It's a very big year for the Boston College football program with head coach Jeff Hafley hoping to right the ship after a disappointing 3-9 campaign on the heels of two six-win seasons prior to that.
The schedule appears manageable and the hope is the offensive line will rebound enough to allow the program to put a much improved squad on the field.
We'll preview BC's games as they approach in the fall, each week, but for now here are preseason game-by-game picks that factor matchups and the overall arc of the season as the schedule will impact it.
Boston College 30, Northern Illinois 24 (1-0)
NIU is a respectable program in the MAC but they're not coming off their best season. QB Rocky Lombardi is a seasoned vet and will come into the game with a lot of confidence but Boston College has a little more firepower and forces a turnover late to preserve the win and move to 1-0.
Boston College 40, Holy Cross 10 (2-0)
This is a mismatch on paper and that's how it will play out. They've only played once since the 1980s but there's a huge talent gap here.
Florida State 38, Boston College 24 (2-1, 0-1)
Jordan Travis has a day as the Seminoles are heading into the season with very high expectations and are playing for a lot. Boston College keeps it close for a half but turnovers doom the Eagles as they strain to keep pace in the second half with that electric offense.
Louisville 31, Boston College 26 (2-2, 0-2)
New head coach Jeff Brohm has an interesting team at Louisville. This is a game in which BC can be competitive and they won this game last year. At home, the Cardinals get revenge but it's a nailbiter in the fourth quarter. Louisville probably won't create as many sacks this year but Brohm knows how to put together a passing game. This looks like a fairly balanced team that could be solid on both sides of the ball.
Boston College 24, Virginia 20 (3-2, 1-2)
BC has the good fortune of facing several of the teams predicted to finish at the bottom of the ACC standings. Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Georgia Tech would all fall into that category. UVA could be the worst team in the ACC because of the offensive problems last year and the fact that there are so many questions on that side of the ball yet again.
Boston College 23, Army 17 (4-2, 1-2)
It would be nice if BC had a bye week before the Army game to prepare for the unique offense it will face, but the Eagles play their assignments well on defense and manage to control the clock themselves with a solid rushing attack.
Georgia Tech 26, Boston College 21 (4-3, 1-3)
Another winnable game for Boston College, but this one's in Atlanta and the Eagles come up just short in a bid for three straight wins. Like UVA and Virginia Tech, the Yellow Jackets were poor on offense last year but still managed to find their stride late in the season and Brent Key appears to be building some momentum here.
Boston College 27, UConn 17 (5-3, 1-3)
UCONN averaged less than 20 points per game last season and they won't have enough firepower to keep pace. Even in last year's UCONN win the Eagles held the Huskies to 13 points. You can bet this is a game BC will have circled, both in terms of bowl eligibility and the revenge factor.
Boston College 29, Syracuse 26 (6-3, 2-3)
Dino Babers could have one of the more interesting teams in the ACC this year. Syracuse isn't going to be picked to finish at the very top of the ACC but they could be an upper middle of the pack league squad. Last year Syracuse scored 32 points in the fourth quarter to pull the rug out from under BC. But Emmett Morehead did have a good game, and he will again.
Boston College 24, Virginia Tech 16 (7-3, 3-4)
The Hokies did a lot of work in the transfer portal but this is still a team with significant questions. The defense could be okay but it won't be an overpowering unit and improvement is still needed there, while the offense was a trainwreck last year and the line has holes again. BC should be the favorite because of homefield advantage and less overall roster turnover.
Pittsburgh 35, Boston College 21 (7-4, 3-5)
Although the Panthers are widely expected to be one of the top teams in the ACC they do have to replace a fair amount on both sides of the ball. Still, Pitt should create a lot of havoc on defense, as usual, and the offensive line provides a solid foundation up front. Narduzzi has won 20 games over the last two years, so this is arguably one of the two toughest games on the schedule along with Florida State, because it's on the road.
Miami 27, Boston College 24 (7-5, 3-6)
Boston College has a golden opportunity to end the season on a great note getting a high profile game against a big name opponent at home. Miami should be an improved team and both squads will be jockeying for bowl games here. BC comes up just short.
