The fans standing in the cold, wet rain had no way of knowing Boston College's 35-30 win over Wake Forest changed the program's guard. The exhilaration bit through their waterlogged bones, but the exuberance of rallying past the Demon Deacons felt far too shortsighted.
They only knew what everyone knew at the time. Boston College was bowl eligible for the seventh straight season after the Eagles pushed into an Atlantic Division tie with Florida State after Virginia upset the Seminoles. BC was part of a clear-cut top tier in the newly-formed division, and the win laid waste to any doubts about its ability to win in its new league.