12.05.10
by

No Bowl for Temple

DEJA VU.. 20 years earlier …
Nov 23, 1990
By Mike Kern, Daily News Sports Writer
No, Temple (6-4) is not going to a bowl
for the first time since 1979, now
that the Independence Bowl has decided to take Louisiana Tech (8-3)and surprise
late entry Maryland (6-5).
And, yes, second-year coach Jerry Berndt is obviously disappointed.
But, no, he is not discouraged.
If the Owls can win at Boston College(4-6) tomorrow afternoon, it would be
the first time in 11 years they won more than six games.
“That’s something to be proud of,” Berndt said late last night.”There’s no
question, we felt we had a legitimate shot (at the bowl). And we did. Then, all
of a sudden, Maryland comes out of nowhere. But sometimes, you just don’t know
what’s going on behind the scenes. “
The Independence Bowl settled on Louisiana Tech and Maryland for the Dec.
15 game in Shreveport, La., after Baylor announced Wednesday night that it
was withdrawing from consideration.
The Bears, who remain in therunning for the Southwest Conference title and
a berth in the CottonBowl, had been under pressure from the Independence to make
a commitment.
“It’s unfortunate they (the Independence committee) made the decision
when they did, without giving us a chance to participate Saturday,” Berndt said.
But I feel pleased for (Maryland coach) Joe Krivak. And they did upset Virginia.
We’ve had one of those miracle kind of seasons(after going 1-10 in 1989), and it
would have been a great reward. But as I told the squad today, it’s something we
have no control over. We can’t let it affect us.
“They were down. But we had a good practice. I hope we’ll use that as
a little more incentive. The fact that we were even considered shows some
respect for what we’ve done. It’s a credit to the players and the staff to
even be considered. It’s a real privilege and an honor, particularly coming off
of the season we had last year.”

This just in … players are reporting on their numerous Facebook pages that the Owls did not receive a bowl invitation.
I can’t say I’m surprised.
Earlier this week, I posted a “30 percent chance at no bowl” and got assailed that the number was way too high.
Well, I was around in 1990 when a 6-5 Maryland team got picked over a 7-4 Temple team, so I have viewed these opportunities with a jaundiced eye ever since.
The list of 8-4 teams who have not made a bowl this decade is a very short one.
The list of 8-4 teams who have beaten an 8-4 Fiesta Bowl-bowl BCS Conference champion by two touchdowns and not made a bowl is even shorter.
One.
Temple University.
There’s plenty of blame to go around and we will address it in the days ahead, but here is the Cliff Notes’ version:
Temple has way, way, way (did I say way?) too much talent on the offensive side of the ball to be struggling to score points.
Some one’s head is going to have to roll and the guy operating the guillotine is a good friend of the potential rolling head, so I don’t know if he has the gonads to release the cutting device.
Also, please make sure the defensive coordinator reads former Eagles’ coach Jimmy Johnson’s book on blitzing.
It might come in  handy next year.
I’ve never seen a Temple team in my life make slow, white, quarterbacks look like Peyton Manning by absolutely refusing to go after them with linebackers and safeties.
We have super fast linebackers, guys like Amara Kamara, who have a history of rushing the passer well at other positions. They were never used to do that this year.
We played an Ohio team that used the belly option to embarrass us in Ohio last year and, despite having a year to look at that film, seemed comfused and perplexed every time that same team ran plays out of that same formation this year.
The kids have a saying for that on Facebook these days.
WTF?
SMH.
Our offensive and defensive schemes need an overhaul.
Will they get one?
They better.
Our football life depends upon it.

8 thoughts on “No Bowl for Temple”

  1. That's just ridiculous. Got to blame the MAC for not having enough bowl slots. There are Bowls eveywhere. Temple should fit in somewhere.

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  2. I feel your pain, bro. I knew this would happen the day the BCS pushed through the rule in the spring that said a 6-6 team could go above a 7-5 or 8-4 team. College football is corrupt and the BCS is the criminal element, not the non-BCS schools.

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  3. I'm very upset about the apparent snub (forgive me if I wait until its absolute official before giving up hope) but perception is every thing and despite the facts that Temple football is improving and definitely better than the teams we have been overlooked for, the perception is that Temple football is not very good. The final two games don't help the cause, but respect won't be earned until a couple of double digit win seasons take place. On ESPN yesterday our win versus BCS bound UConn was dismissed as just UConn's season long struggle to win on the road. However, I would think that bowls would want what Temple can deliver as far as TV is concerned, and attendance wise, send us to New Orleans or Vegas or San Francisco and I think they'd be surprised how many Owl fans would show up. Hell, I was prepared to go to Boise.

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  4. Pretty annoying. Temple is a very good team. They are certainly more bowl worthy than Louisville, Clemson, UConn, Army, Washington, and Toledo. This really just comes down to the fact that Temple needs more fans. If they can keep winning like they've been doing the last few years, the fans should come. The national tv deals were pretty good this year, so that should help.Just wait for the second whammy of this year (after not getting selected for a bowl) when 'Nova accepts its entry into the Big East.

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  5. I wish I had read this 4 hours ago; before i left to go work out at the IBC: I happened to be working out next to couple of football players and told them I was pumped up for the bowl match ups to be announced tonight because of the opponents we were projected to be matched up against (Nevada, Utah, and Miami (Fla)) and asked them if they were excited…. They looked at me like they were trying to figure out if I was an idiot or was making fun of them before informing me there would be no bowl for me to hitch-hike to this year.now I'm sad… But atleast we beat the Big East champ AND one of the two teams the Big East invited AND showed we could be competitive in the Big East (according to RealTimeRPI theya re only 3 teams in the Big East with higher power rankings- one of whom we beat and one of whom just ONE place in front of us).

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  6. Honestly, I feel like a lot of the blame lies not with the program but the "fan base." It's pretty tiny, and in relation to the sheer size of the alumni body, its non-existent. It would be Temple sitting in a bowl game right now, if we could pack 35k. Fact is, we can't. If it keeps on like this, more likely than not, we never will. Temple has only recently begun to pay attention to the program, and there hasn't been enough winning to build any kind of meaningful student support. It's really picked up in the last 2 years (see Temple 'gear' everywhere now.) Still…might be too little too late. If Golden leaves in the next year or two, I'm not optimistic at all about what happens. If that happens, if we can't graduate ONE class in the last 20+ years that has only known "good Temple football," then that's pretty much it. For the casual fan, there's no reason to watch the Owls over the Eagles. People cared about the Penn State game, about Nova, or U-Conn. There's no one sexy to play in the MAC; People aren't going to line up for Akron. I remember reading about the potential C-USA move, but to be honest I don't have a lot of confidence that we can be competitive there, especially not with Golden waiting to jump to Penn State ASAP and not a whole lot weapon-wise on the line after Pierce and Brown are gone. I think my disappointment is pretty evident, haha.

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  7. Bruce Arians would change your disappointment level. If you think Golden can recruit, you should have seen Arians' classes (right, Sheldon Morris?). Arians could do what Golden can't (coach quarterbacks). Ask Matty Baker, Lee Saltz, Tim Riordan … and Ben Rothelsberger. Plus, he would blitz the bad guys' quarterbacks on their asses like nobody's business. We are one sweet phone call away from getting Bruce Arians. He wants to come back. I would not weep when AG is gone.

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  8. Sorry Owl fans. Just read about what happened to you and your team. You definitely got the short end of it this year.

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