Bill O’Brien saved Penn State in its darkest hour; can he take Boston College to the CFP in his next act?

Bill O’Brien’s latest resurrection project opened with a resounding success, as he led Boston College on the road and shocked No. 10 Florida State with a 28-13 win Monday night. The Eagles snapped a 13-game losing streak to top-10 opponents and earned their largest win against a top-10 opponent this century. 

It felt, in many ways, like a Boston College team ripped straight from the 2000s. 

This kind of impact is nothing new for O’Brien. He saved Penn State in its darkest hour over a decade ago when he won eight games just one season removed from the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal. 

Now he takes over a Boston College team that hasn’t elevated itself beyond mediocre in recent years. O’Brien seems well-equipped to break that lull. 

Beating a lifeless Florida State team doesn’t make Boston College a juggernaut, but it certainly lends credence to what O’Brien has been telling us all offseason long: he has a good football team, one that’s capable of winning meaningful games. 

“I love coaching this team,” O’Brien said at the 2024 ACC Football Kickoff. “I love working with the players… Really enjoy the team. These guys, they show up on time. They buy into what we’re trying to get done relative to offense, defense and special teams.” 

But just how far can O’Brien take this thing? Here are three reasons to be believers in the Eagles. 

Re-establishing BC’s tough-as-nails identity

Boston College’s history is built on blue-collar, hard-nosed football, with an emphasis on and around the line of scrimmage. This is the program that produced multiple Pro Football Hall of Famers along the defensive line and, since the turn of the century, first-rounders like Luke Kuechly, B.J. Raji, Mathias Kiwanuka, Anthony Castonzo and Chris…

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Author : Will Backus

Publish date : 2024-09-03 17:43:29

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