By MATT VAUTOUR
When UMass and Boston College played basketball in 1995, there was a truly magical feel in the then-new Fleet Center.
The schools hadn’t played in years and both teams were ranked and talented.
They sold out the building for what turned into a memorable 65-57 win for UMass.
It was a great day for college basketball in New England.
The atmosphere at Saturday’s noon football game at Gillette between the two schools, whose campuses are separated by 87 miles of Route 9, isn’t likely to match that day’s. College sports in New England fall well below the pros, so any extra attention helps and that Commonwealth Classic is the bar that the Battle of the Bay State is chasing.
BC and UMass aren’t on equal footing. The Eagles are a Power 5 school, a struggling one, but a Power 5 all the same. UMass is independent and scrambling to get its feet under it.
Give BC credit for even playing this game and its Nov. 19 game with Connecticut. BC could have frozen out its New England rivals in an attempt to send the message that UMass and UConn don’t mean anything to the Eagles or their fans.
A win for BC is expected. A win for the Minutemen is a program changer.
But they’re playing the game and it’s good for football in the region.
It offers UMass a huge opportunity. Now in its fifth Bowl Subdivision season, the Minutemen are desperately searching for a signature victory.
They need something that would ignite a fan base that’s been reluctant to commit money or become emotionally attached to the program during its growing pains. A big win might even convince a conference that UMass could have something to offer it.
There is no better opportunity than BC. Every Minuteman fan either went to high school with or currently works with a BC fan who has dismissed the very relevance of UMass football for decades. Earning bragging rights Saturday might send those Minuteman supporters to the ticket booth for future games.
Beating BC for the first time since 1978 won’t be easy as UMass is a decided underdog (The Eagles are favored by 17 points). But BC is rebuilding after last year’s 3-9 (0-8 ACC) season and is potentially vulnerable.
UMass being at least competitive Saturday would help interest a lot.
The ACC is likely going to add a ninth game to their league schedules. That leaves its members with limited flexibility to schedule nonconference games.
UMass and BC have three more games scheduled after this one — at Gillette in 2021, and in Chestnut Hill in 2018 and 2022.
After that, BC is likely going to play one FCS team and one Power 5 team every year leaving one slot open.
Ideally there would eventually be an annual rotation between Boston College, Connecticut and UMass with two of the three teams playing each season.
But for that to matter, they have to be good games that people not only want to watch, but would be matchups fans on both sides would miss if they weren’t on the schedule.
GAME OF THE WEEK: Arkansas at No. 15 TCU, Saturday, 7 p.m. ESPN — After an amazing first weekend, this week’s schedule is bereft of quality games. The Razorbacks and Horned Frogs could be competitive, although Arkansas barely bet Louisiana Tech at home last week.
PLAYOFF BOUND: Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Houston.
IF I HAD A HEISMAN VOTE — Georgia running back Nick Chubb exploded out of the gate with 222 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ win over North Carolina.
FINALLY — Anyone rooting for the playoff field to eventually expand to eight teams is rooting for Houston to run the table.
That would start a debate over whether it is possible for a group of five team, even an undefeated one who rolled past Oklahoma, to earn a spot in the playoffs.
If the Cougars get in, at least two Power 5 conferences would be left out, increasing the chances that those leagues would push for playoff expansion.
Information from personal interviews, newspaper articles and sports information releases was used in this report.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage