The bad news is that Clemson beat North Carolina State, 43-23, and needs only to beat Virginia at home next Saturday to clinch the title. Even if Clemson should lose that game, BC would have to beat North Carolina and Maryland the next two weeks to win the division.

With those factors at work, BC’s chances of making it to the ACC championship game in Tampa Dec. 5 seem slim at best. But that does not preclude a 9-3 season, which should earn first-year coach Frank Spaziani some (maybe a lot of) Coach of the Year votes.

But where will BC play its 11th straight bowl game? Yesterday, Spaziani, not surprisingly, only wanted to focus on the task at hand - finding a way to beat surging North Carolina (7-3).

“We certainly had a lot more mistakes than we needed to have, but there was a tremendous amount of character shown by our players,’’ Spaziani said of Saturday’s win. “All of that stuff you can build on.’’

But there is life beyond the North Carolina game (noon, ESPN2), and beyond the Nov. 28 game against Maryland.

“Nine wins or even eight wins, that’s just great,’’ said BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo, who deserves credit for staying in-house and hiring Spaziani after Jeff Jagodzinski was fired last winter. “It’s been a fantastic year for us.’’

With BC, however, its beauty is seldom in the eyes of the bowl representatives, who see ticket sales more than wins and losses.

If the Eagles split their final two games or lose both, they probably will wind up in the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco Dec. 26 against the fourth- or fifth-place team in the Pac-10. Right now, that looks like it could be Arizona, California or, surprise, fading Southern Cal.

The Emerald is the choice among the second tier of ACC bowls because the Music City Bowl in Nashville hosted the Eagles last year, and the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, N.C., wants an ACC team that can bring more fans than BC.

But what if BC wins its next two and finishes 9-3? The Emerald Bowl is listed as No. 5, 6 or 7 in the ACC bowl order. ACC bylaws read as follows regarding the bowl selection process after the Chick-fil-A, Gator, and Champs Sports make their choices: “The next three bowl partners - Music City, Meineke, Emerald - submit their preferences. If the three bowls and the teams involved agree on their choices, then those selections stand. Otherwise, the selection goes on financial order which is: 1. Music City; 2. Meineke; 3. Emerald.’’

But at 9-3, the Eagles should fare better than No. 7 on the ACC bowl chart. No?

Think again.

A representative of the Chick-fil-A Bowl was at the BC-Virginia game Saturday. Another will be at the BC-North Carolina game. But don’t count on the Eagles, even at 9-3, going to Atlanta. Or to the Gator. Or to the Champs Sports.

Here is what is likely to happen: The Chick-fil-A Bowl will take North Carolina if the Tar Heels win their final two games against BC and North Carolina State. If BC beats the Tar Heels, the Chick-fil-A will take Clemson (only as the ACC championship game loser) or Virginia Tech.

The Gator Bowl will take Notre Dame (at 8-4 or 7-5) and pit the Irish against Georgia Tech, Clemson, or Virginia Tech.

The Champs Sports Bowl will take North Carolina, Clemson, Georgia Tech or Virginia Tech. BC isn’t in the mix right now and probably won’t be, even if it finishes 9-3.