In this example, Florida State is the cat and some other ACC programs are the mice.  Read this article and then come back.

This really is all FSU's fault.  If Florida State had been committed to football as a program instead of allowing itself to slip into the 'lost decade', fans of mice programs would never have to wonder why their teams are unable to compete now like they did during the latter part of the 'lost decade.'

Now, I am not labeling Virginia Tech, Clemson, Miami or Carolina as "mice."  Those programs have the ability to get a lot of talent if they have their act together.

I am, however, saying that compared to Florida State, programs like Boston College and Wake Forest are mice.  That is, they should not expect to win the division unless the programs with better resources are seriously down.  And that's really it: expectation.  Sure, Boston College and similar schools can win the ACC if other programs have a down year, the Eagles have a better-than-expected team, and the schedule breaks right.  But to expect a division or conference championship or to be disappointed when one doesn't happen is lunacy.

Or rather it should be.  So forgive Boston College fans if all they've ever known of the ACC was FSU operating a CFB history museum instead of trying to win and running an elite program.  They are justified in saying "Recruiting?  Yeah, we've heard that before, FSU."  

That's not to say that Florida State can't or won't lose to the Eagles.  It could even happen this year in a Thursday game preceded by a short week.  

It's just so say that the only basis for a program expecting to be equal to or better than FSU when that program has lesser resources, talent, etc. is to assume that the latter part of the 'lost decade' (06-09) was the norm.  That seems pretty misguided.  Was there ever a reason to think BC or the mice could hang with FSU when the 'Noles were trying to win?  Absolutely not.  

What Spaziani said is right.  He just happened to be caught up in a regrettable moment of honesty.  Boston College fans should be glad that Jaggs didn't coach against an FSU program trying to win at a high level.  If he had, the laughable idea that it was his coaching and not the ineptitude of several greater programs that allowed BC to win the division twice under his watch would be destroyed.

  B.C. fans should appreciate a team that plays hard and smart.  Any sort of conference or division championship banner hung in Chestnut Hill or Winston-Salem should be celebrated as a wonderful surprise.  The lack thereof should not be mourned as a failure.