It's no secret this year that the Eagles face an uphill challenge if they want to get back to their third straight Dr Pepper ACC Championship. They undoubtedly suffered the hardest offseason of any team in the conference, and it will take the genius of new head coach Frank Spaziani to keep this team together this season. Talented players have departed this team in almost every way imaginable, whether it be defensive stalwarts B.J. Raji and Ron Brace going to the NFL, QB Dominique Davis transferring, or star linebacker Mark Herzlich sitting out due to his unfortunate bout with cancer. But the Eagles can take comfort in knowing that each of the past two years ACC pundits predicted them to finish in the bottom half of the Atlantic Division, and both times the Eagles made a trip to the championship game. A shaky quarterback situation and an improving division will make it difficult for BC to return to Tampa Bay this year, but never count the Eagles out. Relying on its stiff defense, the team can count on Spaziani to draw up creative game plans throughout the year. Let's take a look at the position-by-position rundown of the 2009 Eagles, and then I'll jump into a prediction for the year.

Quarterback: With Chris Crane gone, Davis figured to be the favorite to win the quarterback race this season after filling in as the starter at the end of 2008. With his departure, the Eagles have nearly no experience. The three-way race involves junior college transfer Codi Boek, redshirt freshman Justin Tuggle, and newcomer/ex-minor league baseball player David Shinskie. Expect the coaching staff to groom Shinskie as quickly as possible for the starting job (I just can't see them bringing on a 25-year-old quarterback to sit on the bench this year). In the best case scenario, Shinskie can rely on the Eagles' strong running game and just manage the passing game rather than trying to win it with his arm. With such a question mark at the most important position, Spaziani needs to find his man quickly or the team could be in for a lot of offensive trouble.

Running Backs: For all of the uncertainty at quarterback, the running backs offer a bright spot on the offensive side of the ball. Returning sophomores Montel Harris and Josh Haden should be even better this year after picking up starting experience last season. Although neither are power-style running backs, both rely on their speed and elusiveness to gain yards. It is a safe bet that new offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill will utilize these two as often as he can behind the big offensive line. Look for Harris to start with Haden filling in frequently. At fullback, James McCluskey appears to be the starter if he can return to health this season.

Wide Receivers: The wide receiver corps lost reliable senior Brandon Robinson, but still returns plenty of solid players. Rich Gunnell, Ifeani Momah, and Justin Jarvis should provide the bulk of the catches, and hopefully they get on the same page with the new quarterback. Clarence Megwa will also be returning from the broken leg he suffered against Clemson last year. The Eagles have never been known for having star wide receivers, instead counting on their accurate quarterbacks to get them the ball. But this year's group may need to pick up some of that slack with such inexperience at quarterback.

Center Matt Tennant

Tight Ends: Ryan Purvis was a great asset the past two years for the offense, and his pass-catching will be missed. But center Matt Tennant said at the ACC Football Kickoff that sophomore Lars Anderson had a great offseason and is ready to step into the starting role. Anderson will probably do a lot more blocking than catching this season, but that will be just as important to the offense. If Anderson can help move the chains on running plays and catch a few passes here and there, he should fill in just fine.

Offensive Line: Always a noted strength at BC, the offensive line is again loaded this year. Left tackle Anthony Castonzo and Tennant, preseason All-ACC picks, headline this group. Tom Claiborne and Rich Lapham fill out the right side of the line, while a potential battle for a starting job may be taking place at left guard. Redshirt freshman Emmett Cleary appears to have edged out Nate Richman for the starting role, but Richman should see plenty of time when this gets sorted out. This offensive line should open some big holes for the running game and give plenty of protection to the quarterback.

Defensive Line: It will be up to new defensive tackles Damik Scafe and Kaleb Ramsey to fill the gaping holes left by the NFL-bound Raji and Brace. There is no replacing those two, but hopefully Scafe and Ramsey can do enough to keep the Eagle defense a strength this year. Alex Albright returning from injury should also aid the front four. Jim Ramella played well when he got to start last year, so that experience should help him. While the defensive line may take a step back, it should still play well enough to keep BC in the game.

Linebackers: The linebackers, simply put, lost a lot of experience. Not only did Robert Francois and Brian Toal graduate, but Herzlich was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and will have to sit out the year. Mike McLaughlin is trying to come back from an Achilles injury. If McLaughlin can come back and stay healthy, it will be a huge boost to the linebacking corps. He would provide great play and leadership to the young guys. Sophomore Dominick LeGrande and redshirt freshman Nick Clancy will line up on either end of McLaughlin, and Will Thompson should see plenty of time this year as well. There is no replacing ACC Defensive Player of the Year Herzlich, but hopefully defensive coordinator Bill McGovern can get these guys ready.

Cornerback Roderick Rollins

Secondary: The verdict seems to still be out on the Eagles' secondary. Safeties Marcellus Bowman and Wes Davis and cornerbacks Donnie Fletcher and Roderick Rollins all have the luxury of having started at some point last year. That experience of playing together should help them going into the 2009 season. This group seemed to shine at times last year, but struggled at others. They appear to be the strongest and most experienced facet of the BC defense and will be replied upon to play well early.

Special Teams: Nothing new here as Steve Aponavicius will do the kicking and Ryan Quigley will do the punting. Some combination of Montel Harris, Jeff Smith, and Rich Gunnell will probably handle kick returning duties. No real game-breakers on special teams, but Smith breaks off a big run every now and then.

2009 Prediction: If nothing else, this team should be fun to watch. With a brand new coaching staff and a new quarterback, there will be plenty of intrigue entering the year. Luckily, the Eagles open up with non-conference opponents Northeastern and Kent State. Things get a lot tougher after that with four straight against Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State, and Virginia Tech, a stretch which should pretty much determine the course of the season. The trip to Notre Dame for the "Catholic Bowl" should be a fun one, and will also be the last one as the two teams' contract ends after 2010 in Chestnut Hill.

Even though most people have BC in the bottom part of the division, I don't think you can ever count a Spaziani defense out of any game. Nonetheless, the quarterback situation and all of the losses on defense will make it hard to return to their third straight championship game. One thing is for certain: the Eagles will be prepared for every game this year.