Between the College GameDay bus parked behind Conte Forum, special messages from athletic director Martin Jarmond, and national media flocking to Chestnut Hill, Boston College's campus has been electrified with energy this week.
"You can definitely feel the buzz," wide receiver Jeff Smith said. "I was going to class yesterday and there's kids asking me about this upcoming game and past games. You can tell the students are definitely getting into it."
Three years ago, Smith was filling in at quarterback for Boston College in an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Wake Forest during the infamous 0-for-the-ACC season. Two days from now, he'll be lining up against No. 2 Clemson in a primetime matchup with ACC Championship implications. It wasn't long ago that pundits would have scoffed at the idea of the Eagles playing a meaningful game in November.
"Freshman year was tough," Smith said. "We went 3-9, didn't win an ACC game. So the culture definitely has changed in the past four years."
The senior class certainly understands all that went into BC's turnaround. The younger guys, on the other hand?
"They're definitely a little spoiled right now," graduate linebacker Connor Strachan laughed. "But they work real hard. There's so much leadership on this team—it's not just me. There's a lot of older guys who beat them into the ground all summer and stuff. So they know the hard work it takes."
After previously losing their ranking in a blowout loss at Purdue, the No. 17 Eagles are well-aware that the national spotlight can vanish in an instant.
"As a player, you have to be careful that you're locked into the game," Strachan said. "It's cool to have the hype, but you can't get lost in it."
Saturday marks GameDay's first trip to Chestnut Hill since 2009, and the first time a ranked BC team has hosted a ranked opponent since 2006. As the Eagles have attracted the attention of the national media, the local Boston media has slowly started to take notice, as well. They're all-too-familiar with getting overshadowed in a city that prides itself on the success of its pro sports.
"For anyone in Boston, it's very hard," Strachan said. "We're talking about this game, but the Red Sox won the World Series last week and it's not even a big deal anymore. In another city, people would still be out in the streets running around and screaming. We're used to it, but it'd be nice to join the party."
If BC wants to join the party, head coach Steve Addazio has to find a way to run the ball against the Tigers' vaunted defensive line, which allows the fewest yards per carry in the country. The group is headlined by Springfield, Mass. native Christian Wilkins, who grew up a "big-time Boston College fan" and dreamed of playing in Maroon and Gold as a kid.
"We're going to need to be who we are Saturday night," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "These guys know how to run the football. That is for sure. We've been challenged with many different styles of play, whether it be triple option, spread, you name it. This is another style of play that's going to be a big challenge for us."
How big of a challenge may depend on the status of A.J. Dillon, who tweaked his ankle again last weekend and is still a game-time decision.
"A.J. is a day-to-day guy," Addazio said during Wednesday's ACC Coaches Teleconference. "He's done a fabulous job of managing his injury, and we just kind of get through the week, and each week we hope we gain on it a little bit. But he's doing well."
In the passing game, Tigers defensive coordinator Brent Venables is focusing preparations on the Eagles' deep tight end corps. A common thread in Clemson's recent upsets has been getting burned by opposing tight ends, and the coaching staff recognizes the threat that Tommy Sweeney & Co. present. On Tuesday, Swinney praised Sweeney as the best tight end Clemson has seen this year.
“We have to match their physicality to have a chance," said Venables, the highest-paid assistant in college football at 47 years old. "These are NFL-type tight ends. We haven’t seen as good of blocking and receiving combo all season. This will be a great test for our edge players.”
"You can definitely feel the buzz," wide receiver Jeff Smith said. "I was going to class yesterday and there's kids asking me about this upcoming game and past games. You can tell the students are definitely getting into it."
Three years ago, Smith was filling in at quarterback for Boston College in an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Wake Forest during the infamous 0-for-the-ACC season. Two days from now, he'll be lining up against No. 2 Clemson in a primetime matchup with ACC Championship implications. It wasn't long ago that pundits would have scoffed at the idea of the Eagles playing a meaningful game in November.
"Freshman year was tough," Smith said. "We went 3-9, didn't win an ACC game. So the culture definitely has changed in the past four years."
The senior class certainly understands all that went into BC's turnaround. The younger guys, on the other hand?
"They're definitely a little spoiled right now," graduate linebacker Connor Strachan laughed. "But they work real hard. There's so much leadership on this team—it's not just me. There's a lot of older guys who beat them into the ground all summer and stuff. So they know the hard work it takes."
After previously losing their ranking in a blowout loss at Purdue, the No. 17 Eagles are well-aware that the national spotlight can vanish in an instant.
"As a player, you have to be careful that you're locked into the game," Strachan said. "It's cool to have the hype, but you can't get lost in it."
Saturday marks GameDay's first trip to Chestnut Hill since 2009, and the first time a ranked BC team has hosted a ranked opponent since 2006. As the Eagles have attracted the attention of the national media, the local Boston media has slowly started to take notice, as well. They're all-too-familiar with getting overshadowed in a city that prides itself on the success of its pro sports.
"For anyone in Boston, it's very hard," Strachan said. "We're talking about this game, but the Red Sox won the World Series last week and it's not even a big deal anymore. In another city, people would still be out in the streets running around and screaming. We're used to it, but it'd be nice to join the party."
If BC wants to join the party, head coach Steve Addazio has to find a way to run the ball against the Tigers' vaunted defensive line, which allows the fewest yards per carry in the country. The group is headlined by Springfield, Mass. native Christian Wilkins, who grew up a "big-time Boston College fan" and dreamed of playing in Maroon and Gold as a kid.
"We're going to need to be who we are Saturday night," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "These guys know how to run the football. That is for sure. We've been challenged with many different styles of play, whether it be triple option, spread, you name it. This is another style of play that's going to be a big challenge for us."
How big of a challenge may depend on the status of A.J. Dillon, who tweaked his ankle again last weekend and is still a game-time decision.
"A.J. is a day-to-day guy," Addazio said during Wednesday's ACC Coaches Teleconference. "He's done a fabulous job of managing his injury, and we just kind of get through the week, and each week we hope we gain on it a little bit. But he's doing well."
In the passing game, Tigers defensive coordinator Brent Venables is focusing preparations on the Eagles' deep tight end corps. A common thread in Clemson's recent upsets has been getting burned by opposing tight ends, and the coaching staff recognizes the threat that Tommy Sweeney & Co. present. On Tuesday, Swinney praised Sweeney as the best tight end Clemson has seen this year.
“We have to match their physicality to have a chance," said Venables, the highest-paid assistant in college football at 47 years old. "These are NFL-type tight ends. We haven’t seen as good of blocking and receiving combo all season. This will be a great test for our edge players.”
