Playing the long game is an actual thing not specifically (in a sports sense) tied to the game of golf.

It also means a lot to at least two college football players who, at least in our mind, made the best decisions of the 3,639 college football who at one time or another this cycle entered the transfer portal.

As of 1:19 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 12, 1,132 players have made decisions according to the official NCAA transfer portal website. That leaves a lot of good players who won’t get NIL money and will be losing scholarships because of this misguided Ponzi Scheme that benefits only the top 10 percent of players at the expense of the other 90 percent.

That’s a lot of good players who can help Temple win an AAC title in 2024 but that’s a story for another day.

Only about two–at least from the high-profile cases I know of–made the most sensible call and those two are Tate Rodemaker of Florida State and Malachi Nelson of USC.

Both were highly rated quarterback recruits out of high school. Both landed at high-profile P5 programs. Both looked at their situations honestly and came to the conclusion that moving from the P5 to the G5 would be best for the long game.

Rodemaker started and beat Florida for Florida State, helping the Seminoles finish the regular season unbeaten. He opted out before the Seminoles’ bowl game with Georgia when it became apparent they were recruiting other quarterbacks. Then he signed with Southern Mississippi, a bottom tier G5 team, this offseason.

Nelson, the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2022, decided to leave USC for Boise State, a G5 program. Nelson was a 5*.

Five stars don’t usually end up at G5 schools.

Until now.

“Unless I’m highly misinformed,” Matt be great said, “I don’t think Boise State is big in the NIL department.”

They may be a little more deep-pocketed than Temple, but Southern Mississippi is in the same small NIL boat (more like a kayak) and still got a guy who beat Florida wire-to-wire as a starting quarterback.

They were both playing the long game.

Matt Rhule said a great quarterback is going for $1.5 million on the NIL market. Generously speaking, Rodemaker and Nelson couldn’t have been offered more than $500K by a fellow P5 school (if that).

The fact that they left college NIL money on the table for a shot at more NFL money screams of a wise move with the long game in mind.

If Nelson is making $100K at Boise, we think that’s a lot. If Rodemaker is even making more than cost of attendance at Southern Mississippi (usually around $5,000), that would also be unexpected.

Playing the long game for both means finding a school, often on TV, that would offer them a sure thing starting job.

Boise State and Southern Miss could do that.

So can Temple for one of the few remaining big-name quarterbacks left in the portal.

Check that, as Harry Donahue might say.

So should Temple.

If Temple does nothing on the QB transfer portal front other than signing the backup quarterback for Rutgers, Stan Drayton is sending Temple football fans a clear signal.

“I’m playing the short game.”

One putt and he’s outta here.

At least with the $2.5 million Temple is paying him he can buy a lot of drinks for Everett Withers in the 19th hole bar on the day he’s fired.

Monday: Some stat numbers