Three And Out: FSU-Boston College

I am pleased that Matt Shineman from the Boston College blog Heights and Lows has answered our "Three And Out" questions regarding BC. Thanks again to Matt for taking the time to answer my questions.

1.If Boston College is to lose a game this year,what kind of team would it take to defeat the Eagles?

Based on the strengths and weaknesses of BC this year, the type of team that could defeat the Eagles is a team that has an extremely strong/quick/shut down core of DBs. BC has proven it can survive on Pass alone. But shut down the running game and the passing game, and you have a shot. Virginia Tech did that for 50+ mins of the game before switching to prevent defense. Bottom Line to beat BC, shut down Matt Ryan and his receivers.


2. Running back Andre Callender is putting up fantastic numbers.What is the main reason for his success this year as opposed to last year?

It's hard to say. Up until this year, BC hasn't really shown a strong running game since Derrick Knight was the start RB. There is no denying that Callender has benefited from the strong play of Matt Ryan. As Ryan is the #1 threat on our team, that leaves a little bit of room for Andre to gain more yards than he has in the past. Yes Ryan was our #1 threat last year,but this year he is more poised.

Also,the other thing that has helped Callender, something that has gone relatively under the radar in the media, is the new offensive line blocking system. Up until this year, our offensive line has blocked in a man system, where as this year they have switched to a zone blocking system. This is something that has helped the running game immensely.


3. A lot of critics are still not giving Boston College a lot of love.Are the Eagles overrated or under appreciated?

As odd as it may be to say, they are both. Is BC the second best team in the nation? Probably not. Have they played the toughest schedule? No, but neither has Ohio State and it is kind of hard to punish a team for winning when other teams lose to unranked teams. One last thing that I'd like to mention is about BC's unwillingness to compromise to get ahead.

A couple of weeks ago, there was an article that covered the graduation rates of every single top 10 team. BC was the highest at well over 90%. The next closest was somewhere around 55%. In other words, BC is in the middle of a great accomplishment ON the field and continues its great accomplishment OFF the field IN the classroom. I think that BC accomplishes a lot with less talent comparatively to the top tier teams.