Boston College Eagles: 2017 college football preview

The Boston College Eagles enter the 2017 season riding the momentum of a bowl win to close out 2016. Their play during a tough stretch from mid-September to late October will determine their 2017 bowl chances.

Left for the scrap him in late 2016, Harold Landry and the Boston College Eagles rallied to win three out of their last four games. This included a wild 36-30 bowl win over the Maryland Terrapins.

It was the first bowl win for Boston College since 2007 and provided fans with high hopes for the future.

A future now here, with 17 returning starters suiting up for head coach Steve Addazio.

Addazio enters his fifth-season with three 7-6 seasons under his belt. A 2015 record of 3-9 mars his overall record and–if things don’t bounce the right way–one that might be repeated in 2017.

The offense, which showed an up-tempo style in last season’s bowl win, will rely heavily on their running game. The top two running-backs return and true freshman A.J. Dillon–a last second recruit who flipped from Michigan–could be a difference maker.

It will be the defense, led by Landry and Connor Strachan, doing the majority of the heavy lifting. The front seven will be one of the best in the ACC and should keep the Eagles in most games.

A look at how I see the fall and early winter of 2017 playing out for Boston College.

2017 schedule and predictions

9/1: @ Northern Illinois W
9/9: vs Wake Forest W
9/16: vs Notre Dame L
9/23: @ Clemson L
9/30: vs Central Mich. W
10/7: vs Va. Tech L
10/14: @ Louisville L
10/21: @ Virginia L
10/27: vs Florida St. L
11/11: vs N.C. State W
11/18: vs UConn W
11/25: @ Syracuse L

Defense will carry them to victories–likely low-scoring affairs–in their first two games to get the season off to a positive start.

And then the losses will flow in.

A seven-game stretch against the beasts of the ACC will send the Boston College Eagles to the bottom of the Atlantic Division. They’ll sneak a win in there against Central Michigan, but the losses will pile up. The only other game I see them possibly winning is stealing a road game at Virginia, a team in a similar spot as the Eagles.

Coming off of their bye-week, I see the Eagles beating N.C. State. After a win against the UConn Huskies, a loss at Syracuse will prevent the Eagles from being bowl eligible with a record of 5-7.

Player to watch (not named Harold Landry)

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Landry will be the star. That much is true. Not sure if he’ll match his sack total of 16.5 from a season ago, but he’ll still reach double digits.

A factor in whether or not the Eagles get to six wins will be the play of the offense. And a lot of that depends on the play of junior running back Jon Hilliman.

Hilliman broke out as a freshman in 2014, running all over the field for 860 yards and 13 touchdowns.

His sophomore year started out in similar fashion until a broken foot sidelined him for the season after only three games. A bounce back season looked inevitable in 2016 after starting the season with 102 yards against Georgia Tech.

Unfortunately, Hilliman ran for only 440 more yards over the next 12 games, averaging a meager 2.9 yards per carry. Some of that can be attributed to an inconsistent offensive line and more injuries.

Hilliman was named to the Doak Walker watch list last month. Big things are expected and, if healthy, he will be the star of the offense.

Final Analysis

Boston College will do their best to hover around .500. If the defense plays even better than expected, there’s a strong possibility this team can flip the projected 5-7 record to a 7-5.

Next: UMass Minutemen: 2017 college football preview

A lot of that will be based off the growth of the offense. If they don’t step up and the defense takes a step back, this team could struggle to win three games. And if that happens, coach Addazio may find himself looking for a new job come December.

Another season of mediocrity is on the horizon for Addazio and the Eagles. With a lot of young talent on offense, though, the future remains bright.

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