Boston College Football 2026 Schedule Outlook and Analysis

The Good

With home games against Rutgers and Maine early on, there's a great chance to match last year's win total before the end of September. There's a shot to beat it, too, with Virginia Tech to close out the month.

In all, the Eagles play five teams that didn't go bowling, but ...

The Bad

At Notre Dame, at Miami, at Duke, at Georgia Tech. All four of those are among the final six games, and that doesn't include the road games against Cincinnati and SMU. 

Yes, Boston College is one of the ACC teams that plays eight, not nine, conference games. But that extra game - it's Cincinnati or Rutgers - isn't a plus.

What ACC Teams Boston College Will Miss

Cal, Clemson, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, Stanford, Virginia, Wake Forest.

Missing both Bay Area teams is a bit of a positive without the long road trip, but it would've been nice to play Cal and Stanford.

Missing Louisville and Clemson is okay, not playing NC State and Virginia is good, but that means the Eagels get Miami, Georgia Tech, Duke, and SMU.

Breaking Down Boston College’s 2026 Football Schedule

Best Case: The Eagles beat Cincinnati

It would be a huge moment for the Bill O'Brien era to start the season with a win. Do that, and with three straight winnable home games, the Eagles start 4-0 before going to SMU.

They pull off an upset over Georgia Tech or Duke, get bad weather at home when Florida State comes to town, and take care of Syracuse in a strong bounce-back season. Or ...

Worst Case: Boston College starts 0-2

Boston College can be far better and still lose at Cincinnati and at home against Rutgers.

It finds a way to win more than two games, but it loses to Pitt as part of a brutal midseason losing stretch. November isn't kind with the program starting the search for a new head coach before the Notre Dame showdown.

Boston College Football 2026 Schedule

Sept 5 at Cincinnati
Sept 11 Rutgers
Sept 19 Maine
Sept 26 Virginia Tech
Oct 3 at SMU
Oct 10 OPEN DATE
Oct 17 Pitt
Oct 24 at Georgia Tech
Oct 31 at Duke
Nov 7 Florida State
Nov 14 at Notre Dame
Nov 21 Syracuse
Nov 28 at Miami

Games That Will Decide Boston College’s Season

1. Pitt, Oct. 17
Boston College has to own home, and with a week off to get ready for the Panthers, this is a must-win with three of the next four games on the road.

2. Rutgers, Sept. 11
It's a home game against a Big Ten team. It might not be against Ohio State or Indiana, but coming up with a good home start - Maine is next - would do wonders.

3. Florida State, Nov. 7
It should be a grind of a campaign, and if the Eagles are struggling, this might be a desperately needed win to stay in the hunt for a winning season.

ACC Schedule Analysis
Boston College | Cal | Clemson | Duke
Florida State | Georgia Tech | Louisville
Miami | North Carolina | NC State | Pitt
SMU | Stanford | Syracuse | Virginia
Virginia Tech | Wake Forest