Why this season is different from any other

I’ve seen three scores of simulated games so far: 80-7 bad guys, 14-10 good guys and this one, 31-8. I think it’s going to be closer than 80-7 but would not be surprised if it was 66-7.

In three weeks, we will be watching the Temple Owls play one of the storied teams in the history of college football.

The Oklahoma Sooners.

On national TV.

The Friday night of Labor Day weekend on the TVs of every bar “down the shore” which is where the City of Philadelphia traditionally empties on that weekend.

Winning the AAC would be much more important than beating Oklahoma but I will take both if possible.

Tell me about it.

I’ve lived in Philadelphia for all my life and, in my 20s, lived in a shore house in both Avalon and Stone Harbor. The rest of my life I stayed home in Philly and saw how empty the streets were that weekend compared with every other weekend of the year.

Between going to see the Grease Band on Saturday nights at the Bongo Room and having a few beers at the Princeton Tavern on Fridays, it was a pretty good time.

Always there was a game of some sort–baseball or football–on the TV and we were pretty glued to it while enjoying our last big weekend of a summer that always goes way too fast.

Now Temple takes center stage.

It could be something wonderful for my school or the embarrassment it’s been for the last four seasons.

Not going to bet the game but if I did my money would not be on the hometown squad.

Just watched a Barry Switzer-Era Oklahoma opener, a 38-3 win over visiting UCLA in the 1980s on Youtube, and that was pretty ugly for the fans of a school from a major city.

This has the potential to uglier as the rest of the nation is laying money on a 40.5 favorite.

Will a 40-0 loss make me happy?

No.

You play to win but, whatever the outcome, this is one game you have to throw away because the opponents become more similar to Temple in talent in the next few weeks.

This season is different from any other in the sense that this has to be treated–not by the Temple coaches and players but the Temple fans–as an NFL exhibition game. The result shouldn’t mean as much as getting the players ready for the rest of the season.

I don’t have to like it because it sucks but that’s the reality. One team is being paid millions to beat the other team that is getting paid minimum wage.

I’ll watch with one hand over one eye and hope for a few fortuitous bounces of the oddly-shaped ball and hope the Owls can take something like a 14-7 deficit into the second half before getting blown out.

That’s the best we can hope for until the NCAA or Congress or someone–anyone–restores sanity to the game I once loved a lot more than I do now.

Monday: The QB Battle

Friday: Translations

5 thoughts on “Why this season is different from any other

  1. Hell, if we can keep them to 40 points (last years average scored against us was almost that and not against Oklahoma level teams) it would be a positive! Getting beat up is more of a concern. I’m just hoping for a halfway decent season given some of the upgrades in talent – hope springs eternal……

  2. We have three game-manager types at QB. Hopefully, cutting down on the interceptions (E.J”s Achillies Heel) makes up for not making consistent throws into tight windows. I don’t think so but evidently Stan does.

    • The mobile QB kid provides the Owls the best chance for respect.

      IMHO the new turf will payoff this year wrt injuries. Plus, there is not much separation on this team between the 1st – 3rd teams.

      I’m confident and sprung for a trip to the Army game.

      Navy game is key. Beat Navy and game on. Lose to Navy and I’m cancelling the trip.

      • I’ve always said getting rid of Kenny Niumatalolo was as big a mistake for Navy was Temple getting rid of Bruce Arians so I’m more confident against Navy without him on the sidelines. Great point about the turf. I listened to a podcast with Stan yesterday where he said that Temple not only doesn’t have any injuries but says that Temple is getting people back from last year’s injuries. I literally heard him knock on wood after making that statement. See you at the Army game.

    • How many times/yrs have we watched this same movie? With three unproven QBs, the strength of the team must be the defense.

      The offense must play mistake free, and squeeze every second from every possession. Why rush to hand the ball back to Oklahoma, or Navy, etc.?

      Early indicator. Are we snapping the ball with more than 10 seconds on the play clock? Unless the offense is in 2 minute drill, does it make sense to snap early?

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