When it comes to prognosticating, it helps to know something about your subject.

Oklahoma has about 20 Youtube channels devoted to its fandom–20 more than Temple–and only one of them were even remotely interested in learning anything about Temple.

With big-time money on the line, though, it appears that the nation is doing its research. From June 21st until Wednesday afternoon, Oklahoma remained a solid 43.5-point favorite.

The last two days, though, saw a trend in the opposite direction as a full 1.5 points dropped off the line and, as of this writing (10:26 p.m. on Thursday night), the line is resting at 42.

To Vegas, that represents a lot of money.

Only one of the 20 Oklahoma Youtube channels had any interest in learning about the Owls and that one interviewed Temple radio play-by-play guy Kevin Copp.

All this site has done the last nine months is devour every tidbit of information available about the Temple Owls.

From this perspective, both lines have bulked up in talent and depth and some of the appalling things we saw the last two seasons won’t be on display Friday night (7 p.m., ESPN). They will put up a good fight and won’t be run over.

I’m thinking more like 37-7 than 66-7.

If that happens, it could still be a good season for Temple because the Owls will face nothing like Oklahoma in its last 11 games.

If it’s 66-7, which I thought it could be a couple of months ago, it’s more of the same old Temple.

Put it this way: Western Carolina gave No. 24 North Carolina State a great game on Thursday night and Western Carolina’s best defensive player last year, Andreas Keaton, is playing safety for Temple on Friday night.

The Owls brought in players like Keaton and UTEP cornerback starter Torrey Richardson to cured what ailed them the most–get turnovers.

With only five turnovers on defense, the Owls ranked No. 136 and last in the nation.

With an improved pass rush and ballhawking defensive backs like Keaton and Richardson, that number has nowhere to go but up.

Maybe 60 or so ticks up.

If so, the wins should at least double.

On the other side of the ball, Temple brought in a bonafide Big 10 level running back in Antwain Littleton II and the best junior college running back in the country, Torrez Worthy. Two years ago, Joquez Smith was the best high school running back in the talent-rich state of Florida and he has come into his own since the spring game. Littleton isn’t a guy who transferred to Temple because he couldn’t make it in the Big 10. He had the most touchdowns of any running back at Maryland going all the way back to 2005 and the Terps were ranked in the top 25 in the nation twice in the last eight years.

He came to Temple to be the No. 1 guy, not a guy sharing the No. 1 duties. We shall see but Smith had a great spring and summer.

Maybe, just maybe, the running game takes so much pressure off the quarterbacks that they become game managers and are able to move the offense.

That’s the rub.

I don’t think Temple head coach Stan Drayton put enough emphasis on getting a big-time quarterback in here and that’s why you can’t expect more than seven points out of the Owls on Friday night.

Otherwise, they will compete and scratch and claw more than they have since 2019 and even if it’s not enough on Friday night, it will show in the more important games down the road.

Saturday: Game Analysis

Monday: The Road Forward