Unless your school is competing in the top tier, bowl games generally feel like a holiday bonus, one last game—often in an unfamiliar location, under the banner of a goofy corporate name, against an uncommon opponent—to put a bow on the season. Given the uncertainty entering the 2020 slate, a bowl berth seems like even more of a reward, not just for compiling a winning record, but for staying vigilant in the face of a pandemic. Keeping players and staff healthy for the entirety of an 11 game season was no small accomplishment.
Of course, a bowl appearance is still not a given for Boston College: 11 of the 43 scheduled games have already been scrapped, including a number of ACC tie-ins.