. Virginia Tech 7 - Boston College 0

8:41 - Chris Ellis barely missed a sack earlier tonight. This time he got it, bringing Matt Ryan down on second down. Matt Ryan overthrows an open receiver on third and seventeen. That would have been a first down.

8:47 - BC's defense hasn't done much so far, but it did enough on that third down as Sean Glennon couldn't find an open receiver.

8:50 - Yet another dropped pass by an Eagle receiver. Er, this time they call it a catch and a fumble. That wouldn't hold up under review but for the time being its irrelevant as they get the ball back.

8:52 - BC marching here ... Matt Ryan coming alive a bit on some intermediate stuff as they plow into Hokie territory.

8:56 - Weather clearly affecting the Eagles more as Ryan fumbles on a third down in-pocket scramble there. BC recovers, but it's punt time. Hokie ball on the 20 after the touchback, under 3:00 left.

8:58 - Huuuuuuuuuuge mistake by the Hokies, fumbling the exchange which the Eagles recover. Something tells me this only nets a field goal despite great field position.

9:00 - sneaky call with the inside trap on third down. That goes for a first down but a false start penalty just killed that good play. Frustrating first half for the Eagle offense. Third and 15 . . . incomplete, not a great throw. Field goal time. Er, no, going for it with the shaky kicker. Huge pressure to force the throw-away. Great stop by the Hokie defense there!

9:03 - And Branden Ore just snaps off a long run making his way to the Eagle 43. Boston College will be fortunate to get out of the half the way they've played the last few minutes.

9:07 - Those are some cool shots of the Virginia Tech drums banging away with water splashing off the surfaces like something out of Blue Man Group.

9:08 - Lifeless end of this drive by the Hokies as they're content to go into half with a touchdown lead.

See you at the Third Quarter Live Blog

Second Quarter Live Blog: Boston College @ Virginia Tech originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Quarter Live Blog: Boston College @ Virginia Tech

Brian Grummell — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:10:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Virginia Tech Football, ACC

B.C. @ VaTech | 1st Qtr | 2nd Qtr | 3rd Qtr | 4th Qtr

Let's face it: pretty much everyone in America is rooting against Boston College tonight. They're at #2 in the BCS standings but look like a fish out of water in being there. Worse, the people of Boston really don't give a damn either with the whole Patriots and Red Sox thing going on. So uh, good luck finding any sympathy tonight if any strange officiating works against you.

LSU fans are breathing down BC's neck. Same with our resident Gator who I presume mixes voodoo with burnt offerings nightly in hopes of further losses by those teams ahead of his beloved Gators. And let's not ignore that powerful contingent rooting for Kansas. No respect? I guess. But no sympathy either. Not when everyone wants you to lose and then disappear.

Virginia Tech's flown under the radar after a slow start and frankly I don't think they're all that great of a football team this year. But there they stand at #8 in the BCS and fully capable of handing the Eagles a loss and stemming the tide of playoff honks too impatient to let the season work itself out. We've got another five or six weeks of football left people! Chill . . .

Anyway, you'll probably be off watching The Office or any of a million other Thursday night shows so feel free to keep tabs on this game without losing sight of other programming by following the Live Blog while your television set flirts with some other non-ESPN channel. Live Blog starts at 7:30 Eastern.

Vitals, TV Info and Pregame Notes after the jump . . .

Vitals

- (2) Boston College (7-0, 3-0) @ (8) Virginia Tech (6-1, 3-0)
- TV 7:30 Eastern, ESPN
- Virginia Tech is favored by three

Phil Steele Facts (Boston College): Walk-on K Steve Aponavicius played in his 1st ever FB gm LY vs VT (2-2 on FG's & XP's). BC has won 2 of L/3 but is just 2-8. Third straight Thur night ESPN game with VT.

Phil Steele Facts (Virginia Tech): Hokies are 13-2 in Thursday night games all-time. VT has won 5 straight with revenge. LY vs BC, VT failed to score a TD for the 1st time since a 42-3 drubbing by NC in the '97 Gator Bowl.

* * * * *
Pregame Notes (continuously updated) . . .

