A cynic might say we’ve seen this show somewhere before.

Temple head coach Stan Drayton optimistic heading into a game against a Power 5 (now Power 4) team, saying it’s “all about us” and then Temple falling flat on its face against said P4 team.

That’s what happened two years ago at Duke. That’s what happened in the middle of the season last year against visiting Miami.

The bottom line was 30-0 and 41-7 bad guys.

That’s how it’s been.

How’s is it going to be?

This year sure seems different because the Owls learned from most of their mistakes in the offseason two years ago this past season in that they loaded up on quality depth, improved the running game, defensive line and secondary, and brought back some dynamite skill position talent like wide receivers Zae Baines, Dante Wright and John Adams.

What they haven’t done is solidify the quarterback position but maybe Drayton knows something we don’t.

In Sunday’s presser, Drayton said the Owls definitely do have a 1-2-3 hierarchy at quarterback but he’s keeping that to himself and not naming a starter until Friday at Oklahoma (7 p.m. ESPN). That’s open to interpretation.

My interpretation is that he’s taking the “iron sharpens iron” approach and hope somebody emerges this week to earn the starting job. Another interpretation that I’ve seen is that he won’t move off the No. 1 that he has not named publicly in the 1-2-3 scenario.

We’ve already seen what Forrest Brock and Evan Simon bring to the table and, frankly, it’s not five-star restaurant cuisine. Brock got beat by SMU 55-0 and Simon has a resume that includes four career FBS touchdown passes against seven interceptions.

Something tells me that neither one of those two are going to morph into P.J. Walker or Adam DiMichele by Friday night.

Tyler Douglas, the “supposed” third quarterback, though, has a relatively clean slate and, unlike the first two, can make plays with both his arm and his feet. With P4 rushers bearing down on him, that’s just the kind of guy who can buy enough time to roll right and find guys like Baines, Wright and Adams for explosive plays in the downfield passing game. Plus, the Ocean Township coaches compare Douglas favorably to Eagles’ backup Kenny Pickett, who played there. Nobody ever compared Brock or Simon to Pickett.

It only makes sense that you give yourself a puncher’s chance against 5* pass rushers if you have functional mobility under center and not a stationary target.

Maybe that’s what Drayton is waiting for this week, the mobile guy to move from No. 2 or No. 3 to No. 1.

Or maybe Douglas himself is that No. 1.

None of us will find out until kickoff and maybe that’s the best way to approach it.

Friday: Temple-Oklahoma Preview