Boston College Bowl Game 2023: Where Could BC Football Land?

Discovering it may resemble an area you know

• By
  
  Curtis Flannery
  
• on November 17, 2023 1:09 pm

It’s been a strange, roller-coaster season for the Boston College Eagles football team in 2023, but they will be participating in a bowl game. With either a 6-6 or 7-5 record in sight, let’s explore their potential options for postseason games this winter.

All the possible bowls for the ACC in 2023:

CFP

• College Football Playoff Semifinal

ACC Champ (or next highest ranked team)

Tier 1

• Pinstripe Bowl in New York, NY on Thursday 12/28
• Pop Tart Bowl in Orlando, FL on Thursday 12/28
• Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday 12/27
• Fenway Bowl in Boston, MA on Thursday 12/28
• Military Bowl in Annapolis, MD on Wednesday 12/27
• ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, FL on Monday 1/1
• Holiday Bowl in San Diego, CA on TBD
• Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL on Friday 12/29
• Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX on Friday 12/29

Tier 2

• Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, FL on Friday 12/22
• TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl in Birmingham, AL on Saturday 12/23
• SERVPRO First Responder Bowl in Dallas, TX on Tuesday 12/26

Now, let’s see which ACC teams could qualify for a bowl game:

Possibly…

With Syracuse and Georgia Tech set to face each other, at least one of those “maybe” teams will qualify for a bowl. Additionally, Virginia Tech seems likely to win against either NC State or Virginia in the final two weeks. On the other hand, Wake Forest would have to face an uphill battle to become eligible. The most likely number of “maybe” teams qualifying seems like it will be 2, but it could be as many as 4.

So, what are the options?

It is foreseeable that Florida State will complete an undefeated season and secure a spot in the CFP. If that happens, then another ACC team (likely Louisville) would claim a position in the Orange Bowl, leaving 9 ACC schools (including Notre Dame) to be selected for the remaining 9 Tier 1 bowls. However, if FSU suffers a loss and is left out of the CFP, or an additional “maybe” team achieves 6 wins, then one or two ACC teams might be allocated Tier 2 bowl games.

There are a few bowls in Tier 1 that we can rule out for BC. The Duke’s Mayo Bowl typically selects teams from the Carolinas, so it is unlikely the Eagles will end up there. The Military Bowl invited us in 2021, but the game was called off due to a COVID outbreak at BC. The ReliaQuest Bowl is on New Year’s Day, usually reserved for schools with a bigger TV draw than Boston College.

The remaining six options in Tier 1 are:

• Pinstripe Bowl in New York, NY on Thursday 12/28
• Pop Tart Bowl in Orlando, FL on Thursday 12/28
• Fenway Bowl in Boston, MA on Thursday 12/28
• Holiday Bowl in San Diego, CA on TBD
• Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL on Friday 12/29
• Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX on Friday 12/29

The most likely options here seem to be either the Fenway Bowl in Boston or the Pinstripe Bowl in NYC. Given that Syracuse went to the Pinstripe Bowl last year, NYC appears as the most probable destination for the Eagles. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were chosen for the Fenway Bowl, especially if Syracuse loses out and misses a bowl game completely. In the end, it’s plausible that BC could end up in Florida, Texas, or elsewhere.

It is also possible that the ACC is excluded from the CFP or that 3-4 of Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, and Syracuse reach 6 wins. In this scenario, BC could find itself pushed down to a Tier 2 bowl, especially if they lose to Miami on Black Friday. BC has attended the First Responder Bowl and the Birmingham Bowl in the past few years, so it’s not inconceivable that they might go to the Gasparilla Bowl and complete the trifecta! (If you want to avoid that outcome, you should be rooting for FSU to make the playoff)

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