It’s unclear whether veteran observers of ACC sports have a feel for the rhythms of Boston College. New school to the party. Small and private, tucked far, far away from the league’s axis.
Here’s a primer: If Clemson fans salivate during “South Carolina week” and if the Duke-North Carolina phenomenon captivates most Carolinians, then you know what BC fans are experiencing this week.
The Irish are comin’.
Saturday night, full house at Alumni Stadium, national television and a chance to show off for the nation. Maybe they’re used to that in Alabama. But not Chestnut Hill.
It really doesn’t matter that neither BC nor Notre Dame has been very good thus far this season. It’s still Notre Dame. And while not every Irish fan is convinced this is a true rivalry – BC is more of an annoyance to some of the Golden Domers – the BC loyalists view this as the biggest game on the schedule. BC often plays that way, too, dominating the series in the past 10 years.
That’s why BC coach Frank Spaziani’s notable – and necessary – decision to make a switch at quarterback adds to the intrigue. Spaziani isn’t sure whether Mike Marscovetra or Chase Rettig will start on Saturday night. But he is sure that it won’t be Dave Shinskie, who for all the talk about his improvement this past offseason, doesn’t appear to be much better.
How much production can the Eagles expect from the quarterback position before 44,500 sets of eyes? Excellent question. Notre Dame’s defense, many of the experts say, lacks the proper athleticism to be dominant. But the Irish are surely good enough to load the line of scrimmage and stop Montel Harris, leaving an inexperienced quarterback and inexperienced receivers to make plays on the first national stage some of them have ever faced.
Here’s hoping Spaziani chooses Rettig, a 6-foot-4 freshman who is one of BC’s most promising recruits in years. Rettig, of San Clemente, Calif., played in last season’s played in the Under Armour All-American Game. His potential is considerable. And the Rettig Era has to start somewhere.
Because the importance of the Notre Dame gave not withstanding, Rettig needs to play sooner, not later, to develop some kind of rhythm with the offense. By this time next year, he could be a legitimate leader on a team that will return most of its players.
BC, despite Saturday’s stinkbomb, is still a good team. But it is not necessarily a “now” team. There is relative youth here. The sooner this becomes Rettig’s team, the better. And who knows? Maybe a win over Notre Dame accelerates the process. Either way, he would benefit from Notre Dame week.
