Syracuse vs. Boston College: A nooner on ESPN to end 2018

The last regular season game of 2018 will be a nooner for Dino Babers and the No. 12 Syracuse Orange (8-2, 5-2).

Monday, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced that Syracuse’s game at the No. 22 Boston College Eagles (7-3, 4-2) on Saturday, Nov. 24 will kick off at noon ET and it will air on ESPN. As it stands, this game will feature two nationally ranked teams, both of which will have a lot on the line in Chestnut Hill.

Syracuse just finished pounding Louisville and with now has a major non-conference test against No. 3 Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium looming this weekend. A win there would put SU in prime position to grab a Peach (or Fiesta) Bowl invite. The Eagles and Orange meanwhile are locked in a battle for second place in the conference’s Atlantic Division. Furthermore, the two, along with possibly NC State and Pittsburgh, are also fighting for bowl positioning.

Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

That “tie” gets broken a bit if BC loses to Florida State or if Syracuse pulls the upset. A Syracuse loss and an Eagles win probably means a battle for the ACC’s Camping World Bowl bid. The loser would then head to one of the conference’s other tier 1 bowls — the Pinstripe for Syracuse and likely the Music City Bowl for Boston College.

The last time these two old foes faced off, it was the Eagles who stomped a mud-hole in Syracuse, 42-14, earning their second victory in the Dome in the previous six contests. Playing the finale of 2017 in a mostly dead-inside Carrier Dome, AJ Dillon ran roughshod over the Orange. The frosh missed practice that week due to injury, but that didn’t seem to matter much come game time. Dillon registered 193 yards and three TDs on 23 carries against Syracuse.

How bad was it for the Orange in that beat-down? The Eagles only punted the ball once all afternoon. There was no need because Syracuse simply couldn’t stop the run. Boston College racked up 333 yards on the ground as a team and ate away the game clock and Orange fan’s souls.

As for this season, Boston College has once again relied heavily on Dillon. The now-sophomore has accumulated 936 yards rushing despite missing two games entirely due to injury. In fact, Dillon’s availability for the Eagles’ major home game with Clemson this past Saturday was slightly in doubt all week long. Ultimately, Dillon played but was ineffective (16 carries for 39 yards) against the No. 2 Tigers.

Dillon’s status might be a story line come next week, as it has been for the last month or so. But before Syracuse can get to its ACC Bowl Game Cage Match with the Eagles, and rematch with Dillon, the Game o’ the Weekend, o’ the Year with Notre Dame sits dead ahead.