After very little to take away from the first two games, we will have our answer how good Temple’s 2026 football team is by sunset tomorrow.

That’s a bold statement but backed up by what we have seen so far.

The reality is this: Rhode Island is a good-to-great FCS team, but it was without its all-league quarterback and best defensive player so, while the 38-14 win was impressive on its face value, not much to take away there. We do know this: Toledo would not have beaten Rhode Island, 63-10, like it did with Central Connecticut State.

Penn State exposed what we thought were two Temple weaknesses going into the season: Cornerback and quarterback play. The rest of the Owls were plucky, and the game plan was solid if not spectacular. (For example, if I go for two down 27-9, I’m going for the onside kick right after that. If I’m down 20-3 with a 4th and 1 near midfield and a running game that works, I’m going for the first down to make it 20-10. Instead, Temple punted and PSU went right down the field to make it 27-3.)

The Temple run game and run defense matched up with one of the five most talented rosters in college football and that bodes well for the future.

Yet, because of the two weaknesses, not much to take away there, either.

Back in February, I had to tell it like I saw it after the Owls failed to land a big-time quarterback. I thought this team had a real good shot at eight wins with a proven FCS star or a solid experienced FBS starter, but the Owls instead gambled on a couple of guys not talented enough to see the field at other places. Under those circumstances, one more win than last year was all I could expect. Put it this way: Kennesaw State quarterback Amari Odom was all-conference with his team last year after throwing 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions with a 64.7 completion percentage. He signed at Syracuse to be a backup. Think he’d rather be a starter at Temple?

Yes.

Think Temple has a better chance of winning with a guy like that than what it has?

Damn straight.

So Temple rolled the dice with P4 backups instead of a proven guy like Odom.

However, if the Owls win at Toledo (3 p.m., CBS Sports Network), that roll becomes a seven and an eleven.

Why?

Because Toledo hung with Michigan State and, while the roster of MSU is nowhere near as talented as PSU, you’ve got to think that MSU would be a contender for the title in the American Conference. By association, so would Toledo.

So if the Owls mucked around long enough to stay in tomorrow’s game and win on, say, a Carl Hardin field goal, it would not be outrageous to think they can make a run for a league title, too. While the running game has worked, the Owls have done a very poor job at getting the ball in space to playmakers like JoJo Bermudez, Colin Chase and Peter Clarke. Maybe Sam Brown’s return as the lead back will open up the play-action passing game.

It couldn’t hurt.

Back on Cherry and White Day, Jaxon Smolik threw for three touchdown passes. We haven’t seen that Jaxon Smolik since.

Tomorrow would be as good a time as any for that guy to make a return.

Saturday: Toledo Game Analysis