CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. – Boston College spent the offseason in hopes of building a team capable of leaving 2-10 behind. On Saturday, the Eagles have to prove that the rebuild is real against a program that has not lost a home opener in 24 years.

BC begins its third season under Bill O’Brien at Cincinnati on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The game will air nationally on FOX, with Tim Brando, Devin Gardner and Josh Sims on the call.

The programs have not met during the regular season since 1997. Cincinnati won their most recent matchup 38-6 in the Birmingham Bowl on Jan. 2, 2020, leaving the all-time series tied at four wins apiece.

A lot has changed in college football since then, and both teams look completely different just one year later.

Boston College added 53 players, including 28 transfers. Cincinnati brought in 51 newcomers, including 26 transfers. Both programs will start new quarterbacks and operate under new defensive coordinators.

The difference is what each team already knows it can trust.

For Cincinnati, that is the offensive line. For Boston College, it needs to be the defense.

BC’s defense faces Cincinnati’s greatest strength

Cincinnati returns three starters from an offensive line that allowed eight sacks and 43 tackles for loss last season, the fewest among Power Four teams.

Left guard Evan Tengesdahl earned first-team All-Big 12 and third-team Associated Press All-America honors in 2025. Left tackle Joe Cotton also received All-Big 12 recognition, while Taran Tyo moves from right guard to center.

That group gives new quarterback JC French IV an experienced foundation.

French arrives from Georgia Southern with 26 career starts. He threw for 2,929 yards and 20 touchdowns with eight interceptions last season while adding 315 rushing yards and six scores.

He is new to Cincinnati, but he is not inexperienced.

The uncertainty is around him. Isaiah Johnson is Cincinnati’s leading returning receiver after producing 222 yards last season. The Bearcats also rebuilt their backfield and receiving corps through the portal.

BC must force that new group to sustain drives rather than allowing French to settle into the game with explosive plays.

The Eagles allowed 32.8 points and 433.3 yards per game last season. Injuries depleted the rotation and eventually forced safety KP Price to start three games at linebacker.

O’Brien believes this group enters the opener in a better position.

“I think we’re healthier at this point, this year than we were last year,” O’Brien said this week.

New defensive coordinator Ted Roof now has more depth at every level. Price returns to lead an experienced secondary, while captain Anthony Palano strengthens a linebacker group that should no longer require emergency solutions.

Palano identified the standard for Saturday in one sentence.

“If you’re not physical, you’ve got nothing,” he said.

However, physicality alone will not beat Cincinnati’s offensive line. BC must remain disciplined against French’s mobility, win on early downs and make the Bearcats’ rebuilt skill group execute in obvious passing situations.

If the Eagles can do that, the defense should control the game.

McKenzie does not need to win a shootout

Saturday will be Mason McKenzie’s first game against an FBS opponent.

The Saginaw Valley State transfer accounted for nearly 6,000 yards of offense in 25 career games and earned GLIAC Player of the Year honors last season. His ability to run, throw on the move and create after a play breaks down gives O’Brien options the offense did not consistently possess last year.

O’Brien will serve as offensive coordinator and call the plays. His first priority should be keeping McKenzie out of situations where he has to carry the offense.

That begins with Evan Dickens.

The Liberty transfer rushed for 1,339 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. His speed and vision can produce explosive plays, but his pass protection may be equally important against Cincinnati’s aggressive 3-4 defense under new coordinator Nate Woody.

Cincinnati lists only two returning defensive starters. Linebacker Jonathan Thompson led the Bearcats with 74 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss last season, while Antwan Peek Jr. gives the defense an experienced playmaker on the edge.

The rest of the unit is largely new.

BC should test its communication with the running game, misdirection and McKenzie’s mobility. The Eagles do not need him to throw 35 times. They need him to protect the football, avoid negative plays and create enough offense to support the defense.

That places immediate pressure on BC’s rebuilt offensive line. If the Eagles cannot establish the run or protect McKenzie on third down, Cincinnati will control field position and force the game onto the quarterback’s shoulders.

What decides the game

The first factor is BC’s defensive front against Cincinnati’s offensive line. The Bearcats are strongest where the Eagles must prove they have improved.

