For the past seven years, Boston College heard the very forward statistic facing its football program. The Eagles could win games, but never defeated stronger, ranked opponents with any kind of regularity, a fact that remained the biggest hurdle for them and their national aspirations. They were the team capable of competing with anyone else on the block, but they were always the bridesmaid, never the bride.
Perceptions of BC changed when Jeff Hafley became the head coach, but the looming stat still hung like a fly in a good glass of red wine. For all that occurred over the past two years, the team simply knocked on the door, but damaging the glass ceiling wasn't enough to open the gates to the top tier within an Atlantic Division controlled by Clemson.