Boston College, Louisville & Michigan State – Better, Worse or about the Same?

Boston College Football 2014 – Better, Worse or about the Same?

OFFENSE

BC lost some of their major contributors on offense with the graduation of Heisman finalist Andre Williams, star receiver Alex Amidon, tackles Ian White/Matt Patchan and quarterback Chase Rettig. However BC reloaded this offseason with the transfer of Florida QB Tyler Murphy, and a stable of young running backs including sophomore Myles Willis and freshmen Marcus Outlow and Jonathan Hilliman. I expect that BC will continue to be middle of the pack in terms of yards and scoring, but unlike last year I would look to see the production to come from multiple players.

DEFENSE

Just like on offense, BC lost quite a few productive starters from last year including Kevin Pierre-Louis, Kaleb Ramsey and Kasim Edebali. The biggest question will be the production on the defensive line, which depth wise seems very thin this year. Defensive Coordinator Don Brown’s scheme did pretty well his first year, and according to Addazio the team improved drastically this off season. If Mehdi Abdesmad can come back from his leg injury, and someone else on defense can fill the role of play maker, I’d expect the defense to be a little better than last year

Will BC be better, worse or about the same as last year?

BC has three out of conference games that should be winnable for them (Colorado St., UMass & Maine). But their conference schedule is going to be particularly challenging this year with Virginia Tech (at Blacksburg), Florida State, Clemson, and Louisville rounding off the list. I expect the Eagles to be around the same record, most likely 6-6 and be bowl eligible again.

AJ Black of BC Interruption provided the information for our Boston College Football 2014 Spring Wrap Up. For more BC football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow AJ on Twitter @BCHysteria.

Louisville Football 2014 – Better, Worse or about the Same?

Louisville WR DeVante Parker

OFFENSE

Despite the loss of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, the Louisville offense will be more explosive because Bobby Petrino will be calling the shots. The primary running backs — Dominique Brown, Michel Dyer and Dorian Lamb — are back, along with a stable of wide receivers, including Devante Parker who had 12 TD receptions last season, and a veteran offensive line.

Former coach Charlie Strong, now at Texas, was first and foremost a defensive coach and was concerned with protecting leads and not putting inferior teams away. Bobby Petrino has an entirely different mindset, liking to gamble on offense and run up the score. He has a new quarterback in Will Gardner who originally signed at Alabama. UofL fans couldn’t be more excited about the return of the Petrino ram-it-down-your-throat offensive philosophy.

DEFENSE

Defense lost a few people, including leading tackler Marcus Smith and early NFL draftee Calvin Pryor but defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, hired away from Georgia, brings a new 3-4 scheme and lots of experience from last season’s top 10-ranked defensive unit.

Better, worse or about the same as last year?

Hard to improve on last year’s 12-1 record but the season will definitely be more exciting with a more aggressive defense and a much improved schedule in the Atlantic Coast Conference. I’ll go with a top 15 ranking and a 10-2 won-lost record for 2014.

Charles Springer of U of L Card Game provided the information for our Louisville Football 2014 Spring Wrap Up. For more Louisville football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Chalres on Twitter @UofLCardGame.

Michigan State Football 2014 – Better, Worse or about the Same?

OFFENSE

It will be better from a man power standpoint with so many great players back and those that are filling holes having experience. The big question is going to be on the shoulders of Co OC Dave Warner. We saw the MSU offense take great strides improving as the year went on for several reasons. Can this offense evolve under his leadership in 2014? That is the biggest question.

DEFENSE

Can the defense improve over last year’s excellent unit? For sure. The Spartans were already one of the fastest defenses in the nation last year and they will be even faster in 2014. This group has even more talent than last year, but the holes are filled with young players, and you always hold your breath with youth.

Better, worse or about the same as last year?

Speed on D will be better and experience on offense will also improve. The biggest question on both sides are simple. How quickly does the youth on D grow up and how much improvement will there be from OC Dave Warner? The second game of the season the Spartans head to Eugene to take on the Ducks. If they win that game, IF, I think they run the table. If they lose, I think they will slip up once more so let’s give a dual answer. A win in Eugene they go 12-0 and a loss means 10-2. I have concerns about offensive leadership so I predict 10-2.

Hondo S. Carpenter Sr of Spartan Nation provided the information for our Michgan State Football 2014 Spring Wrap Up. For more Spartan football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Hondo on Twitter @Spartan_Nation.