"oh those tangled webs we weave...."

Boston College football went from being #2 in the country two weeks ago to #17 after losses to Florida State and Maryland. On the first of November we were all talking about playing in the National Championship against The Ohio State in January and Matt Ryan for Heisman. We were talking about Matt Ryan possibly being an NFL first round draft pick.

Well today, November 12, BC's National Championship hopes have been flushed down the toilet and looks like Ryan's chances for the Heisman are following the same path. In the last two games Ryan had a combined five interceptions and was sacked four times, those four times coming in Saturday's game against Maryland. Not good numbers for a Heisman Trophy candidate.

This always seems to happen to BC, they get close to getting a Bowl game in January and they end up giving it away. Remember in 2003, the last game of the season against the Syracuse Orangemen or the game last year against Miami. It looks like the Eagles will be playing in December again this year instead of January. As a Eagles fan I am shocked and disappointed in the team. After the great comeback in the last two minutes of the Virginia Tech game I thought they had a chance to get a decent Bowl game, Ryan looked like he was going to win the Heisman but it all was too good to be true.

Hopefully they can win their next two games, one at Clemson and the season finale at home against Miami, to clinch the ACC title game. But I do give coach Jags a lot of credit. He prepared the Eagles so well that for a couple of weeks during the year, Boston College made their way to the top of the national rankings. Matt Ryan will probably be taken in the later rounds of the NFL draft, if at all. The FSU and Maryland game really hurt his chances for that too.

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Speaking of Boston College athletics, did you know that they have 30 other athletic teams? BC men's soccer is the #1 seed in the ACC tournament, playing the winner of the Virginia/NC State game in the Quarterfinals on November 14. Men's golf team has four players on the 2007 All-ACC Academic team. Women's soccer finished their season with 14 points at 11-5-3 and 4-4-2 in the ACC. (And what a shocker UNC wins their 19th ACC Championship, note the sarcasm.)

BC Basketball looks good - for a young team - one game into the 2007-2008 season. With junior Tyrese Rice and sophomore Shamari Spears out for NCAA violations, freshman Biko Paris filled in nicely. Paris played all 40 minutes and had 19 points while fellow freshman Rakim Sanders dropped 22 points in 35 minutes in the 10-point win against the University of New Hampshire.

But men's team still have a long road in front of them. They are a young team, after graduating Jared Dudley and Sean Marshall last year, meaning Rice, John Oates and Tyrelle Blair must step up their game and show the younger players the way. Just like Marshall and Dudley did for them last year. And Louis Hinnant and Craig Smith the year before. If they do that, they will have a pretty good year since Al Skinner was named as one of the best recruiters in the country, according to ESPN.

The BC men get back into action at home against Florida Atlantic tonight at 7pm.