Homecoming Day is finally here


No words necessary in this video, although I wish I had the technical ability to dub in D.J. Khaled’s “All I Do is Win” as background music. Watch the reaction of Matty Brown at the 39-second mark to Vaughn Carraway’s big-time hit. Also love the “not again” comment during Chris Coyer’s touchdown run.

We take a break from all of this Big East talk for a special announcement.
Homecoming Day has finally arrived.
Well, technically, it will be here tomorrow (1 p.m., Lincoln Financial Field) and the occasion provides a “laboratory-type” environment to test a couple of theories.

  1. Have the Owls learned anything from the Toledo loss?
  2. Will not being on television provide a boost to the attendance figures?

After the Toledo game, several players pointed to the “lackadaisical” attitude that followed the Maryland game, indicating that the Owls were “full of themselves” and that was the reason they got their heads handed to them.
Head coach Steve Addazio alluded to it as well, saying he would create an environment that would insure that he’d had a “pissed-off football team” taking the field at Ball State.

My picks this week:
MAC GAMES (home teams in Caps):
TEMPLE (+21) 24, Buffalo 10 _ Owls have a solid outing, but fail to cover the high number due to the intense 40 mph wind forecast.
Toledo (+7 1/2) 29, BOWLING GREEN 14 _ I realize it’s a rivalry game, but the talent differential is too high and the number too low.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN (+13 1/2) 40, Eastern Michigan 20 _ Central Michigan seems to have gotten its act somewhat together after a big loss to Western Michigan.
Miami (Ohio, +4) 17, KENT STATE 10 _ Better bet is going under the 39 1/2 in this one.
Western Michigan (+1 1/2) 24, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 20 _ When in doubt, go with the better team. Broncos are clearly better this year.
OHIO (+14) 27, Ball State 10 _ Bobcats will be motivated coming off a loss at Buffalo.
Others:
NORTH CAROLINA (+3) 21, Miami (Fla.) 14 _ Phil Steele said he’s picking Miami in this game because it is the “better-coached” team. He must have not attended a Temple game in awhile.
PENN STATE (+12) 40, Purdue 24 _ Is 5-1 Penn State going to win the Big 10. Geez, I hope so for Temple’s sake.
RUTGERS (+4) 31, Navy 17 _ Mids are coming off a 63-35 loss at home to Southern Mississippi. Four points is a bargain.
Last week straight up: 6-2
Last week ATS: 3-5
Season SU: 35-17
Season ATS: 24-24.

That seemed to work.
Hopefully, Addazio duplicated the atmosphere this week.
If he went back to the post-Maryland practice routine, hopefully the Owls don’t produce post-Maryland-type results.
I’ve never understood the word “letdown” as it relates to college football, though. Being a Division I college football player is a 365-day-a-year job. You invest that much time and get three hours a dozen or so times a year to show the fruits of that effort and you can’t bring it 100 percent for that short period of time? Weak.
Since joining the MAC, Temple is 13-4 at home and it is time to re-establish that turf after dropping the last two MAC home games (Toledo this year, Ohio last).
As far as the TV, my theory as it relates to Temple fans is that every time Temple is on local television it costs the uni 5K-10K at the gate. We have a “hardcore” fan base who will show up anytime (like me) but unfortunately we have a much too large “softcore” fan base that is great for TV ratings but is far too lazy to push away the remote, chips and dip and get off the couch and into the car for the short trip to the stadium on TV days. You see this group a lot on days when games aren’t on TV. They are usually heavy-set, big-boned, people you see at the tailgates only once or twice a year (setting themselves apart from us heavy-set, big-boned, people you see every week).
Last year, the Homecoming opponent was Bowling Green, a cellar-dweller at the time, and the Owls drew a solid 23K with no local TV.
Anything less than 25K tomorrow with the game not on TV would be an extreme disappointment.
Anything more would be a pleasant surprise.
I’m going for the over.
Heck, if it’s under 23K, we really don’t deserve to be in the Big East anyway. Our fans will vote with their feet.
No time better than the present for Temple fans to show the Big East specifically and the world in general that this is a market that will support Division IA college football.

11 thoughts on “Homecoming Day is finally here

  1. Looks like a nice stadium! Pretty good crowd for that matter as well. I wish we had a more "college" stadium for the owls. Might get some more people to the games and away from the remotes. The school could get it done, plenty of room at campus.

  2. According to Forbes Magazine, Bill Cosby has $368 million in his bank account (not sure if that's checking or savings or both). What a terrific legacy for Cos to go out by writing a check for $100 million for Bill Cosby Stadium but that's his call. If I won $200 mil in the lotto, I'd have no qualms with keeping half and writing out a check for the other half to Temple and I would request only one name:Temple Stadium (not to be sold to TD Bank or Comcast or anyone else in the future for naming rights).

  3. Boise St, AF, Navy, and UCF….., the BE makes perfect sense for BB, not sure about football..

  4. CHECK OWLPRIDE.COM SPREAD THE WORD!Thanks mike.

  5. I love it, I too think I would do the same. What a great addition to the school it would be, another diamond….I've been seeing around today the BE is going to invite Boise, AF,Navy and UCF. any thoughts or insight into this and what about this confUSA, MWC thing that is happening or not. Both are supposed to have pressers today/Night tomm./

  6. I don't see any of the Big Three remaining BE schools going for the increased exit fee. When that happens, Navy and Boise State will politely decline the invites. I think Temple should as well and join those three with ECU, UCF, Houston and SMU to form their own conference. Call it the Big Nation Conference (nation is bigger than a region).

  7. I feel like i need to be talked off the lendge. I wud probably want to do the same thing if the shoe was on the other foot, but I am furious at Nova. I really feel like they may of screwed us out of what might be our best shot for the next four or five years. Im sad pissed I keep fantasizing throwing a car battery from the fifth row at andy talley at the same time even though he had nothing to do with it (kidding obviously). I dont get why taking us as football only wouldnt solve the problem. But i guess its all for not if boise and air force and navy are gonna say no and houston and smu follows suit.

  8. Don't jump. I mean, DON'T JUMP! I would be stunned out of my mind if BOTH of the BSU/Navy (especially, Navy) combo accepted the BE invite. Villanova's behavior is reprehensible, undefendable and any other ble out there. Navy is not going to sea with these ships of fools.

  9. Anyone get an official gate count? I hear 28,500. For god sake I hope it was more than that. I was at the game and the crowd looked small. I don’t understand it. The team is entertaining; the D hits hard and pitched another shut out. The offence is solid; Bernard Pierce is one of the nation’s top backs had another 150 yards and 2 TD’s in basically half the game. Matt Brown had 120 yards also! Special teams blocked another FG attempt and ran a fake punt 50 yards for a TD. I don’t get it, the tickets cost next to nothing (in addition to my season tickets I bought 4 club level seats 2 weeks before the game on stub hub for $10 each, if I held out to a week before ide have paid $7), the stadium is nice, the staff is courteous. It was a beautiful day, why are people not coming to the games? People complain of the price to take a family to an NFL game, here is good football at give away prices and no one comes? I know the history but the program has been on the rise for 3 years now, it’s time for the locals to step up and support the kids!

  10. My last thing on the Big Est expansion:Temple would be a loyal and devouted Big East member. They probably wouldnt leave and dont really have a place to go. Theyd be like a guy whos girlfirend just took them back. In other words, they would be as loyal as the big east basketball schools but look out for the football interests.(Not to mention increase intrest and ticket sales for rutgers)

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