From a Boston College Perspective

Obviously, the players and coaches from Boston College will take the field Saturday night in what should be a win for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, but do they truly believe they can win or are they going to just go through the motions?  I submit that they will come out with fire in the belly and play with the intensity and spirit this game deserves because of the quality of the program and the young men that are drawn toward it.  However, what will they use for motivation and what will their coaches tell them to give them hope or winning?  It’s easy for fans to sit back and say that Boston College always plays Notre Dame tough and they will be up for this nationally televised primetime showdown, but players and coaches come at it from a different angle.  Passion, tradition and “the noise” can only go so far once you take the field.

Let’s start with facts, numbers and statistics.  At 2-7, the Eagles have nothing to lose and everything to gain, which makes them a dangerous opponent.  They have a quarterback that has a rating of 128.5 with 16 touchdowns and 2,556 yards on the season, and if there is a weakness or at least a less dominant area, it’s the Irish defensive backs.  Looking back on the last nine meetings, the Irish won the last three, but only by a total of six points and Boston College won six in a row before that.  I am sure that only one of these three figures actually means anything this Saturday night.

Realistically, the Eagles believe that the Irish are beatable, and Notre Dame came pretty close to proving that last week.  Much like any other Saturday, the keys to a win are winning the games in the game  - turnovers, penalties and mental mistakes.   Last week, Notre Dame had five penalties in the first quarter and lost the turnover battle 3-0.  This is something that Boston College can build from. 

Can Boston College beat Notre Dame?  Yes.  Will they?  No.  The Irish should come out with a chip on their shoulder from last week and dominate from the opening whistle to the final gun.  I just don’t think B.C. has enough bullets in the chamber to outlast the Irish.  The question is whether or not the Boston College players and coaches believe they have enough to win.