Ranking BC’s Rivalries - Non-ACC Edition
As we slip deeper into the summer, the football content machine slowly winds down. Which means we naturally have to start generating some controversy and/or discussion to keep the content gods happy. One of the best ways to do that is to make lists and rank things. Now, some people think these lists are a lazy way to make content and inspire discussion. So without further ado, let’s get into the list.
This article will rank BC’s rivalries outside of the ACC. Again, this article will rank the rivalries without putting them into tiers. This is even more appropriate for this article than the previous one due to the smaller number of rivalries. As I mentioned in the previous article as well, for these rankings, I will prioritize how competitive the rivalry is on a year-to-year basis, especially in recent years. With that being said, it will also pay homage to iconic moments in the past. There were a few matchups that I elected to omit from the list: Penn State, Rutgers, and Temple. Each of these schools is relatively geographically close to BC, but it would be hard to call them “rivals” because all three series are drastically one-sided (BC over Rutgers and Temple, PSU over BC). These would become more consistent matchups in an ideal world, but right now, it’s not fair to compare them to the subsequent four. Unfortunately, all of the upcoming rivalries are also very one-sided. However, they have better geographic proximity, along with deeper histories.
4. Holy Cross
BC leads the series 49-31-3 | Last meeting: BC 62 - HC 14 (2018)
I’ll humor the old heads (Dan Shaughnessy and Bill Simmons) and give this “classic rivalry” some respect. The Eagles and the Crusaders met up every year from 1944 to 1986, and their rivalry dates back to 1896. Holy Cross went on some runs, dominating the early 1910s and the 1940s. However, BC flipped a switch in the 60s and 70s, reeling off nine straight wins; Holy Cross stole two games at the end of the 70s, but the Eagles came right back and won the next eight. The rivalry came to an end in 1986, as BC began scheduling higher-profile opponents in the post-Flutie era. Despite pleas from local (read: Holy Cross) alumni and journalists to renew it, the rivalry remained dormant. However, as BC moved from an independent to the Big East and now the ACC, Holy Cross remained stuck in the Patriot League, a member of D1-AA and now the FCS. But in 2018, those pleas were heard...and the Eagles promptly smacked the Crusaders down in a resounding 62-14 victory. This rivalry seems to matter only locally and will most likely fade into the annals of history, “for none now live who remember it.” Even if Holy Cross were to miraculously make the leap to the FBS, they would still struggle to be BC’s main in-state rival (more on that later).
3. UConn
BC leads the series 12-0 | Last Meeting: BC 39 - UConn 16 (2017)
As I conducted research for this piece, I was surprised to find that UConn has never beaten BC. This brought me to the realization that UConn and its fans are excellent at manufacturing non-existent rivalries. Who could forget the legendary Civil ConFLiCT Trophy, awarded to the winner of the UConn-UCF matchup? Well, UCF obviously, as they left the trophy behind because they didn’t know it existed. Similarly, UConn fans seem to operate under the delusion that they and BC are on the same level in football. Now, we should give them all the credit in both men’s and women’s basketball. But as it pertains to football, the Huskies cannot compete. In their short time together in the Big East at the start of the millennium, BC went 4-0 against UConn and defeated them by a combined score of 130-37. In their two most recent matchups, the Eagles went undefeated again, this time by a score of 69 (nice) to 16. If that wasn’t enough, UConn recently abandoned the American Athletic Conference to become an independent in football and return to the Big East in basketball. This basically signals to the world that UConn does not care about its college football team. Frankly, even writing this article gives the so-called “rivalry” with the Huskies more credence than it deserves; I’m sure some UConn fan that reads this will try to say that the Huskies are “living in my head rent-free” or something. I’ll give them this: if BC were to lose to UConn, it would certainly ruin the entire season for me. Conversely, if that were to happen, maybe it would finally mean that BC has a local competitive rivalry. But UConn’s abdication from playing meaningful football indicates to me that won’t happen anytime soon.
2. UMass
BC leads the series 22-5-1 | Last Meeting BC 55 - UMass 21 (2018)
The Eagles’ other local rivalry, with the so-called “flagship” of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Like the one with UConn, BC leads the series by a wide margin, although it has a little more history. The Eagles lead the Minutemen 22-5 and haven’t lost since 1978. From the late 1960s through the early 1980s, this rivalry was played every year, and BC took 15 of the 17 matchups. After 1982, these two did not meet until BC’s final year in the Big East in 2004. However, since UMass joined the FBS in 2013, they have been among the worst teams in college football, going so far as to being kicked out of the MAC for their incompetence. None of the matchups in the “Bay State Rivalry” has been particularly close. Despite this dominance, some in Massachusetts believe that college football will never matter in the state unless UMass is winning. This argument is completely unfathomable to me, even putting aside UMass’s lack of on-field success. If there were any year to prove those people wrong, it would be this year. But to be taken seriously nationally, BC needs to start beating their true primary rival.
1. Notre Dame
Notre Dame leads the series 16-9 | Last Meeting: ND 45 - BC 31
I think most BC fans would say Notre Dame is BC’s #1 rival due to the schools’ academic rigor and Catholic background. However, if you asked Notre Dame fans the same question, I’d be surprised if BC made their top-five, maybe even the top ten. Obviously, there have been special moments for BC in this rivalry (1993, 2007, etc.); BC even won six straight meetings in the 2000s. But Notre Dame has won seven consecutive contests (eight, if you count a vacated victory from 2012), with most of them coming in a very convincing fashion. Luckily, Notre Dame’s unorthodox arrangement with the ACC has breathed some life into this rivalry by guaranteeing this game will be played on a least a consistent, if not annual, basis. But if this game is to live up to its name, the Holy War needs some parity. With the College Football Playoff possibly expanding to twelve teams in the near future, if the Eagles could ruin some playoff runs for the Irish, that could inject some serious juice to this rivalry. Of course, Notre Dame joining the ACC as a full-time member would be the best option, but I’d be shocked if that ever happens. Nevertheless, if BC can continue to give the Irish a competitive game, and maybe snag some surprise wins, maybe Notre Dame and its fans will finally start respecting BC and this rivalry.