The second is field position. This matchup features two teams with dependable specialists and uncertain offenses. One poor punt, long return or missed field goal could decide it.

Luca Lombardo made 16 of 17 field-goal attempts last season, including a career-long 52-yarder. Bryce LaFollette gives BC an experienced punter capable of placing Cincinnati deep in its own territory.

The final factor is patience.

BC cannot treat every possession like it must produce a touchdown. If the defense controls the game, O’Brien must be willing to run the football, punt when necessary and trust his specialists.

What to expect

I expect an extremely low-scoring game.

Cincinnati’s offensive line will prevent BC from overwhelming French on every possession, but the Bearcats have too many new pieces at running back and wide receiver to consistently move the ball against the strength of the Eagles’ defense.

BC’s offense will also struggle at times. McKenzie is making a major jump in competition, the offensive line remains unproven and the passing game is still developing.

The difference will be defense and special teams.

I expect BC to limit explosive plays, win field position and create one decisive turnover. One touchdown and two Lombardo field goals will be enough.

Predictions

13-10, Boston College wins
Mac Hutchinson, Eagles Weekly

17-14, Boston College wins
Brett Rider, Eagles Weekly

23-16, Boston College wins
Jack Seiberlich, Eagles Weekly

How to watch

Matchup: Boston College (0-0, 0-0 ACC) at Cincinnati (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 5
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
TV: FOX
Broadcast team: Tim Brando, Devin Gardner and Josh Sims
Radio: WEEI 850 AM, beginning at 3 p.m.
Radio team: Jon Meterparel, Pete Cronan and Scott Mutryn
SiriusXM: Channel 261
All-time series: Tied, 4-4

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Mac Hutchinson, a columnist in Boston, is the Director of Digital Media for Eagles Daily, co-host of Eagles Weekly Podcast, and the founder of @BCFootballFans. He

CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. – Less than a week before Boston College opens at Cincinnati, the most honest assessment I can offer is this: the Eagles are better than they were last season, but I still do not know whether they are good enough to reach a bowl.

That uncertainty is not a hedge. It is the story of this team.

I see a defense capable of making one of the ACC’s largest year-over-year improvements. I see a deep backfield, a dangerous running quarterback and special teams that should be dependable in close games.

I also see an offensive line without a publicly established starting five, wide receivers who have struggled with drops and separation during training camp, and a passing game that has not proved it can consistently move the ball against Power Four competition.

That is why Boston College has such a wide range of possible outcomes. The floor is 2–10. The ceiling is 8–4. The most likely result is 5–7.

My prediction is 6–6.

That one-game difference represents my optimism about the defense, the running game and Mason McKenzie. It also shows how little separates a bowl appearance from another disappointing season.

The offense will determine the ceiling

Bill O’Brien will serve as BC’s offensive coordinator and call the plays this season, taking over those responsibilities from former coordinator Will Lawing. The change gives O’Brien direct control of the unit that will determine how high the Eagles can climb.

I’ll start with what I trust most: the running game.

Evan Dickens arrives from Liberty after rushing for 1,339 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, finishing fifth nationally in rushing yards. Bo MacCormack III gives BC a physical returning option, while Maryland transfer Nolan Ray has produced some of training camp’s most impressive runs and shown that he can contribute as a receiver.

This is not a backfield dependent on one player. Dickens should lead it, but MacCormack and Ray give O’Brien enough depth to rotate backs without substantially changing the offense.

The running game must become BC’s foundation. It can protect an unsettled offensive line, keep the Eagles out of obvious passing situations and create opportunities through play action and RPOs.

McKenzie makes that approach even more difficult for BC’s opponents to defend.

The Saginaw Valley State transfer finished his Division II career with more than 4,300 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, 1,600 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. His vision as a runner has stood out throughout camp, and he is a better passer than the “running quarterback” label suggests, particularly when throwing on the move.

McKenzie’s most important plays may be the ones O’Brien cannot design.

When protection breaks down or a receiver’s route is covered, McKenzie can escape, extend the play and turn a failed call into a first down. Those off-schedule plays could become the difference between another losing season and a special one.

The question is whether they will translate against faster, more disciplined defenses.

McKenzie has never faced an FBS opponent. ACC pass rushers will close more quickly, throwing windows will be smaller and mistakes that went unpunished at Division II will become turnovers.

