2008 Boston College Football Picks & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd on August 2, 2008

Without talented QB Matt Ryan in the backfield, a dropoff is inevitable for the Atlantic Division champs. Find out if B.C. will still be bowling with the college football predictions in Jimmy Boyd’s 2008 Boston College Eagles season preview.

Offense

Life without the No. 3 overall NFL draft pick begins with fifth-year senior Chris Crane. He can’t be expected to do the same things that Ryan did, but head coach Jeff Jagodzinski feels that the three-year backup can take the Eagles to a bowl. The Eagles will have to break in a new running back also as the team loses senior stalwarts Andre Callender, L.V. Whitworth, and A.J. Brooks. True freshman Josh Harden should get the starting nod. He is a small, shifty back with tons of potential, but it is going to be hard running behind a spotty line in year one. The good news is that freshman standout Anthony Castonzo will be back at the tackle position to protect Crane’s blind side. Crane does have some nice receiving targets. Brandon Robinson had 56 grabs for 793 yards and five scores last season and Rich Grunnell tallied 64 catches for 931 yards and seven scores. NFL-caliber tight end Ryan Purvis will get into the act as well. Expect the Eagles to try to take advantage of their passing game again this season by getting Crane in a bunch of roll outs to atone for a weak offensive line.

Defense

Boston College’s front seven is good enough to keep them in every game. The Eagles have a force in the middle with 325-pound All-ACC-caliber tackle Ron Brace. Fans should be hearing Alex Albright’s name called often as well. He totaled 8.5 sacks last season despite missing the final three games. This is a unit which finished second in the nation against the run in 2007, allowing just 75.5 yards per game. It should be nearly as good in ‘08. The return of Brian Toal at linebacker is huge. He missed all of last season with a shoulder injury. He gives the Eagles a future NFL talent in the middle. He’ll team with Mark Herzlich (97 tackles last season) to form a solid linebacker unit. The secondary has some issues with the losses of safety Jamie Silva and cornerback DeJuan Tribble. Sophomore DeLeon Gause is a good one at one corner spot, but the rest of the secondary in not solidified.

Special Teams

The kicking game could hold the Eagles back. B.C. is not sold on Steve Aponavicius who made just 12 of 18 field goal attempts last season. He is also the current replacement for four-year starter Johnny Ayers at punter. Hopefully more options will arise in the fall.

Prediction – 5th ACC Atlantic

Boston College has built a perennial winner. They haven’t missed out on the bowl season since 1998. The Eagles will keep their bowl streak alive, but wins will not be as easy to come by as they were with Matt Ryan under center. The Atlantic figures to be a tough league and the teams with more potent offenses, like Clemson and Wake Forest, will rise to the top. They’ll be sitting at the bottom of the division with Maryland and NC State.

Jimmy Boyd’s college football picks are released to get bettors up to speed prior to the season. It’s tough to get a handle on all the teams in the country while working a full-time job and taking care of the kids, etc. That’s where Jimmy Boyd comes in. He’ll have you up to speed prior to the season and he’ll continue to bring help you win with your college football betting all season long. Let Jimmy Boyd do the work for you in the weeks when you don’t have enough time to study the NCAA football odds so you can keep on winning.

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