10.04.11
by

It’s time to forget the Big East


BSU did something this year a TU team hasn’t done since 1990: Beat a Big 10 team.

I did not go to Harvard, but at least I went to the place my professor, Norm Kaner, called “Harvard on The Delaware.”
Kaner taught a course at Temple called “Sports in American Society.” It was a cake elective. A football player sat beside me, in front of me and to the left of me.
When I heard the greatest kickoff returner in the United States, James Nixon, flunked out of school this summer, I wish he knew about Kaner’s Sports in America course. With that course and Basket Weaving 101, he’d still be here.

Mike Gerardi threw a nice deep ball against Villanova and Akron, but he seems like a forgotten man now and I don’t know why


Despite the easy elective, Professor Kaner was a very smart man. While most (err, many) of my fellow Temple fans have spent the past few weeks gnashing their teeth over whether or not the Owls will be invited into the Big East, I used my Harvard on the Delaware education to figure something out this week.
Simply, the clear message is forget the Big East.
Don’t get me wrong.
It would be nice to be wanted, but that’s not the most important thing right now.
The most important thing right now is beating Ball State, not going to the Big East, not winning the MAC, not even becoming the “Boise State of the East” but beating Ball State.
Beat Ball State and it becomes possible to win the MAC and win the MAC and it becomes possible to expand horizons beyond the MAC.
Lose to Ball State and the wheels come off the Temple bandwagon very fast. With one MAC loss already, it’s going to be difficult if not impossible to win the MAC East with two losses. This fragile fan base will collapse, too.
None of this is going to be easy, starting Saturday (2 p.m.) in Muncie, Ind.
Before Temple played Toledo, I thought the Owls really had a chance to be the “Boise State of the East.”
Then I saw the difference between Temple and Boise State was as big as the gap between the abilities of one Kellen Moore and one Chester Stewart.
Huge.
Boise State beat Toledo, 40-15, and Moore hit receivers 40 yards downfield like he was handing off to them. Toledo beat Temple, 36-13, and Stewart tried to hit receivers 20 yards away with the kind of futility that made you think they were 2,000 yards away.
Big difference.
That’s why this is going to be a tough game on Saturday. I don’t see the Owls’ offense getting a whole lot of separation from Ball State, like the high-octane offense of Oklahoma, because the Owls can’t hit an open receiver 20 yards downfield to save their lives.
Temple lost to Penn State, 14-10.
Indiana lost to Penn State, 16-10.
Ball State beat Indiana, 27-20.
Forget about Ball State’s double-digit losses to South Florida and Oklahoma. Those are teams with sophisticated passing games. Temple’s passing game, the last couple of weeks at least, is something out of the Teddy Roosevelt Era.
With Steve Addazio sticking with Chester Stewart, it tells you that he doesn’t have any other options. Or at least he doesn’t think he has any other options. Mike Gerardi threw a nice deep ball against Villanova and Akron, but he seems like a forgotten man now and I don’t know why. Gerardi’s ability to throw deep opens everything up for Bernard Pierce underneath.
Temple isn’t going to get it done with a lot of short passes, like it did against Maryland. Toledo figured that out. Going forward, Ball State and others probably will figure it out, too.
I’m not exonerating the defense against Toledo but if your offense continually goes three-and-out, it’s going to take both a psychological and physical toll.
That means, if Temple wins this game, it is going to be a low-scoring, 13-10, 21-14, type game. Temple is going to have to win this game on the defensive side of the ball.
Forget the Big East.
At least until Sunday.

8 thoughts on “It’s time to forget the Big East”

  1. Mike Gerardi threw a nice deep ball against Villanova and Akron, but he seems like a forgotten man now and I don't know whyI know why – he likes to put it right in his opponents breadbaskets, as evidenced vs Penn State. Of course, this is as opposed to Chester, for when he sets up to throw a long one, my mind hears the chorous from Christopher Cross' "Sailing"

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  2. Is that the word? Is Chester Stewart the annonced QB for the game sat? Why!!?!?

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  3. Mr. Gibson,What is ur feel on what addazio will do 1) with qb and 2) with the offensive game plan? I guess, what I'm asking, what do u think the odds are that Stewart doesnt start?And if he does, do u think we see more of the option like against psu? Think well see more screens and wheels to BP?ANd what do u think about BP returning punts?PLEASE, CALM MY NERVES. (Do you think Im wrong to say the season hinges on this game?)

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  4. Penn State,Maryland,Toledo,Ball State,Buffalo,Bowling Green,Ohio. The middle of Temple's schedule is no fun at all. Temple has more pro talent than anyone in the MAC, but they have to bring their A game to win. Any of these teams can win (less Buffalo)if Temple is flat. This next week is a test for the staff to get it back on track. My hunch is that the Maryland hangover was in full effect. They will be better. If not, it might be a long middle of the year.

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  5. Bill Clinton got elected twice because he knew what was important at that point in American history, "it's the economy stupid!" was more than a slogan. At this point in college football history "it's the QB stupid" is also more than a slogan, it is reality. Now granted LSU and Alabama are proving you can win with slightly above average QBs, but the fact remains – you cannot win on a consistent basis with average or below average play at the QB position. three of the seven remaining teams on our schedule are getting better production from the QB position. We are in for a very rough road ahead. I'm totally perplexed……, I'm glad the Big East has decided to look in another direction. we are not ready to play those teams every week.

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  6. Steve,so it's not OK for Gerardi to throw two INTs against PSU but is IS OK for Chester to throw 2 INTs against Toledo?Doesn't seem like an even playing field to me… At least Gerardi knows how to hit a receiver deep.I have yet to see that from Chester.

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  7. ihatenoam,Mr. Gibson is (was) my dad. Mike is preferred here. I can't calm your nerves. Chester is starting. That sentence frays MY nerves.SJ,they will be better but I'm afraid they will never reach their offensive potential with a QB who can't hit someone 20 yards or further downfield.Addazio is really puzzling me with this decision.Maybe Chester makes all the throws in practice and Gerardi/Coyer/Reilly don't.Still, Chester has been a great practice QB for four years (he was a great practice qb for Golden) but that never translated into games.I guess SA will have to learn the hard way, the way AG learned.

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  8. Our offensive game plan SHOULD be simple:1) Establish BP (that means tosses to the left and right, as well as the occasional off-tackle burst).2) Once the fear of God (err, DatBoyNard) is placed in the hearts of the Ball State defense, it will stack the box;3) Once the box is stacked, have Mike Gerardi (not CS) adeptly play-fake to BP to freeze the defense for a split second, allowing him to find Streater streaking down the left sideline for a quick six.4) If Streater isn't open on the play fake, go against the grain to Joey Jones or down the middle to ERod.This ain't Rocket Science.This is who we are.This is our offensive personality.This is our "plan to win."We got away from that last week.We need to get back to it this week and, as Al Golden might say, going forward.

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