The Dawgs Ramblings

BC and Bowls

Sorry all, been away sulking and traveling. Can't believe that we lose a game when we have a pick 6 right before half. After seeing that I thought we were a shoo-in for a 10 win season but I forgot a few things again.

We can not run - thats the basis for all the other ills. Miami basically said our linebackers will beat your backs everytime in the hole. You will be having 3rd and longs all game so we will release our defensive ends to rush the ball instead of even thinking about the run. As good as some guys are on BC's line - when you do not have to worry about the run at all and just
have to worry about pressuring Ryan, do you think you will have some success?

One of the by-products of a loss like this is that I do not read any media for days. I have no idea why Brooks was in at the end of the game but he made a nice play on the ball. Of course, that made me hopeful that Ryan would have his signature game but he ended up throwing his worst pass of the year. I give him a bye for some of the in-pocket throws. They were hurried and
apparently no one was ever open so thats tougher to judge but outside the pocket with no pressure - just inexcusable.

Staying on Ryan for a second. It seems half his throws in 3rd down situations were to a receiver that had little chance of getting a first down. If that was the only possible read he had then fine but its probably not true. He also suffered from happy feet. He did not move around in the pocket well and maybe I was expecting too much but he has to learn how to make
plays out of nothing to take his game to the next level.

Now, on to coaching. God awful. Or maybe its just the offensive cooridinating. Why was there no attempt to do anything out of the ordinary? No end arounds? No Dan Henning wide receiver screens? No halfback options? Anything would be better than the garbage that was being run on the field. Try to find a way to win. If you lose, go down with some innovation. But the MO has
not changed. 3 years and we can not get the big win. Wake got theirs so the tired excuse of academic standards does not ring true. These losses are about football players making plays and poor coaching. Miami's offense was just as futile and we could not score 11 offensive points????Put the kids in a position to win.

Now, on to bowls. For BC to go to a really good bowl then Georgia Tech must win. If Wake wins, Georgia tech will take any Southern slot that BC still has designs for. Here is what I think is the most likely scenario. Georgia Tech wins and takes the Orange. The Peach (which I will always call it) and the Gator take VTech and Clemson. That leaves Maryland, BC and Wake for the last three bigger bowls. Champs is up first and the bet here is that Gene D does some magic and gets BC into that over Maryland's fan base. Since it is in Orlando even BC people not likely to make the trip will go to enjoy a family vacation. BC also has better marketing on their side for once and the domination over Maryland has to be worth something. Then the Music City Bowl will pass over Wake thus landing the Deacons back in North Carolina. A Maryland-Navy game does have some appeal also.

All this is for naught if wake wins which could see BC fall to the Music City. Additionally, do not count out Virginia Tech getting a BCS bid. There are 10 slots now and with the three slots going to Boise, Michigan and an undeserving Notre Dame team then that leaves one open slot. The Sugar gets the SEC winner and if they do not get ND then I doubt they match two SEC teams against each other which kicks LSU out of contention. Looking down the list of teams in the BCS standings VTech is right there. Virginia Tech is a natural for a SEC matchup.

posted by oceanjay @ 5:04 PM