Sports.com
Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter VI Mobile College Basketball March Mayhem Picks College Basketball March Mayhem Picks VegasInsider.com VegasInsider.com
Handicapper Bios Sports Picks Free Odds Contests Sportsbook
Sports.com
VI Home NFL NBANHLMLBNCAA FBNCAA BKGolfAutoHorsesBoxingVI More Sports
 
NCAA FB Scores Matchups Teams Standings Schedules News
 
 · Latest News
 · Player Updates
Buy Picks Vegas Odds
 
 · Vegas Odds
 · Offshore Odds
 · Future Odds

 
Boston College at Miami
 
 
 

After three straight weeks in Big East country, Thursday night college football heads back to ACC land this Thanksgiving as Boston College (6-4 ATS) travels south to Miami to face the Hurricanes (3-7 ATS).

Miami RB Javarris James is averaging 5.2 yards per carry.  
Miami RB Javarris James is averaging 5.2 yards per carry. (Getty)  
Of course, it wasn’t too many years ago – in fact, just two - that BC at Miami would have been another Big East matchup but that was before the conference realignment that sent the Eagles and Canes to the ACC. This is the first matchup between the schools since joining their new conference.

Those of you with any amount of college football history obviously know that these two schools have hooked up for some classic games in the past.

Without a doubt the most famous is their game of 22 years ago – coincidentally the last time BC beat Miami – when Doug Flutie's last second Hail Mary touchdown pass to Gerard Phelan gave the Eagles a win and wrote one of the greatest finishes in college football history. Many believe that individual play won Flutie the 1984 Heisman Trophy.

That 1984 Boston College squad was able to win 10 games, something that hasn’t happened since. Coach Tom O’Brien would like nothing more than to get the Eagles back to double-digit wins. However, there is much more incentive in this game for the visitors than just simply reaching the 10-win plateau.

Thanks to BC’s win last weekend against Maryland coupled with Virginia Tech’s victory at Wake Forest the Eagles are still very much in the hunt to represent the ACC’s Atlantic Division in the ACC Championship.

The scenario now is pretty simple. If the Eagles can win at Miami and have the Demon Deacons lose at Maryland on Saturday they will play on Dec. 2 in Jacksonville against the Coastal Division champion, Georgia Tech.

The incentive for Miami to win this game is there, but it is much less glamorous.

A win would make the Hurricanes bowl eligible and likely send them to the Dec. 31 MPC Computers Bowl on the “Smurf Turf” in Boise, Idaho.

A loss would send Miami to their first sub-.500 season in nine years and give them their worst record since going 3-7 in 1977.

Either way, there is little doubt this is the end of the road for Coach Larry Coker in Coral Gables as whispers have already begun as to who will fill the vacancy at Miami.

Advertisement
The only question left is whether the players will find the desire to try to end Coker’s tenure on a positive note or just shut it down for the season.

If last weekend’s result against Virginia is any indication it would appear a season of losses, sideline-clearing brawls, and the shooting death of defensive lineman Bryan Pata have taken every ounce of effort out of the once-proud Miami program. A very average Cavaliers team soundly defeated the Hurricanes, 17-7 in a game where Miami could have been completely shutout were it not for a late and meaningless touchdown.

For Miami to pull off the upset they will need a huge effort from their defense – a unit that is allowing only 15.2 points and 69.8 rushing yards per game. But even the Hurricanes defense seemed lackadaisical against Virginia, as the Cavaliers rushed for 132 yards against a unit that had not allowed an opponent to rush for 100 yards all season. Keep in mind the Virginia rushing attack is ranked 10th in the ACC.

Now the ‘Canes must contend with the number two offense in the league – averaging just shy of 28 points a game - and one that features the top ranked passing attack behind QB Matt Ryan. The Eagles rushing attack is also jelling at the right time as they have gained 365 yards on the ground in their last two games.

Miami will rely on sophomore QB Kirby Freeman to guide its offense in the absence of starter Kyle Wright who was lost for the season two games with a thumb injury. Neither signal caller has had much success putting points on the board as the Hurricanes have been held to fewer than 14 points five times this season. In the last three games Miami has totaled a measly 30 points.

Thanksgiving Thursday Night Factoids:

Miami has won 22 of 25 meetings with Boston College, including all seven since Tom O'Brien became the Eagles' coach.

Boston College junior LB Jolonn Dunbar is questionable with an ankle injury.

Coker is 58-15 in six seasons at Miami.

  
HEADLINES
Edwards: LSU is the 'chalk' in 2012
Lawrence: Changing Conferences
Roberts: 2013 BCS Title Game Odds
Big Ten exploring 4-team playoff
Michigan sells out its tickets for 'Bama
UNLV's Hauck picks new coordinators
Washington State's Mizell kicked off team
Charge against ex-Alabama CB dropped
Sandusky seeks copies of Pa. testimony
MORE HEADLINES
 
VegasInsider.com Gold Membership
 
2011-12 CFB SEASON PICK RECORDS
Money Leaders
Handicapper Money
James Manos + 2005
Chip Chirimbes + 1849
Antony Dinero + 1675
Last Week's Leaders
Handicapper Money
Scott Pritchard + 400
Chip Chirimbes + 290
Mark Fox + 200
Percentage Leaders
Handicapper Pct
James Manos 62 %
Scott Pritchard 62 %
Northcoast Sports 59 %
Guaranteed Leaders
Handicapper Money
Lance Blankenship + 413
Antony Dinero + 412
Scott Pritchard + 410
Over-Under Leaders
Handicapper Money
Tony Stoffo + 2042
Antony Dinero + 1842
The Gold Sheet + 943
Member Leaders
Handicapper Money
Antony Dinero + 1819
Micah Roberts + 1337
Tony Stoffo + 870
MORE PICK RECORDS
  
GOLD Membership
Receive a 20% discount on all Daily Picks. Signup Today!
 
 
Las Vegas Travel
 
 

NFL
NFL Picks
NFL Odds
NFL Matchups
NFL Scores

NBA
NBA Picks
NBA Odds
NBA Matchups
NBA Scores

MLB
MLB Picks
MLB Odds
MLB Matchups
MLB Scores


NCAA FB
NCAA FB Picks
NCAA FB Odds
NCAA FB Matchups
NCAA FB Scores

NCAA BK
NCAA BK Picks
NCAA BK Odds
NCAA BK Matchups
NCAA BK Scores

NHL
NHL Picks
NHL Odds
NHL Matchups
NHL Scores


More Sports
Golf
Auto Racing
Horse Racing
Boxing
UFC
WNBA
Soccer

Features
Free Odds
Mobile Odds
Contests
Newsletters
VI Radio
Las Vegas Travel
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Facebook


Sports Betting Tools
Live Odds
Parlay Calculator
Gaming Terms
TV Listings
Handicapping Records
Sportsbook Reviews

VegasInsider Info
About Us
Help Center
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Contact Us
User Feedback

Sportsbooks
BetOnline.com
Bodog.ca
Bovada.lv
SBG Global.com
Sportsbook.com
TopBet.com

Rotation Schedules
Hockey:
 
 
Basketball:

Jan 31 - Feb 27
Feb 28 - Apr 07
 
Jan 31 - Feb 27

Copyright © 1997-2012, VegasInsider.com Inc., The Global Leader In Sports Gaming Information. All rights reserved.
For questions or comments, please contact us at 1-800-211-4759.