The Eagles are picked to finish last in the ACC Atlantic Division. Here’s a look at what’s in store for them as the players report for preseason practice.

It all starts: Aug. 10 is Boston College football fan day. Season ticket holders and fans will get to watch the team’s “official” first practice in pads, although players will likely participate in walkthroughs and workouts before then.

Three questions to answer in camp:

  1. Is the third offensive coordinator the charm? Doug Martin replaced David Brock as Boston College made its third offensive coordinator change in as many seasons. Martin helped develop David Garrard, Marcus Crandell and Joshua Cribbs. Boston College junior QB Chase Rettig becomes his latest project. “We mis-stepped in some coaching areas last year, which wasn’t his fault, but it retarded his progress,” head coach said. “We have not been very good on offense for the three years I’ve been here. That has to stop.”
  2. Who will replace Luke Kuechly? The Eagles linebacker who was the consensus best player in the nation last year has moved on to the Carolina Panthers. That leaves Boston College looking for a way to fill the gaping hole in the middle. “Those things happen in college football,” Spaziani said. “If we lost 25 percent of our production from Luke, and everybody else raises theirs by two to three percent … well, I’m not a mathematician, but that seems to work out.”
  3. Who will run the ball? The Eagles will be the underdog in most conference games, which means they’ll need to try to shorten the game and keep it out of the hands of the other team. And as the northernmost ACC school, weather will be more of an issue in Boston College as the season goes on. “It’s important for Boston College to run the football,” Spaziani said. Montel Harris is gone from a running attack that finished eighth out of 12 ACC teams. Deuce Finch, Andrew Williams, and Tahj Kimble combined for 1,450 yards last season. “You never can have enough running backs,” Spaziani said. “None of them have been through a 12-game season where they’ve been the man, so someone will have to step up."

Player who needs to step up: Kevin Pierre-Louis is the LB with the most experience now that Kuechly has departed. He’ll need to prove he can be a consistent playmaker even while opposing offense coaches begin to focus on him.

Potential breakout player: Junior WR Alex Amidon might be the fastest player on the team. He only had 20 catches for 220 yards last season, but OT Emmett Cleary picked Amidon as a player to watch this season. “He’s electric,” Cleary said. 

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For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from ACC bloggers Shawn Krest and Sean Bielawski, follow @CBSSportsACC.