Boston College vs. Clemson: Predictions And Final Thoughts
Boston College looks to make history on Saturday as they head to Death Valley to face off with the defending champion (#4) Clemson Tigers. This game is as daunting as you can imagine, as Dabo Swinney's crew brings in elite players up and down his depth chart, all of whom can take over a game at any given time. On the other sideline will be Steve Addazio and his dynamic duo of AJ Dillon and David Bailey, but loads of question marks on both sides of the ball. We all know the statistics of Steve Addazio against Top 25 teams, with one win in his past seven years. Boston College is going to need to play a near perfect game if they even want to stick with Clemson, but can they do that?
Three Questions That Need To Be Answered Against Clemson
Matchups
When Clemson Runs The Ball: Advantage Clemson. Travis Etienne is one of, if not the best running backs in the ACC averaging almost 8 yards a carry and rushing for six touchdowns this year. Boston College's rushing defense played well against NC State, but Etienne is far superior than any back on the Pack. If Boston College regresses back to the way they played against Louisville or Kansas they could be in big trouble.
When Clemson Throws The Ball: Advantage Clemson. Trevor Lawrence's numbers are not Heisman level right now but make no mistake about it, he can still drop pin point accurate passes and torch defenses that aren't on their game. BC might have found their trio of corners in Jason Maitre, Brandon Sebastian and Josh DeBerry, but this young crew will have their hands full with Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross.
When Boston College Throws The Ball: Advantage Clemson. Brent Venable's passing defense is elite, ranking third in the country in yards allowed. Dennis Grosel is going to have his hands full, BC's offensive line is one of the best statistically in the country but can they slow down this defense? I'm not so sure they can.
When Boston College Runs The Ball: Advantage Boston College. Clemson's rushing defense is definitely strong, but Boston College's running game and offensive line is just a tick better. Now if the Eagles defense can't stop Clemson, the run game will probably be minimized, but if BC wants to have a fighting chance they need for the run game to keep them on the field.
Beer Of The Game
Southern Tier Warlock: There is something about Pumpkin Stout's that is infinitely better than a pumpkin ale. The velvet flavor of a stout just blends so much better than the more bitter flavor of an ale. Southern Tier, maker of Pumking, also has this bad boy. Definitely give it a try it's well worth it.
Song of the Game
A Tribe Called Quest- Can I Kick It: One of BC's last big Top 5 wins was 1993 against Notre Dame that needed a David Gordon kick to win it. Could Aaron Boumerhi be that hero tomorrow?
Fan Excitement: 5/10
Even if Boston College finds themselves five touchdown underdogs, there is something "fun" about the yearly Boston College, Clemson matchup. Sure BC probably doesn't stand much of a chance of actually winning this game, but stranger things have happened this year. Just last week Wisconsin lost to Illinois, and two weeks ago Georgia lost to South Carolina. Can this be three weeks in a row where a playoff contender gets knocked off by a non ranked team? Let's get crazy Addazio.
Prediction Contest
It is not too late to join our contest, BC Maven is giving away a $25 gift card to the BC Bookstore for the winner, $15 for second and $10 for third. Remember all you have to do is get your predictions in the comment section below. If you want to win, just enter your comment with your score. I'll post the leaderboard in the comment section shortly. Good luck!
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AJ's Prediction:
Clemson 44 Boston College 17. Would I love to predict a historical Boston College upset? Sure would. But will it happen? Nope. Steve Addazio's crew is outmanned on both sides of the ball by a Clemson team that feels disrespected by the media and is dying for a statement game. I think BC will score a few times, but Trevor Lawrence and Etienne will be too much for an Eagles defense that has struggled too often this year.