We will begin learning the answer to all of that at Cincinnati.

The larger concern is what surrounds him in the passing game.

Reed Swanson brings proven production after catching 57 passes for 939 yards and eight touchdowns at Colgate last season. A healthy Jaedn Skeete gives BC another big, athletic target. Dawson Pough has also made plays throughout camp.

The group still has not established a dependable identity.

Too many catchable passes have reached the ground during training camp, and the receivers have not consistently created separation. McKenzie needs at least one target he can trust on third down and another capable of forcing safeties to defend the field vertically.

Potential is not production. That distinction will matter immediately.

Tight end presents a similar concern.

Kaelan Chudzinski was expected to become one of BC’s most important receiving threats after catching 24 passes for 313 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman. His Achilles injury, which is expected to keep him out this season, removes the most proven pass catcher from an already uncertain offense.

BC has options in Zeke Moore, Brady Clough, Danny Edgehille and converted defensive end Bryce Lewis. The blocking has looked capable, but the receiving portion of the position still needs to develop.

The room has numbers. It does not have proven receiving depth.

Then there is the offensive line.

The honest answer is: who knows?

BC added six linemen through the transfer portal, but the starting combination has not been publicly established with game week approaching. There may be more individual options than last season, but offensive-line play depends on five players communicating and operating as one unit.

The Eagles allowed 35 sacks and averaged 3.3 yards per rushing attempt last season. Better depth will not matter if the line continues allowing free rushers or cannot create movement at the point of attack.

This remains the offense’s biggest question and perhaps the biggest question on the entire roster.

The defense should raise the floor

My strongest opinion about this team is that the defense will be significantly better.

It almost has to be.

BC allowed 32.8 points and 433.2 yards per game last season. Opponents averaged five yards per rushing attempt, and the Eagles produced only 17 sacks in 12 games.

Injuries made every problem worse. The rotation disappeared, younger players were forced into larger roles and KP Price, one of the ACC’s best safeties, started three games at linebacker because BC did not have enough healthy options there.

That should not happen again.

New defensive coordinator Ted Roof has more usable depth at every level. The real question is no longer whether the defense improves. It is how far it climbs.

I expect BC to reach at least the middle of the ACC defensively.

The secondary should lead that turnaround. It is the defense’s deepest, most experienced and most established group.

Price remains its leader after recording 94 tackles and earning second-team All-ACC honors last season. Keeping him at safety allows BC to use one of its best players where he can have the greatest impact rather than asking him to compensate for problems elsewhere.

The defensive line also looks better. The edge defenders have been more disruptive throughout camp, and the front appears capable of producing more pressure than last season.

That improvement must carry into games. Roof cannot manufacture every pass rush with blitzes. The defensive line must stop the run without requiring extra help and create pressure with four rushers.

Linebacker is better partly because last year’s standard was so low.

The room is deeper, but it is not deep enough to absorb another major run of injuries. The important difference is that BC now has enough linebackers to maintain a normal rotation and should no longer need Price to leave the secondary.

If the Eagles remain reasonably healthy, this defense can keep them competitive even when the offense struggles.

Special teams could decide the bowl race

The most reliable part of this team may be its specialists.

That sounds like a punch line after a 2–10 season. It is also true.

Luca Lombardo made 16 of 17 field-goal attempts last season, including a career-long 52-yarder. BC should be comfortable sending him out for attempts beyond 45 yards.

Bryce LaFollette is a legitimate addition at punter. The Towson transfer averaged 43.5 yards per punt last season, hit 11 punts longer than 50 yards and placed 20 inside the 20.

Based on what I have seen in camp, LaFollette looks like the favorite to win the job, although he and returning specialist Andy Quinn have continued to share repetitions.

BC is likely to play several one-possession games. Lombardo’s accuracy and LaFollette’s ability to control field position could directly determine whether the Eagles finish 5–7 or 6–6.

Schedule outlook: The first three games will define the season

ESPN’s preseason Football Power Index ranked BC’s schedule 24th-hardest in the country and second-hardest in the ACC, behind only Florida State.

ESPN Analytics’ matchup probabilities were checked on Aug. 30 and will change as the season progresses.

