TU Football: It’s going to get worse

Do you think these jackasses could have figured out a way not to kick it to No. 22?

As much as I like to dig through the boxes and find those Cherry and White colored glasses we’ve used in the past, this season has opened our eyes to a new reality.

Today’s hard truth. The Owls will finish 1-7 this year, probably should have been 0-8, and, next year, if they get a dozen games in, they won’t be more than 2-10 in the 2021 season.

If that.

Not unless they make a coaching change now, and with $6 million due the current coach, I don’t see that happening.

The result of that non-action is at least another mini-dark age for Temple football and Owl fans who have lived through one long dark age might not have the stomach for another.

As a once wise philosopher said, “ain’t nobody got time for that.”

A new coach–just throwing out names like Al Golden and Gabe Infante, for starters–could infuse new excitement and maybe keep the players around.

Did you see any excitement coming from the players in the closing two minutes as head coach Rod Carey took four consecutive delay of game penalties to get his ass out of there?

That’s a losing attitude. It’s nowhere near Temple TUFF and has very little to do with COVID.

When Temple was getting ready to play Memphis, even after the loss to Navy, the Owls had the best regular-season AAC record of any team in the league’s championship era, better than UCF, Memphis, Cincy.

Once-proud program fading fast

Now they’ve slipped from No. 1 to No. 4 overall in just a few short weeks.

The snippets of failure have been there for all to see all year.

When the Owls blocked a field goal early in the game when they were competitive, did you a see one Owl–just one–even have an interest in picking that block off the ground and taking it the other way?

That’s coaching, or lack of it.

Lew Katz is long gone and there is nobody out there with his kind of coin who gives two hoots about Temple football with the will and the cash to buy out current head coach Rod Carey’s contract.

Why is it about to get worse?

Players, good players, the best players on the team, are openly talking about jumping ship. One inside E-O source told me that both Branden Mack and Jadan Blue are gone next year and, if they don’t get drafted, they are headed to P5 schools. The team’s only returning AAC first-team defensive player, a tackle, told OwlsDaily last week he is “exploring his options.”

Too much talent has left the building and even more is contemplating leaving in the offseason.

That leaves Temple with glorified scout team players as the face of its program for next year, and maybe the one after that, too.

You can talk about all the young guys getting playing time all you want, but these “young guys” were part of middle-of-the-pack recruiting classes and, if the “young guys” on Cincinnati, Memphis and UCF–all classes ranked higher than Temple’s the last three years–had a chance to play on Saturday, the odds of them playing a more competitive game than 28-3 are significantly higher.

Time to cut the losses and inject new energy into the program. Time and money, though, are two different things. If the Temple administration can’t find the money, they will tell us to be patient and have the time.

Those of us who went through this before don’t have time for that, not after we went through the same thing from 1991-2009. Fall is a beautiful season and we can find better things to do and, if we have to, we will.

Monday: Fizzy’s Corner

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9 thoughts on “TU Football: It’s going to get worse

  1. This is the type of coach that gets programs dropped. You might think I’m overreacting but combine this season’s record, the # of players leaving, a lack of optimism for 2021, COVID, virtual classes, a huge reduction in revenue for the University and athletic department and you get people asking “ do we need a 1-A football program that is going nowhere?”.

    Universities are cutting sports and using COVID as a excuse. It will accelerate into 2021. Even a die hard TU football fan like me says “how did anyone pay this boob $2 million a year?” Shouldn’t that money be better spent elsewhere.

    I’m disgusted with Carey and feel terrible for the student athletes that have to endure this level of coaching which is clearly overmatched.

    How anyone thought hiring a guy that was 0-6 in bowl games was a good idea is beyond me.

    Really disheartened.

    C E Speed

    Ps Every team is dealing w injuries and COVID- don’t make that excuse

    • Temple has not had one game postponed due to COVID although I wouldn’t be surprised given this guy’s body language in the fourth quarter that he calls the AAC to forfeit the Cincy game. AAC has a vested interest in playing and giving Cincy a 65-7-type win to ingratiate itself with the playoff committee. I really feel getting Golden back here would at least restore the face of the program (toughness, defense, special teams excellence) and, if that just meant 8+ wins a year, with a title every 5 seasons, that would be fine with me. Now we are a laughing stock on special teams and we’re one of the least tough teams in the league.

  2. We should start a “go fund me page” get the ball rolling. This coaching staff (Carey and Clowns need to go!

  3. Just reviewed the game ‘stats’, oh my, and noticed No QB names I recognized here for the TU team. What in the name of Sam Hill happened to the QBs to, and the team.
    COVID ?
    Looks like a death spiral but I would not know.
    2 day ago I also got that very unusual call from Temple Sports and they asked questions as to my thinking and if I would consider go back to to buying tickets next year but did not PUSH tickets sales .
    Never had a call like that before from TU Sports tickets sellers,
    I wonder if something is up ?
    ‘ Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean Temple is not watching….’

    • I wonder if Carey’s tacit criticism of Temple’s administration will hasten his departure. He’s said he was in favor of postponing the games but that “decision was made above me.” Hmm. The university President makes the final decision and Englert is still the interim President. Maybe that’s what KJ was referring to in a comment when he indicated that Temple is open to ending this contract prematurely.

  4. If Covid protocols are still in place for next season, would the school be able to not pay Lurie his ransom for using his place then take that cash to buy out Carey?

    With all the players missing and having to reach way down in the pile for a QB, I expected they’d have gotten pummelled pretty hard yesterday. Considering, not a bad showing, but that’s the players’ pride coming out.

    For next week, I’m having flash backs to that Pitt game we’ve referred to previously that was 76-0.

  5. My proposed plan has the season being cancelled up front to allow not paying Lurie. Left that out.

  6. As bad as this is, our record is better than Penn States! So there is the temple rose colored veil:)

  7. Seems like the real problem is a “good enough” attitude from the AD on up in making hurried, mediocre-at-best decisions on who they hire. Sure Diaz messed things up timing wise but another week or two to really investigate HC possibilities would have been worth it. Zero bowl wins and mediocre results at a MAC school is who they jump at? And instead of negotiating a 3 year 1 mil salary with expected results, they give him the moon? (Reminds me of of that ridiculous deal the Eagles threw at Wentz to extend his contract.) This last 12 years putting it all together has been mediocre but the highs were great for Temple and brought respect to the program. The TU decision makers just don’t do a very good job especially compared to the hires at other AAC and lower rated conferences’ schools who are cleaning up and would have come to TU for 2 mil per. Carey was handed a deal he couldn’t resist and he knew he’d get rich here no matter how he did. If so many good players weren’t jumping ship I’d give him some leeway, but…..It’s really a shame and yeah I’m getting too old for this shit!

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