. . . Allegedly it's supposed to rain tonight and give this game the added element of wet football. That's fun when you're 11 and playing the backyard but I imagine it only adds to the stress of jumpy Eagle fans. No pressure or anything, it's not like your school spends much time this high in the rankings. It's not like everyone hates you right now and thinks your unworthy (I'm neutral in this debate, although the Eagles did check in at 10th in my weekly rankings) . . . Our resident Eagle Bill Maloney has a great rundown of what's going on with tonight's quarterbacks. big Matt Ryan fan myself, hope he has a better game than what we saw against Notre Dame . . . Oh sweet, Lou Holtz in the house! Looks like we're going to get another halftime "pep talk" sure to become instant legend . . .

7:32 - The delusional Sean Glennon will get the start for Virginia Tech tonight. Good luck getting the Hokie offense past 20 points.

7:33 - No Flutie in the booth tonight. Awwwww . . . Todd Blackledge fills in. Will we get lucky and not have Craig James high as a kite and doing his hyena laugh two weeks in a row? PRAY.

7:43 - Dammit. Craig James hyena laugh at something not even remotely funny. Blackledge is on his game so far.

7:44 - Hilariously named Hokie right tackle: Ed Wang.

7:49 - Those Breeder Cup commercials are more exciting than this game so far. But then, I'm a horseracing fan.

7:52 - Lots of pressure on Matt Ryan so far. It's loud. Lane Stadium has one of the greatest day/night swings in all of sport. The Hokies are incredibly beatable and sleepy on day games. At night . . . whole 'nother animal.

7:56 - Zone read plays with Sean Glennon? Ohhhh kayyyyy. That's kind of like when Notre Dame kept running the option with Ron Powlus. Both guys aren't stiffs and can kind of do it . . . but not really.

7:58 - Interaction time. Has there been a more disappointing back this year than VT's Branden Ore? Feel free to respond with more disappointing backs.

7:59 - Ooooohhhhh. Glennon threw into double coverage downfield to Eddie Royal and it looked like he had it but the ball slipped out at the end there. Dumb throw, but then Glennon's made a lot of those in his career. Nice effort by Royal, almost pulled a Tyrone Prothro in hauling in a pass over the back/helmet of a defender.

8:01 - VT's defense is aggressive so far, really getting some pressure. Boston College is content to play it short. This is just a crazy guess but I'm thinking their coaches are setting up something big.

8:02 - That's not how to win the Heisman. Matt Ryan just threw a ridiculously dumb jump ball pass on third and two that should have been picked off deep in his own zone.

8:03 - Running into the kicker by Virginia Tech. Freebie first down for B.C. Their punter's having a hell of a game, even if that last one was called back.

8:06 - Second time tonight Chris Fowler has used "tough sledding" to describe running against the Hokie defense.

8:08 - Punt downed at the half yard line. They should review this as it might've snuck into the end zone. It's becoming a field position game. Nice, play reviewed (good) and upheld (iffy). Realll close there and ESPN didn't put much effort into showing the key moment of that in freeze-frame.

8:11 - Nicely drawn up play on third and five goes incomplete as Glennon overthrows an open fullback. There's a "career in a nutshell" moment. Punt goes off and Boston College gets the ball inside Hokie territory. Field position football, exactly what I hate about the NFL and despise when it becomes part of the more wide-open, risk-taking college game.

8:15 - Nothing going. Still loud, Hokies still flying around. Punt time. Hokies get the ball back at their . . . seven.

Fowler: "great field position squandered"

8:18 - First down pass to tight end Greg Boone. Crowd favorite, as the "Boone!" chants go off as he hauled that one in.

8:20 - Another hilariously named Hokie: receiver Josh Hyman. Lots of room there for Eddie Royal as the Hokies get to midfield. Boston College isn't pressuring Glennon much. Ladies and gentlemen, an offense has finally entered the ballgame for the first time with under 1:00 left in the first quarter. ACC football!

See you at the Second Quarter Live Blog

First Quarter Live Blog: Boston College @ Virginia Tech originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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