Posts from the Boston College Category at FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

Sergeant Joseph J. Boike -- a part-owner of The Greatest Bar, where the incident allegedly occurred -- was also charged with assaulting a woman who protested his request that several customers make way for the BC football players.

In addition, criminal complaints were issued against Gosder Cherilus, a BC cocaptain, and one of the team's defensive stars, DeJuan Tribble, after a hearing before Rosemary T. Carr, the first assistant clerk-magistrate in Boston Municipal Court.

The football players were each charged with one count of assault and battery and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a shod foot) on Sean Maney, 28, a software engineer from Watertown who sustained a broken neck and other injuries.

This will be a transition year for most of the ACC. Pretty much everyone took a hit this offseason, with only four teams really looking like locks for the NCAA tournament. There is little doubt that North Carolina will be the favorite ... but remember that this was the case last year ... and UNC was nearly the #5 seed in the ACC tournament. NC State, Duke and Clemson have the best shot at giving the Heels trouble for the title

1-North Carolina: Sometimes subtraction isn't a bad thing. The Heels lose Brandan Wright and Reyshawn Terry, but the rotation should be tighter and everyone more understanding of their roles. If UNC is going to make its title run, they better do it now before Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough bolt.

2-NC State: Brandon Costner is my pick for ACC Player of the Year. With JJ Hickson running alongside him in the paint, Costner is free to show his entire game [similar to how Wright helped Hansbrough last year in Chapel Hill]. This team is ready to break out and get back into the ACC's elite. At issue is finding Engin Atsur's replacement ... since he was so key in the success of the Pack last year.

3-Duke: With Kyle Singler and Taylor King coming in, expect Duke to go back to its gun-slinging ways. Last year's team wasn't normal Duke: they struggled to find their offense and were very inconsistent shooting. The big issue this year is ... well, what happens if they keep missing those threes? Josh McRoberts is gone and there really isn't anyone reliable in the paint to score or rebound.

4-Clemson: Can the Tigers get back that team that was scorching the early part of the season? Well, they have four returning starters and has one of the better frontcourts in the conference. They just need to get their minds right. This team has the talent ... they just need to tighten the bolts and clean the sawdust.

5-Virginia: Dave Leitao better thank God that Sean Singletary came back. The ACC player of the year candidate will be asked to do even more with JR Reynolds and Jason Cain gone.

6-Maryland: Gotta love those Terps! The head-scratchers are gone, with their understudies ready to take their place. The team will rely on James Gist and Greivis Vasquez to become leaders on and off the floor. However, this streaky team must find someone who can hit a shot.

While it seems like BC doesn't get much attention in the Boston sports scene, the minute their 6-foot-7-inch, 318-pound Captain Gosder Cherilus gets caught in the middle of a scuffle, the press and lawyers come running. However, after you get by the Boston Globe's titillating lede, it seems like Cherilus was acting more as a good Samaritan/bouncer, not some monsterous bully. In fact, the account reads like the bar owner, who is also a state trooper, inflicted most of the damage on the alleged victim.

If the information in the article is true, it is likely that Cherilus will be cleared of any wrong doing. But the potential first rounder has learned a valuable lesson – when people see him they'll see more than a big man. They'll see $$$. He'll also be the occasional target for any tough guy or disgruntled fan. So the next time a fight breaks out around him, he should just be thinking about protecting himself and his reputation.

With just 90 days separating us from the opening week of the season it's time to start looking ahead. Toward that end the FanHouse NCAA football crew is bringing you the games you won't want to miss during the first week of the college football season.

When the ACC expanded, one of the keystones to the new TV deal was a guaranteed blockbuster on Labor Day night. The game was supposed to be the Miami-Florida State matchup. But down cycles for the two programs and some sloppy play have killed any juice the game had. In the three years as conference foes, the most memorable moment was the introduction of Jenn Sterger. In a hope to give the matchup new life, the ACC has moved it away from the Labor Day spotlight. But this is still the ACC, they aren't going to let a prime TV spot go unused. So, Miami's out and Clemson's in.

