Takeaways from BC's blowout win over Syracuse

Well, that was certainly a much more pleasant experience compared to the last 10 weeks.

BC hammered Syracuse on Saturday, 34-12 to wrap up a 2-10 season on a very positive note. The Eagles also avoided going winless in the ACC and took advantage of an Orange team that seemed to be going through the motions.

A 28-point second half – led by Grayson James and the suddenly surging rushing attack – was the difference, along with Syracuse’s ineptitude in the passing game.

Here, as always, are some of my biggest takeaways following the season-ending win:

Bill O’Brien should (and probably is back) next season

As far as Bill O’Brien knows, he gets going on 2026 tomorrow. As I’ve stated here numerous times over the last couple months, given the landscape of college football right now when it comes to coaching, this program would be foolish to get rid of Bill O’Brien.

Now, if it looks like this again next year, then you probably have no choice. I’m a firm believer in the snowball effect when it comes to sports (especially with college kids) and I’m choosing to chalk this season up to things just spiraling out of control once the Stanford loss happened and once injuries started piling up.

A healthy, well-compensated roster (and a slightly easier schedule) should all contribute to a bounce-back season. Should staff changes happen? Probably, but that’s not my job to decide. It’s hard to believe 2-10 doesn’t bring at least a couple, but as far as recruiting and turning the page, I asked O’Brien when that officially starts postgame and this was his answer:

“Tomorrow. We land tonight at 10:30. We get back to Conte at 10:30. Go home, probably have a slice of pizza, go to bed, wake up and get going on 2026. It starts tomorrow.

“We have a 2:00 p.m. team meeting. I forgot to tell the team that, so if you guys can tweet that out, there’s a team meeting…you can’t be at that, but maybe you can help me.”

Sounds like a guy who’s ready for Year 3 and to try to fix things, as he should.

Grayson James should be remembered fondly by BC fans for his time here

Grayson James is a more talented, more athletic Dennis Grosel. Just a guy who put his head down and did whatever the team asks. He easily could have left in the spring (he knew Dylan was getting the job then, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise), but he chose to stay. He could have just half-assed it this season when things went south or folded up shop when he was fighting through an injury. Hell, he could have left before spring ball after he was clearly the better QB last year over Castellanos, but only got to prove it once TC packed his things and ran home.

In another relief effort, James threw for 288 yards and didn’t turn the ball over, making big throws when he had to. After the game, O’Brien called him “one of the best teammates I’ve ever seen” in his 33 years of coaching.

I asked James about that specific comment postgame, and his response was fitting.

“It’s huge,” he said. “That’s something I would say I always pride myself on, is who are you remembered as in the locker room? That’s – at the end of the day – kind of what matters is that things keep rolling into the future, as things unfold, the relationships, the connections you can make in that locker room.

“So, how can I be the best teammate possible? How can I bond with these guys and get them to play as hard as possible? Nobody knows the work we’ve put in this year, the year before that. So, just being in there with those guys, putting in all that extra time…getting a dub today makes it all worth it.”

It’s a shame he never got a full season as the legit No. 1 to see how he could lead and carry this team. If he chooses to pursue the next level, he’s got the frame and the arm to get an invite to a camp and go from there, but his intangibles would play in any NFL locker room.

While changes should be coming, importance of win shouldn’t be understated

This was big. With so many young guys on the roster, getting that winning feeling again was important heading into the offseason. The team has sung the fight song so little that Jude Bowry apparently forgot some of it in the locker room when he started it up, with Juan Zabal taking over those duties according to KP Price.

If the 2025 class is any indication of what this staff and O’Brien can do on the recruiting trail, they may be on to something. A lot of youth got valuable experience this season, even if it means growing pains. A couple more classes like that and we’re talking. But, as far as the win in New York, taking this feeling into winter workouts can only be a good thing.

GIVE THE STAFF THE HELP IT NEEDS FINANCIALLY & WITH ADMISSIONS

This is DIRECTLY for the major decision makers when it comes to football at this school:

I am not a BC guy. Never was, never will be. I was certainly never smart enough to get in (I applied to 2 schools…Dean and New England College, made a pitstop at Framingham State too)…but, I know what it looks like when an athletic team is fighting an uphill battle with the people who are supposed to be their biggest supporters.

Fork over the extra money for an extra night of hotels. Dip into that pool of money for better players in the portal or higher-star athletes coming out of high school. Bill O’Brien is a good coach, but if he’s ever going to truly compete in this absurdly crazy world of college football – I’m not even talking nationally, just in the ACC – he needs more help.

It’s been a fun year to cover despite the losing and as always, thank you all for continuing to read and basically keep me employed with your engagement.

We’ll have some wrap-up stuff this week (while I try not to face plant from exhaustion moving Monday morning, covering the Pats Monday night and then the HS Super Bowls Thursday-Saturday).

We’re (soon) on to 2026!