Best Case/Worst Case for Boston College's 2020 Season
On September 19th, the Boston College will kick off the Jeff Hafley era against the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, North Carolina. Later this week, we will give you our predictions for the season and the game, but today let's look at the best case scenario for 2020, while also examining the worst case.
Best Case 8-3
Wins: Syracuse, Texas State, Duke, Georgia Tech, UVA, Pittsburgh, UNC, VT
Losses: Notre Dame, Clemson, Louisville
Projections have Boston College no where near this record, and this program is not getting a lot of respect from many experts. However, as we have noted numerous times, the "weaknesses" on this team may have all been addressed this offseason. They have more weapons on a balanced offense, on defense they brought in a defensive minded coach to fix schematic issues, and added talent through the transfer portal.
In this model, everything clicks for the Eagles. Their offense is much improved, and Phil Jurkovec becomes the play caller BC hasn't had since Matt Ryan. David Bailey takes advantage of defenses who now have to respect the offense, and the offensive line proves to be one of the best in the country. They win all of the 50/50 games, and even have a pair of solid upsets, one or both could be Top 25 teams when the Eagles play them.
The three losses are just too talented at this point. While Jeff Hafley will most likely get BC back to a point where they won't be routed by any of them, Clemson and Notre Dame are going to be a National Championship contenders, while Louisville has a superb offense. However, you could make an argument that BC could beat Louisville and lose to UNC in a "best case" scenario.
Worst Case: 4-7
Wins: Syracuse, Texas State, Georgia Tech, Duke
Losse: UVA, VT, Clemson, Louisville, Notre Dame, UNC, Pittsburgh
In this model the analysts and experts are correct predicting a tough year for the Eagles. The defense is not as strong as we have written about on this site, and Phil Jurkovec experiences learning pains typical for a first year starting quarterback. On top of that Jeff Hafley takes some time learning on the job, and as a first year head coach has a few blips in the season. On top of that installing a new system shows that the Eagles need more time to practice and work as a group to reach their potential.
In terms of the schedule, there are some tough games given these limitations. BC starts the season off strong with two quick wins against Duke and Texas State. However. the three stronger teams mentioned before easily dispatch the Eagles, while BC struggles with more of the 50/50 games.
Not necessarily a failure, but it's a tough season for the Eagles and one they would hope to build on in 2021.
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Editor and publisher of BC Bulletin. '06 graduate of Boston College, who has followed the program as long as he can remember. Has been covering the Eagles for the past nine years, giving expert analysis, recruiting news and breakdowns. Also the host of Locked on Boston College, a daily BC podcast that is part of the Locked On Podcast Network. When he is not writing or producing content on the Eagles, he can be found running, skiing, enjoying craft beers, or spending time with his family. You can follow AJ Black on Twitter @AJBlack_BC and our official site Twitter account is @BulletinBC