Bowden Bowl 2007 won't be a great matchup but will generate excitement. Outside of the father-son rivalry and the general interest when two marquee programs meet, the game will have some other storylines. Will the new Florida State staff make the offense explosive again? Will Clemson's raw line and green QB hinder the best backfield in college football? More importantly from a BCS picture, the winner will have a huge step up in the ACC Atlantic race, while the loser will have to regroup.

The ACC Championship game is up for grabs and another player is stepping up. Baltimore might not seem like the most obvious or desirable choice to anyone who has watched The Wire but the city does have a few things going for it. M&T Bank offers a perfect setting and is actually closer to the majority of the ACC than leading candidates Jacksonville and Tampa. However, Baltimore cannot offer much in the weather department. A game held the first week in December has a chance to be clear and brisk, but in reality will probably be very cold and wet. If the ACC is going to take a chance on weather, they will do it in their own backyard of Charlotte. As much as the conference wants to pretend tickets sales and geography are the most important factors in their decision, the winning bid will likely come down to money. If the city officials pony up enough cash we could see the ACC Champion in Charm City.

Previously at the Fanhouse

Tampa makes play for ACC Championship

Rankings are great offseason fillers. The Sporting News has spent a considerable amount of time the past few weeks making lists of the best coaches in college football. Their highly subjective efforts generated plenty of deserved criticism, but did raise an interesting question when related to their ACC rankings, what is more impressive: winning at Wake Forest or at a traditional ACC power? If you just went by wins Bobby Bowden is at the top of every chart. But his record is also a product of longevity and finding the right situation. Would Jim Grobe win at Florida State? We'll probably never know. But everyone agrees that winning at FSU is different than winning at a place like Duke. Without the forced parity designs of the NFL, much of the foundation for success of a college football program (tradition, local talent, facilities) is based on things outside of a coach's control.

If a school's legacy is the primary factor for future success than perhaps the best way to rank a coach is by how he performed in relation to his school's history.

Before the claws come out, let me acknowledge the flaws in this argument.

A week after announcing a home and home series with Virginia, USC is now putting plans together to play a similar series with another ACC team in Boston College. This continues Pete Carroll's anytime, anywhere philosophy to scheduling. Over the past few seasons, the Trojans have played at Arkansas and a virtual road game against Virginia Tech in Washington, D.C., in addition to their annual game against Notre Dame.

While this sort of bold scheduling is common place for SC, it is a step up for the Eagles. Outside of their series with Notre Dame, BC has not taken on many of the BCS heavyweights out of conference. Beating MAC teams helps the record, but will never change BC's image of as a very good, but not great program.

Now before ACC Commissioner John Swofford gets a crazy idea to steal the ACC loving Trojans invite another marquee program to join his conference, it should be noted that the deal is not finalized. And even once it signed, 2011 is a long way away. By the time the game rolls around Carroll could be gone and his successor might not have the same confidence to take on all comers.

Previously at the Fanhouse

UVA to take on USC

Given how fired up people are getting about Tom O'Brien's handling of Ryan Glasper's injury and curtailed recovery, I wouldn't be surprised if any future BC or NC State player will need permission from his doctor, his lawyer and a note from his mom before he gets on the field.

All football players suit up with some sort of pain. It is up to everyone around the team (doctors, coaches and the players) to navigate the grey area on when the player should sit and when he should play. BC's new coach Jeff Jagodzinski is going to have to delve into that grey area to make a decision about one of his most talented players Brian Toal. The Senior to be Linebacker has been battling nagging injuries for the past three seasons. Jags and Toal won't need to make a decision about a potential redshirt year until late August. Jags has already announced that he won't use Toal on offense like O'Brien did. If he does decide to let Toal rest, 2007 is as good a time as any. BC's defense is talented and experienced and has the most depth at Linebacker. And as everyone around BC learned with Glasper, a healthy star is more valuable than half a season from a half recovered player.

Previously at FanHouse:
Is ESPN Burying an O'Brien Controversy?