Image courtesy of Boston College Football

CHESTNUT HILL- Saturday night brought me back to being a teenager again. The game, the vibe, it all brought me back to 1993 when Tom Coughlin, Glenn Foley, Pete Mitchell and Stephen Boyd dominated the football landscape in Boston and New England for that matter.

For the first time since 1993, it feels like Boston College is climbing back to the top of the football landscape in the region. The program has had good years in between 1993 and this season but none of those seasons felt like this one does so far.

Boston College football is relevant again in the Boston sports landscape and that is important when you consider the fact that this is a self proclaimed pro sports town. 

What Bill O’Brien has done in his short time at the Heights is remarkable. The program has gone from barely getting any attention from the local media to a sellout against Michigan State and a full press box. I am not sure O’Brien is building a monster per say but he is certainly building a program that will captivate the attention of the region once again. 

O’Brien himself would tell you to relax, that it is only a four game sample. He isn’t wrong but if the first quarter of the season is any indication, the Eagles are poised to win eight games or more for the first time since 2009. 

1993 was a memorable season for the program. The Eagles finished 9-3 and won the Carquest Bowl. Ironically enough, that team opened the season 0-2 after losses to Miami (Fla) and Northwestern. The won eight in a row before a season ending loss to West Virginia. The highlight of that season of course was a 41-39 win against number one ranked Notre Dame in South Bend. The win shocked college football and put the Eagles on the cover of Sports Illustrated. 

Coughlin left for the NFL following that season but something tells me O’Brien is here for the long haul. He isn’t going anywhere. 

So far, this season seems to feel the same way 1993 did. Will it end the same way? Who knows? One thing is for sure, Boston College football is back and relevant again. Let’s hope the good times keep rolling the rest of the season.