Two programs in very different places will clash on Thursday afternoon at historic Legion Field when Cincinnati and Boston College face off in the Birmingham Bowl.
The Bearcats enter the game ranked in the AP Top 25 at the conclusion of the regular season for the first time since 2009 following a 10-3 season that marked the first back-to-back double digit-win seasons since that very same season, which was Brian Kelly's last with the program before moving on to Notre Dame. Head coach Luke Fickell has named the American Athletic Conference coach of the year in 2018 after leading a seven-win turnaround from Year 1 to Year 2, and he raised the bar even higher in 2019 with an AAC East championship and the program's first-ever appearance in the AAC Championship Game.
Boston College, on the other hand, is in transition from Steve Addazio -- who was fired by Boston College on Dec. 1 after seven seasons with the Eagles -- to 40-year-old Ohio State defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Addazio led Boston College to a bowl game in every season but one, but never eclipsed seven wins or had a winning record in ACC play. Boston College and Hafley are shooting for a top-25 program, but those concerns for the future will clash with motivations for the present as Rich Gunnell leads the team as the interim head coach.
Storylines
Cincinnati: The Bearcats are led by their defense, which ranked No. 1 in the American Athletic Conference, averaging 21.7 points per game. As quarterback Desmond Ridder had some up-and-down performances down the stretch of the regular season while dealing with nagging injuries, the defense was able to be a stabilizing force to maintain Cincinnati's course towards AAC title contention. That should be the case again against Boston College, with the Bearcats defense setting the tone against an offense that will be without star running back AJ Dillon.
The bowl will also be the final game for a senior class that has been pivotal in leading Fickell's success, starting with All-AAC linebackers Perry Young and Bryan Wright. But even as fans are saying farewell, there's also excitement for the future with true freshman safety Ahmad Gardner and a handful of other underclassmen playing a big role in 2019's success. When you add in the fact that Fickell locked down the No. 1 recruiting class among all Group of Five schools, the signs are pointing to double-digit win seasons becoming more of the norm around Nippert Stadium.
Boston College: AJ Dillon announced on Dec. 10 that he would be leaving early to declare for the NFL Draft and sit out of the team's bowl game, leaving Boston College as a three-time All-ACC selection with 4,382 yards rushing and 38 rushing touchdowns along with 236 yards receiving and two receiving touchdowns. Dillon's 4,618 all-purpose yards are the most in program history, and not having him in the lineup leaves an already banged-up offensive backfield limited in terms of experience and production. Interim coach Rich Gunnell is a former Boston College player with plenty of pride in the program, and it will be interesting to see how he's able to motivate a group that is between head coaches and missing its best offensive player.
One way that Gunnell hoped to bring some calm to the chaotic world of the Boston College players was to set up a bowl preparation schedule that allowed let them go home for the holidays. After a few years away from with bowl dates that fell on either Dec. 26 or Dec. 27, maybe some family time and a change in the routine will help get the Eagles focused on the singular task of finishing the year with a bowl win.
Viewing information
Event: Birmingham Bowl
Date: Thursday, Jan. 2 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Legion Field -- Birmingham, Ala.
TV: ESPN | Live stream: WatchESPN.com
Birmingham Bowl prediction, picks
If Boston College pulls off a win against this veteran-led, championship-quality Bearcats team, it will be a huge compliment to Gunnells and his ability to get the Eagles mentally prepared for the contest. I'm predicting things will break the other way, and this ends up being a methodical win for Luke Fickell. Pick: Cincinnati (-7)
So who will win Boston College vs. Cincinnati, and which side of the spread can you bank on in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up nearly $4,000 on its top-rated picks.
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December 31, 2019 at 01:58PM
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Cincinnati vs. Boston College: Prediction, pick, Birmingham Bowl odds, line, spread, kickoff time, preview - CBS Sports
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