BC blown out by Pitt; What's next?

Well, this is just stunning.

Just a few weeks ago – even though it was a loss – BC put up a fantastic effort in prime time for the world to see against Michigan State. There was hope that this season was going to be different.

Since then, BC has lost its way and may have hit rock bottom on Saturday with a lifeless 48-7 loss on the road to an average Pitt team.

The Eagles not only have a very steep climb just to make a bowl game right now, but are now in serious danger of having one of the worst seasons in recent memory given the teams remaining on the schedule, starting next week with a Clemson team that just blew out Bill Belichick’s UNC Tar Heels.

None of us are experts obviously and everyone is going to be chiming in with ideas on where the program can go from here with two full months left. Here’s what I’m thinking as far as big picture takeaways:

QB switch?

Lonergan hasn’t been the same since the pick before the half against Stanford. I thought about it on the car ride home from Worcester (what a beat down by Harvard, they should be in the FCS playoffs)…I think that’s the point where the decline started. Do I still think Dylan has the ability to be ‘the guy’ long term? Absolutely, but the Fordham and MSU games were now smaller sample sizes compared to the inconsistencies we’ve seen. He was great for a handful of drives against Cal, but has now played just five football games at this level. Fans and some in the media just anointed him as the savior immediately at 1-1.

Should the offense be sputtering this badly? No, but it can’t be all on him. Bill O’Brien noted postgame that protection hasn’t been great around Lonergan either and that’s very fair (I’m still a Matt Applebaum guy, but it just hasn’t looked the same this year). The lack of a running game hasn’t helped and receivers simply haven’t performed to the level they appeared capable of during camp.

Still, you have to wonder if the decision to hand the Alabama transfer the keys almost immediately ahead of a veteran like Grayson James is now catching up, particularly the ‘too much all at once’ factor. Lonergan may end up being better in the long run, but a breather could be good right now. James handled himself like a professional last season and showed he could lead a team through rough waters. He’s continued to be a standup teammate throughout this spring, summer and now five games of the regular season in a day and age where athletes don’t always do that.

The question now, is does BC try to get a spark with James? Do they see if he can go shock the Tigers and Dabo on national TV? Or, do you simply ride this out with Lonergan knowing it’ll ultimately be for the betterment of his development in 2026 and beyond? Honestly, I don’t think they can go wrong either way at this point.

Lack of running game killing the offense

It’s just not there. Turbo had his big day against Cal, but the Eagles combined for 27 yards on 24 carries as a team against Pitt. BC had 56 total rushing yards against Stanford, 67 against Michigan State and 97 against Fordham. The 178 against the Golden Bears was an aberration.

I still think the backs are very talented, which means this is an O-line problem. Admittedly, this is the area I was most confident in on the entire offense coming out of camp. I thought that unit – backups included – would be able to push other teams around and it hasn’t been the case. It’s a check in the box for why making the switch from Lonergan might not be the best option, too. No play action game makes things much harder on a QB, especially one that’s barely played relatively speaking.

Starting to worry about future recruits…

You can sell the degree, the beauty of the campus and Boston ‘nightlife’ to certain recruits, but they’re also going to need to see progress on the field. NFL development is probably the most important aspect in today’s recruiting world aside from paying kids absurd amounts of money before they even play a down for your program. Guys want to know they’ll get looks from NFL teams and play in big time atmospheres. Alumni Stadium is rarely a ‘special’ place to play a game. Red Bandanna night is on a different level of course, but playing in front of 45,000 instead of 90-100,000 and going .500 isn’t something elite level players will entertain.

Coaching change won’t fix anything

I hate to tell everyone calling for Bill O’Brien’s job, but you’re not going to do better than him right now. You’re just not.

O’Brien has one recruiting class under his belt and if fans are sick of this becoming a revolving door job every handful of years, you’ve got to give it some more time. Now, I’m not telling you to be ok with 1-4 – especially with how it’s looked – but don’t forget what he did at Penn State. More resources there? Absolutely. But, not everyone would have taken that job under those circumstances.

I genuinely believe his affinity for BC and I believe if given the proper support, he turns the program around. If you want to argue he needs to make changes on his staff, that can wait until the end of the season, because no one is going anywhere in 2025.

So, see everyone at Alumni Saturday night for Clemson?