Now the fun really starts.

Seven games left, seven ACC opponents. It all starts with a good UVA team on the road this weekend. Frankly, BC really hasn't played a complete game since the Seminoles beatdown in the opener (Duquesne doesn't count for the purpose of this), so it'd be nice to see a full 60 minute effort in a semi-hostile environment.

Here are three keys I believe are most important to getting out of there 5-1...

Start faster

Obviously.

O'Brien was blunt when I asked him about the slow start vs. Western Kentucky. After basically ripping the fan base for no-showing early on, he did point to the fact that this program practices in the morning every single day, so they have no excuse to come out flat for a noon kickoff. With Castellanos back under center, there may be more of a calmness among the team and that should help. That's not to say guys were tight with James in, but that type of drastic change for the first time in a game situation takes some adjusting. It just took BC until the fourth quarter to fully adjust. Can't start slow on the road against a 3-1 team and expect to stay in the fight all day. Need an FSU/MIssouri-like drive if they get the ball first and then go from there.

Get off the field on 3rd down

Yes, this the weekly third down portion of the program. It's arguably the biggest thing for this team right now. The more opportunities the offense has to find its rhythm, the better. On the flip side, as good as the front four has been, linebackers in coverage are still an issue and the secondary - while very good - can probably still get to another level. UVA is brutal on converting third downs offensively, as they're just 18-58 on the season (31.03%). If you can give TC multiple possessions and keep this Virginia defense on the field, you should be able to eventually pull away. If you allow them sustained drives and they're able to pick apart the middle of the field like Western Kentucky and Michigan State have recently, well, we could be in for another nail biter down the stretch.

Tackling

Again, it's simple, but missed tackles almost came back to haunt BC last weekend - especially in the first half - and certainly did against Missouri a few weeks ago. This UVA offense has put up 30.3 points per game and 455.5 yards of offense per game. If you let them, they'll make life very difficult. QB Anthony Colandrea has thrown for over 1,000 yards and is a good facilitator. RB's Xavier Brown and Kobe Pace have 293 and 210 yards on the ground respectively. Not gaudy numbers by any means, but if they get in space they can do damage. Malachi Fields is their leading receiver with 349 yards on 24 grabs with two TD's. BC has more playmakers, but the ones UVA does have can be a problem if BC doesn't limit yards after the catch or initial contact.

BONUS: Keep an eye on UVA safety Jonas Sanker

Sanker was a BC commit before flipping to UVA which was closer to home. He's got 32 tackles and was a preseason All-ACC selection. Might be playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder to show he made the right decision. On the flip side, Bill O'Brien won't care since he didn't recruit him, but you wonder if there's any chirping going on between Sanker and guys on the team that knew him as a commit. In general, 'Cavs Corner' writer Justin Ferber told us this week that the safety group is the strength of the Virginia defense while BC has struggled to get the ball deep down field so far on a regular basis. Do they test him and the others? Or keep it conservative and try to pound the rock all day?

Prediction: BC 34 UVA 16

Once again, I just think BC has more talent across the board. I also don't think they have the dogs up front to handle BC's offensive line, especially in the run game. I think we see a few play action shots to Bond (who unquestionably wants to have a bounce back game) and Harris. I'd also love to see McGowan more involved finally and feel like if you are in fact going to test those safeties deep, the speediest guy on the team is the best one to do it with. Scoring on this Eagles defense is a chore for everyone right now and despite the coverage issues over the middle, I'm not sure anyone is slowing down the front four with the way they're going. TC gets into a rhythm early, BC goes up 21-6 at the half and run it a ton in the second half. Onto the bye week at 5-1 and maybe a Top 25 berth (depending on how it looks) with plenty of time to rest and prep for V-Tech and Lane Stadium on a Thursday night.