Goal Line Stand: USF-BC title game preview

Well, here we are, ladies and gentlemen, at the end of the long, 2007 ride. Hello, New Orleans. Hello, BCS “national championship” game.

And, hello, Boston College and South Florida.

Back before the season started, the experts were almost unanimous in their assertion that USC and LSU would be playing for the national title in the Superdome. But that was before Stanford and Kentucky. Before every other contender was bumped off. And before the Bulls and Eagles decided to play perfect football and defy convention by leaving all the bigger, name brands to find homes in lesser bowl games. Now that they have done it, it’s time to take a look at the matchup and figure out which team has the advantage.

How They Got Here: The Bulls took their first step by knocking off West Virginia, 21-13, in Tampa on a raucous September Friday night. They went from there through a devalued Big East, which was unable to replicate last year’s made-for-TV formula of light non-conference fare and late-season matchups of conference contenders when Louisville forgot to play defense, and Rutgers couldn’t beat anybody not from Norfolk or Buffalo. In just its 12th year of football, USF is on the biggest stage in the game, ready to unleash its great athletes and bother aesthetes everywhere with its garish outfits.

You have to think Tom O’Brien is wondering why bad things happen to good people. O’Brien helped build the Eagles into a mid-level power but left for more money and what he thought was a better shot at huge success at North Carolina State. New man Jeff Jagodzinski thrilled BC fans by opening up the offense – a persistent criticism of the O’Brien regime was his conservative nature – and holding onto defensive coaching stalwarts Frank Spaziani and Billy McGovern. The result was a highly-productive attack under the direction of Matt Ryan and a stubborn defense in Spaziani’s traditional mold. BC was blessed by another year of largely middling play within the ACC and a non-conference schedule that was light and airy.

When South Florida Has The Ball: It all begins with sophomore QB Matt Grothe, who is listed at 6-0 but may have some ‘splainin’ to do if he ever stood next to a tape measure. It doesn’t matter how tall he is, so long as he keeps making big plays. Grothe is an accurate passer, a dangerous runner and doesn’t make too many mistakes. Because he’s not blessed with one standout receiving target, Grothe spreads the ball around, using the Bulls’ outstanding speed. That all-for-one attitude prevails in the ground game, too, where Grothe and a host of backs keep defenses guessing. The trouble is, BC has the nation’s best running defense, so USF might have some trouble balancing its attack and keeping the Eagles off-balance. If the Bulls can’t run successfully, Grothe will have trouble keeping clean in the pocket, no matter how nimble he is.

When Boston College Has The Ball: Just as Grothe is the engine of the USF attack, so is Ryan The Man for the Eagles. The difference is that Ryan, while mobile, is not going to pile up too many rushing yards. He’s a classic dropback passer who can spray the field with throws and pressure defenses downfield as well. Should teams concentrate too much on stopping the pass, BC can hit them with the tailback tandem of L.V. Whitworth and Andre Callender. Not that USF isn’t capable of stuffing the run. Just ask West Virginia about that. USF may not lead the nation, but it isn’t surrendering large chunks of real estate, either. And Ryan had better be mobile, because the Bulls specialize in getting into enemy backfields and are 10th in the league in sacks. Boston College has to be decisive and precise or risk getting trapped for repeated losses by the speedy USF defenders.

Intangibles: For USF, it’s speed. Coach Jim Leavitt has made it a priority to find the fastest players he can, and in Florida, there are plenty around. The Bulls may not have top-shelf big men on either line, but their skill people can run with anybody in the nation.

BC’s secret weapon is Spaziani, who is capable of making some of the best in-game adjustments around. If the Eagles look confused early in a game, it’s not a cause for great worry, because Spaziani will figure out the problem and fix it.

The Verdict: It has been a great run for the Bulls, but Boston College’s offensive balance will negate some of the USF speed advantage, and the Eagles’ ability to stuff the run will force Grothe into some uncharacteristic situations.

Prediction: Boston College 23, South Florida 17

GAME OF THE WEEK: Florida at Kentucky
Were this basketball, everybody would expect this to occupy the lion’s share of the nation’s attention. But it’s football, and that shows just how far the UK program has come. But this visit from Florida is the third straight big game for a Wildcat team that might not have enough bullets left in the chamber to take on a rested, angry Gator team. Hats off to Kentucky for last week’s win over LSU, which wasn’t a fluke at all. But asking anybody to beat UF and the Tigers back-to-back is just too much.
Florida 27, Kentucky 17

BUMPS AND RUNS:
Congratulations to Temple coach Al Golden, whose team has won two games in a row and is in the MAC hunt. Some scoffed at the idea that the Owls could have a successful program, but Golden is showing that prosperity isn’t that far away. And if the officials hadn’t completely botched the end of Temple’s game with Connecticut, the Owls would have three triumphs.

More MAC: It’s hard to believe that Kent State coach Doug Martin wasn’t chewed out by the school’s AD when he told reporters before last week’s game at Ohio State that he wasn’t going to play his first string very much, because he didn’t want to risk injuring them before important league games. Way to teach ‘em how to compete, coach.

So, is Arizona State for real? That’s tough to tell, since the Sun Devils haven’t played the Pac-10’s best yet. ASU is scoring points, as always, but new coach Dennis Erickson has his team playing some D this year, too. We’ll learn all we need to know beginning Oct. 27, when Arizona State plays Oregon, Cal and Southern California in a 25-day span.

How about Virginia coach Al Groh? His job appeared in serious jeopardy after an ugly, season-opening loss to Wyoming. Since then, Groh’s Cavs have won six straight and are ranked 19th in the BCS.

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