Date	Matchup	BC win probability	Outlook
Sept. 5	at Cincinnati	23.2%	Winnable underdog
Sept. 11	vs. Rutgers	47.5%	Toss-up
Sept. 19	vs. Maine	97.1%	Must win
Sept. 26	vs. Virginia Tech	28.1%	Winnable underdog
Oct. 3	at SMU	10.6%	Likely loss
Oct. 17	vs. Pittsburgh	32.7%	Winnable underdog
Oct. 24	at Georgia Tech	23.2%	Winnable underdog
Oct. 31	at Duke	25.5%	Winnable underdog
Nov. 7	vs. Florida State	24.8%	Winnable underdog
Nov. 14	at Notre Dame	2.1%	Likely loss
Nov. 21	vs. Syracuse	50.1%	Toss-up
Nov. 28	at Miami	3.2%	Likely loss

Added together, those percentages produce an expectation of approximately 3.7 wins. That is the statistical baseline. I am more optimistic than the computers because BC’s defensive improvement should keep the Eagles competitive in more of the middle-tier games.

The difficult closing stretch makes the beginning even more important.

The season opens Saturday at Cincinnati at 3:30 p.m. on FOX. BC then returns home for the Red Bandanna Game against Rutgers on Sept. 11 before hosting Maine on Sept. 19.

A 3–0 start would change the entire outlook. It would give BC a meaningful road win, protect two favorable home dates and create room for error before the schedule becomes more difficult.

A 2–1 start should be the minimum expectation. It would keep the bowl path open but leave BC needing several wins in games where it will likely be an underdog.

A 1–2 start would place immediate pressure on O’Brien and make the climb to six wins extremely difficult before conference play begins.

The clearest path to a bowl does not require a miracle, but it does require Boston College to take advantage of home field.

Beat Maine. Protect home field by taking four of five against Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Florida State. Then win at least one of the three winnable road games against Cincinnati, Georgia Tech and Duke.

That gets BC to six.

It also leaves almost no margin for error. Lose another favorable home game, and the Eagles must replace it with an additional road upset.

Worst-case scenario: 2–10

The floor remains another two-win season.

That happens if O’Brien and general manager Kenyatta Watson’s roster reconstruction does not work as envisioned.

McKenzie struggles with the jump in competition. The offensive line never settles. The receivers continue dropping passes and failing to separate. Without Chudzinski, the tight ends do not provide enough in the passing game.

The defense improves but spends too much time on the field because the offense cannot sustain drives. Injuries expose the remaining depth concerns, and close games begin turning against BC.

The greatest fear among fans is not simply that the Eagles lose. It is that the offense produces so little that they struggle to remain competitive.

That possibility cannot be dismissed until BC proves otherwise.

Most likely outcome: 5–7

Five wins is the most reasonable expectation.

The defense should keep BC in more games than it did last season. The backfield gives O’Brien a dependable offensive foundation, and McKenzie’s legs provide a way to create yards when the original play fails.

Those improvements should be enough to move BC beyond two wins.

The schedule, however, offers very few comfortable opportunities. The Eagles must beat multiple teams ESPN currently rates above them, and several of those games will be decided by a few possessions.

A team with this many new players and unresolved offensive questions is likely to lose at least a couple of games it could have won.

That is how I arrive at 5–7: clearly improved, frequently competitive and probably one victory short of a bowl.

A five-win BC team could still receive a bowl invitation if there are not enough six-win teams to fill the available games and its Academic Progress Rate places it high enough among the remaining candidates. That route is possible but six wins must remain the standard.

My prediction: 6–6

I am picking BC to reach six wins and return to a bowl.

That is an optimistic prediction, but it is not an unreasonable one.

I believe the defense will improve enough to win a game when the offense is not at its best. I believe the running backs can carry the offense through difficult stretches. I believe Lombardo and LaFollette can provide an advantage in close games.

Most importantly, I believe McKenzie’s ability to create outside the structure of the offense will steal at least one win.

The difference between my most likely outcome and my official prediction is one game. I am betting that BC’s defense, running game or quarterback makes one decisive play when the season is in the balance.

If that happens, 6–6 is attainable.

