Extra Point: 2025 Will Be The First Litmus Test For Boston College Football

In Bill O'Brien's second year at the helm, this football season will tell a more accurate story of what to expect from BC football.

Dec 28, 2024; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston College Eagles head coach Bill O'Brien reacts during the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Last football season, the mindset for Boston College was to do whatever possible to finish with a respectable record (check), find a way to get on the national radar (check) and establish a culture to cultivate with early and often (awaiting check).

That last part, establishing a culture, is the hardest thing to do in any football program, and is precisely why BC made the hire it did with Bill O'Brien - a proven and reputable head coach who's been around the game for decades at this juncture. For the second year skipper, last season was the proving ground that everyone thought it would be. 2025, though, is when the Boston College staff and players can begin to take their destinies into their own hands.

Year two of any coaching change is the first real litmus test a group can face. It showcases the type of team that a staff wants to put onto the field week in and week out, and above all else, establishes patterns. Fans will be able to get a much clearer picture of what Boston College football will look like for the foreseeable future when the team takes the field this season.

But what does that mean for O'Brien and his staff? To decide that, we have to zoom out a bit and think. Is anyone's job in jeopardy after year one?

I don't believe so. The team made a bowl and put together some solid wins and close losses in 2024. That in itself relieves a lot of tension that could be present within any coaching staff. For fans, this offseason was about trusting in the process that O'Brien and his staff believe in, and seeing how it plays out in 2025.

Now, with week one fast approaching, it's almost time to see whether the process is working or not.

Countdown to Boston College football season - 32 days.