Mitchell Wolfe's Game-By-Game Predictions for 2021 BC Football
In just a few days, the Boston College Eagles will finally take the field again with fans cheering them on at Alumni Stadium. Hope abounds in Chestnut Hill, as the Eagles sport an explosive passing game and a special young coach to help revitalize their defense. BC is well-positioned to achieve its best record in over a decade. Let’s see how the Eagles fare this year in my week-by-week predictions for the 2021 season!
Week 1: vs Colgate | W 59-10
BC gets their season off to a good start with an easy, dominant win over an inferior FCS opponent. The Raiders are able to get on the board with a field goal in the first half but don’t sniff the red zone again until late in the fourth quarter when they get a garbage-time TD against BC’s third stringers and true freshmen. Hopefully, no one gets hurt and some freshmen get some playing time in the second half.
Week 2: @ Massachusetts | W 52-13
Another dominant win, this time on the road. UMass’ offense might be able to put together a drive or two together. But BC’s superior athleticism and talent will eventually win out. The Eagles’ deep and experienced secondary is well-equipped to thwart UMass’ aerial attack. Phil Jurkovec and Zay Flowers put on a show while the defense gets a handful of sacks and a couple of fumbles.
Week 3: @ Temple | W 45-20
Back to back road wins. BC will need to be focused for this game. Even though Temple has been on the decline recently, they still have some good players that could give BC trouble. But the Eagles’ defense should be able to shut down the Owls. Furthermore, Temple will most likely not be able to keep up with the BC offense. Isaiah Graham-Mobley and Khris Banks make their triumphant return to Philadelphia and make some key plays against their former teams.
Week 4: vs Missouri | L 27-34
The rubber finally meets the road, as BC suffers their first loss at home to an SEC opponent. This game is set up perfectly to be a trap game based on the seasonal context. Missouri has all the pieces to give BC trouble: a defense that can stop the run and the pass, along with an offense that can keep pace with BC’s. Trae Barry has a big game and BC keeps it close but the Tigers’ corners keep the wide receivers in check and the Eagles lose in a nail-biter.
Week 5: @ Clemson | L 23-38
After a 3-0 start, the Eagles drop their second game in a row. Obviously, losing to Clemson is nothing to be ashamed of, even if Clemson is somewhat diminished this year. BC surprised Clemson last year and played them hard for 60 minutes. Dabo and the Tigers will certainly be prepared when the Eagles come to town. BC capitalized on some rare, lucky opportunities last year; I’m not sure those opportunities are replicable.
Week 7: vs NC State | W 24-20
BC finally gets off the schneid with a close victory against NC State. The Wolfpack have an absolutely loaded team but questions surround their quarterback. After two losses, Hafley will have the team angry and motivated to take down their rival in the ACC Atlantic. The BC defense will need to stop the run and their offense will need to make sure they take advantage of red zone opportunities. Turnovers will be crucial in this game.
Week 8: @ Louisville | W 41-24
In the latter part of the fall, BC gets a little bit of a break in their schedule. Louisville hung with BC last year but their team is in a bit of a weird spot this year. If Malik Cunningham is healthy, this game could be closer. But ultimately, BC has significant advantages against the Cardinals in their secondary against Louisville’s receivers and the Eagles’ offensive line against their defensive line.
Week 9: @ Syracuse | W 45-17
Another big blowout on the road. There’s a distinct possibility that Dino Babers is no longer with the Orange by this game. Syracuse severely lags behind the rest of the ACC in terms of talent. There are some pieces on the defense that are interesting but BC still has the talent advantage to take advantage of mismatches. On the other side, the Syracuse offense is a mess and the BC defense should be able to hem them in quite easily.
Week 10: vs Virginia Tech | W 37-20
Make it four straight wins for the Eagles. It’s Red Bandanna night against a major conference opponent. Virginia Tech is another team with a coach on the hot seat and things could be quickly unraveling in Blacksburg. BC took a weird loss to the Hokies last year, where they could not stop committing turnovers on offense and could not solve Tech’s option offense. This year, the Eagles will surely be looking for revenge; a more athletic defense with a more nuanced scheme should help limit the Hokies on offense
Week 11: @ Georgia Tech | L 31-33
Here is BC’s random loss in the middle of the season. Georgia Tech is an underrated fun team with some very dynamic young players on offense and lots of experience on defense. BC could be riding a little high after a four-game win streak. The Yellow Jackets committed several very costly turnovers in this matchup last year and I don’t anticipate that happening again. I anticipate BC scoring a late touchdown to take the lead, but Georgia Tech kicking a last-second field goal to win it.
Week 12: vs Florida State | W 27-17
Coming back home up north in mid-November, the Eagles take down rival Florida State in a hard-hitting, relatively low-scoring affair. Florida State has lots of young talent but not a ton of experience, especially playing with each other. The Seminoles might need a year or two more of seasoning under Mike Norvell. But this year, the Eagles take it to the Noles with some angry defensive play and explosive run plays.
Week 13: vs Wake Forest | W 31-20
BC closes out the season at home on Thanksgiving Saturday with a win against Wake Forest. This would be the first time since 2013, Steve Adazzio’s first year at BC and Jim Grobe’s last at WF, that the home team won this game. This game will be close through the first half, but BC’s defense will put the clamps on Wake’s funky offense and the Eagles’ aerial attack will open up, with Phil Jurkovec throwing some late touchdowns to ice the game.
Bowl Game: vs Washington, Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, El Paso TX | W 34-27
The Eagles draw their best bowl in almost 15 years. They face off against a Washington team that finished second in the Pac-12 North. The Huskies bring a nasty defense to the table, but their offense is somewhat lacking. In this battle between second-year head coaches with NFL backgrounds, Jeff Hafley gets the best of Jimmy Lake. The Eagles' offense strikes early and often while the defense forces a timely turnover to take down the Huskies and get their first bowl win since 2016.
Final Record: 10-3 (6-2 ACC)
Boston College finishes the season with its best record in almost 15 years. The Eagles announce their presence as a player in the ACC with a convincing win over a consistently solid Pac-12 program. Unfortunately, with three offensive linemen off to the NFL, Phil Jurkovec, Zay Flowers, Trae Barry, and Tyler Vrabel also declare after stellar seasons. The defense also loses some key pieces in Marcus Valdez, Isaiah Graham-Mobley, Brandon Sebastian, and Jahmin Muse. But enough young players saw the field and played well enough to assuages worries of another entire rebuild on defense.