Best-case scenario: 8–4

Eight wins represent the highest realistic ceiling.

For BC to reach it, almost every major question must produce a favorable answer.

McKenzie’s game translates immediately. The offensive line becomes stable and functional. The receivers eliminate the drops, create separation and give the passing game a dependable third-down option. The tight ends replace enough of Chudzinski’s production to keep defenses honest.

The running game becomes one of the ACC’s best, allowing O’Brien to control possession and keep pressure off McKenzie.

Defensively, the front creates consistent pressure, the linebackers stay healthy and the secondary becomes the strength of a top-half ACC defense.

In that scenario, BC wins its first four games, protects its home field and takes two of the winnable road games.

Eight wins would not make BC a playoff contender. It would make 2026 a breakthrough season and provide convincing evidence that O’Brien and Watson’s rebuild is working.

That is the ceiling. Reaching it would require more than improvement. It would require nearly everything to come together at once.

We will learn more about this team during one afternoon in Cincinnati than we learned throughout August.

Can the offensive line protect McKenzie? Can the receivers separate and finish catches? Can McKenzie be creative against Power Four speed? Does the defense look as improved in a game as it has during camp?

The answers begin Saturday in Cincinnati. The possibilities are real, the consequences are unavoidable and the margin between them may be one play.

It is exciting. It is unsettling. It is Boston College football.

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Mac Hutchinson, a columnist in Boston, is the Director of Digital Media for Eagles Daily, co-host of Eagles Weekly Podcast, and the founder of @BCFootballFans. He may be reached at mac@thinklyn.com

CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. – Boston College’s defense controlled much of Saturday’s second training camp scrimmage, generating an unofficial double-digit sack total and exposing a pass-protection problem the Eagles must address before the season begins.

The controlled scrimmage was BC’s 15th practice of training camp and its sixth consecutive day on the field. The Eagles open their season at Cincinnati in exactly two weeks.

“Both sides of the ball made plays today. There’s still some things to clean up, but I do believe we’re a better football team,” head coach Bill O’Brien said afterward.

The defense supplied the clearest evidence.

Linebacker Zacari Thomas recorded a sack and remained active against both the run and pass. Defensive linemen Micah Amedee and Favor Bate also reached the quarterback as BC’s front consistently disrupted the offense.

Producing at least 10 sacks was encouraging for a defense that produced only 17 sacks last season, but it also exposed the offense’s most urgent concern. With two weeks until kickoff, BC’s offensive line must provide Mason McKenzie enough time to establish the running game and create opportunities through play action.

The offense still produced several explosive plays.

True freshman quarterback Femi Babalola connected with true freshman wide receiver DJ Biggins for a touchdown of more than 30 yards down the sideline. Biggins later added a leaping touchdown catch in the end zone, continuing an impressive first training camp.

Veteran receiver VJ Wilkins added a reception of approximately 60 yards, while second-year receiver Dawson Pough caught the ball consistently throughout the scrimmage.

BC also remained active on the ground. Second-year running backs Bo MacCormack III and Mekhi Dodd both made productive use of their opportunities.

The secondary created turnovers of its own. Veteran safety KP Price recorded an interception, and Charlie Comella made another strong play on the ball for a pick.

Graduate-transfer punter Bryce LaFollette also strengthened his case for the job with a punt of more than 50 yards that pinned the offense inside its 5-yard line.

LaFollette looks like BC’s most experienced and game-ready option. Before arriving from Towson, he punted in every game over the past two seasons and averaged 43.5 yards per attempt in 2025, placing 20 punts inside the 20-yard line. He previously spent two seasons at Virginia Tech.

WATCH: Mac Hutchinson’s video recap from Alumni Stadium

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Saturday showed why BC can be optimistic about its defensive depth and young offensive talent. It also identified the most urgent issue entering the final week of training camp.

Boston College has players capable of creating explosive plays, but the offensive line must give them enough time to make it happen.

BC will be off Sunday before returning Monday for its final week of training camp.

The Eagles open their 2026 season at Cincinnati on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

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Mac Hutchinson, a columnist in Boston, is the Director of Digital Media for Eagles Daily, co-host of Eagles Weekly Podcast, and the founder of @BCFootballFans. He may be reached at mac@thinklyn.com