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Eagle Insiders staff does a final breakdown of the upcoming game before making a prediction. Here are this week's predictions for the showdown between the # 14/17 Boston College Eagles (7-2 Overall, 4-1 ACC) and the # 2 Clemson Tigers (9-0, 5-0 ACC) at Alumni Stadium on Saturday night at 8 PM EST. The winner of this game will have control of the Atlantic ACC and keep their college football playoff hopes alive.
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Adam Baliatico, Eagle Insiders Lead Publisher:
Prediction: Clemson 31, Boston College 20
Analysis: I have gone back and forth on this prediction. Clemson the past few weeks, combined with the 20 point spread suggests that I should be predicting a significant victory for Clemson. On the other hand, Boston College has the tools that Clemson close (great running game, elite offensive and defensive lines, strong secondary, aggressive coaching). If this game was played in 60 degree weather, I think it would be a lot different.
However, the atmosphere at Alumni Stadium is going to be electric. It's going to be 35-40 degrees with 15-30 mile per hour winds and Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence has never been north of Virginia. In fact, the last time Clemson played a game with a kickoff temperature was 40 degrees in 2009. That, combined with the fact that on paper, Boston College matches up with a team like Clemson, and I think Boston College has a chance to keep this game close and cover the spread.
Do I think BC has a chance of winning? Yes, I absolutely believe it is possible. Do I believe BC could lose by 30+? Yes, I also think that is possible. What do I think to do for Boston College to pull the major upset? First, they need to hit on their trick plays. You know Coach Steve Addazio is going to pull out all the tricks in the book, and connecting to them is going to be crucial. Second, they need Wake Forest Anthony Brown to show up and not Purdue or 1st half Virginia Tech Anthony Brown. Even if they get both of these things, I still think they need to force a couple uncharacteristic turnovers from Clemson and limit their big plays. Clemson is going to score the ball, but if you can not get the explosive plays while connecting to a few, I think they could pull the upset.
However, for the purposes of this article, I would like to say that Boston College keeps this game closer to expectations, and that it may be possible to have a score in the fourth quarter, as they did last year on the road at Clemson.
Tyler Calvaruso, Eagle Senior Insiders Staff Member
Prediction: Clemson 42, Boston College 21
Analysis: With AJ Dillon listed as a game-time decision, this one becomes even harder to predict than it already is. This is arguably the biggest game in a decade for Boston College and you can bet that Steve Addazio will come in and get to go kickoff. With that being said, the Eagles are still one of the most talented teams in the country in Clemson. The Tigers are loaded on both sides of the ball and can beat you in so many different ways. Whether it's Travis Etienne on the ground gold Trevor Lawrence Through the air, Clemson's offense can be unstoppable at times, and it's going to be all over the BC, it'll be a long night for the Eagles.
Boston College needs Dillon to be on the field if it wants to have any chance at winning this week. Having Dillon in the fold would allow Addazio and Scot Loeffler Dillon could consistently gain positive yardage against a dominant Clemson defensive line. That's not to say Ben Glines David Bailey could not accomplish this feat, but becomes a much taller task with Dillon sidelined.
Excluding the Dillon Factor, Boston College is going to have force turnovers. Lawrence (18 TDs, 3 INTs) is an excellent candidate for this season. Clemson may be a stretch, but they will certainly have their work cut out for him. As nice as it would be to see BC come away victorious, it's an unlikely scenario.
Brian Hommel, Eagle Insiders Football Analyst
Prediction: Clemson 35, Boston College 20
Analysis: With the # 2 ranked Clemson Tigers coming to Chestnut Hill this Saturday, the game is playing to the top of the game, but also plays its biggest game in recent memory. The Eagles have fought, clawed, and won their way to this point, and have earned the spotlight that they will receive on Saturday. But with all the lights and cameras comes BC's toughest game to date. The Clemson Tigers are not just good, they are just unbeatable, or at least it feels like way.
The Tigers have run their course for the most part, and have kept some of the parties in the game to keep it close, Clemson has always found a way to its opponents away. But we have chilly night in Boston in November, anything is possible. Clemson has some of the best talent and coaching in the country, and their wunderkind QB Trevor Lawrence has lived up to the billing and then some. But the Eagles have talent too, but they want to maximize the size of the game if they hope to pull out a league-shaking upset.
It all starts upfront. Clemson's D-line contains some of the best athletes that I can recall in a while, and BC's offensive line AJ Dillon (health pending) and keep passing pockets for Anthony Brown if they want to have a chance. On the other side of the ball, the BC defense will have its work cut out for it. Clemson's offense is designed to score a lot of points, and so the Eagles will need to Travis Etienne to stay in the game.
If BC does it, then it has a chance of winning. But all in all, Clemson might have had too much firepower for all of the chips to fall in BC's favor. But hope springs eternal! Anything can happen on Saturday night in a sure-to-be electric Alumni Stadium!
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