Perusing through the massively available web-data like I usually do, had me run across this video on CBSSportsline.com. 

Obviously, Dodd is rather condescending when breaking down the ACC, and sure, we can disparage the league all you want, but given that power in college football is cyclical, the ACC will rise above a couple this season.  Most teams in the league return 12 or more starters from last season, including both Boston College and Virginia Tech.

I think as the summer moves along, you will find more of the self-proclaimed 'experts' jumping upon the Eagle bandwagon when they really start to take a look at just what BC returns.  Now, before we all wet ourselves with excitement, I think I need to bring back our fan contingent to reality:  This year's schedule is perhaps the most brutal in the past decade.

For starters, BC opens up with three conference games.  Nobody else in the COUNTRY opens with three conference games to start the season.  Home against Wake, home against the Benedict O'Briens, and at Chan Gailey's Last Stand.  That doesn't give BC any opportunity to work out the kinks in the new Jags/Logan spread offense.  Opening against Army, or UMass, or whomever would have allowed the Eagles to test out just what they have in the playbook in a controlled environment.  If ever there was a need for a cupcake to start the season, it would be this year.

After the 'opening salvo' (which is basically what I have to call it), things quiet down with the soft part of the schedule.  The 'cupcake OOC boys.'  And yes, Notre Dame, this does include you.  Not only has the Ireland Trophy collected dust in on that shelf in Conte Forum for the past six or seven years, but that glorified high school roster will be facing a very experienced BC squad that won 10 games.  This year will be the most lopsided beatdown of the Irish since '94.  I'm sure few will complain.

After that middle stretch comes the real brutal part.  @ VaTech on a Thursday night (caveat: Who is the only team to ever beat VaTech on a Thursday night?  BC, twice) which is starting to become a yearly tradition of traded Thursday night games.  Not bad, makes for a good atmosphere.  Then, all sorts of fun 'toss up' games dot the schedule with road trips to the Fridge, Overtime Valley, and home games against the very talented but underperforming Free Shoes U, and 'The Penal U' tandem:  though it is nice that both come for a visit in November.  I hope for freezing ran or six inches of snow.

This year will be tough.  The key is sweeping the Division, which I think the Eagles can do.  I pretty much at this point project losses at VaTech, and probably home against Miami (look, I'm never picking BC over Miami until we finally break the curse of Flutie).  Both in the other division, which would still give BC tiebreakers over the other teams in the conference, all of which are very beatable this season.

In conclusion, while it's nice to see Dodd on the record so early, we shouldn't start getting into a frenzy.  We still don't know if Brian Toal's shoulder is actually attached to his body at this point in time.  And VaTech doesn't know if they really trust the second coming of Grant Noel at quarterback when they have all these wanna-be Michael Vick's running around redshirting and being recruited (large breed dogs and water bottles not included).