At the risk of getting ahead of ourselves, I will take a moment to do just that.
Let’s talk about, say, the Penn State game three months from today.
(Let me just say before going any further, beating Villanova is one million times more important than beating Penn State. It’s imperative. It’s a demand, not a request. You cannot lose to Villanova again and retain any hometown credibility for the program.)
Still, I’ve fast-forwarded myself to Beaver Stadium (great name, by the way, just sayin’), sitting with 110,000 of my fellow college football fans, 5,000 of whom may be rooting for the Owls against Penn State on Sept. 25.
Making that 250-mile trip has been usually as futile a project for Owl fans as trying to end World Hunger or getting the Republicans to pass a Health Care bill with a public option.
It’s been that way since the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
That’s the last year Temple won.
Maybe not so much this year.
Temple’s got a little more than a puncher’s chance this year.
You know it.
I know it.
The rest of those 105,000-plus fans don’t know it, though.
Most of the Penn State fans in the Philadelphia area give lip service to the Temple program.
“Geez, Al Golden is doing a great job there.”
“Being in the MAC has done wonders for Temple.”
“Al’s building a nice resume there.”
When I mention that it’s only a matter of time before Temple pulls a Central Michigan and beats the highest-profile college football program in its state, I get a whole different reaction.
“Whoa. Let’s not get crazy.”
“It’s never going to happen.”
“Temple is never going to beat Penn State.”
Never say never.
It may not be this year.
It may not be next year, but it’s not impossible.
This isn’t your father’s Temple team, unless your father played for Wayne Hardin. This is a real good team.
Real good might be one way to put it.
Loaded might be another.
Beating Penn State, especially if the Nittany Lions went on to win the Big 10, would rocket the Owls toward greatness.
Beating Penn State would immediately legitimize Temple football not only in its own town but in the state and the nation and would be a boost of immeasurable proportions in terms of prestige and gate receipts. Temple students, faculty and alumni would be puffing up their chests so much for the next 12 months, you’d think all of them looked like The Incredible Hulk. By my calculations, that’s 250,000 living alumni, 33,000 full-time students and 12,300 full-time employees. Those are a lot of chests. And 90 percent of them live here or damn close to here.
They might have to shut down North Broad Street, like they did when the basketball team won at North Carolina, 82-66, in 1988.
With all due respect to Villanova, none of the above happens with a win over the Wildcats.
I know a lot of Temple fans think it’s possible. In fact, I don’t know of a single Temple football player who doesn’t believe in the delicious thought.
I think it’s a good thing that I can’t find a single Penn State fan who thinks it’s possible.
I hope their football team approaches Sept. 25th the same way.
Click on logo below to read my interview with Linebacker U.:

My interview with
On the Banks.com

Rivalries are a beautiful thing.
I’m old enough to know when Temple and Delaware were rivals.
One of my fondest days was spent in Newark, Del., when Temple beat Delaware, 31-8, in front of a still-record and still-stunned crowd of 23,619.
An even fonder day was Temple’s 45-0 win in Newark on another beautiful Saturday. The hot dogs in that post-game tailgate tasted like Filet Mignon.
Temple even got grief from the local media by scheduling Delaware.
“I believe in scheduling Delaware … and then beating the crap out of them,” was the way Wayne Hardin was quoted in response.
I loved it.
Could you imagine Al Golden saying that about any opponent?
“Temple’s program is a big-time song and dance,” Delaware coach Tubby Raymond said.
Ouch.
Now that’s a rivalry.
That’s what I’m talkin’ about.
Hardin must’ve really enjoyed it because he beat Raymond seven of the last nine times he faced him on the football field. Hardin could talk the talk, but one of the most admirable things about him (of many) is that he backed that up by walking the walk.
Penn State is a rival but, to be one, you’ve got to prove that you can beat one.
Temple’s proven that against Rutgers numerous times and the proximity of the schools combined with an animosity factor qualifies this as a real rivalry.
You’ve got to have a little animosity to stir the rivalry pot and, in Rutgers, there’s some of that.

That’s why the news today of a 2-for-2 deal (twice in Philadelphia, twice in Piscataway) is terrific for me.
Since Delaware, Rutgers has always been Temple’s biggest rival.
With the Big East expulsion backdrop, there’s plenty of animosity.
This is something Rutgers wanted five years ago, but approached Temple with a 3-for-2 deal.
Temple, I’m told, said no dice.
“We want to play you, but it’s 2-for-2 or nothing,” was Temple’s response.
So, for five years, it’s been nothing.
Temple would have been very happy waiting until Kingdom Come with the nothing and Rutgers’ brass finally realized that the extra game demand did not make sense if it meant the schools would never play again.
Rutgers finally gave in last week.
I’m amused when I hear from my Rutgers friends (and I have a few) demanding that Temple give Rutgers an extra home game “because Temple is a MAC school.”
Dude, you are the reason we’re a MAC school.
If you supported us, Virginia Tech and Pitt would have joined in and blocked the Big East expulsion.
So there’s some animosity there.
There’s no animosity, for me at least, against Buffalo, Kent State and the fake Miami.
The only discordant note is that this series won’t start until 2015. Al Golden will be 45 years old and working on a Wayne Hardin-like legacy in Philadelphia (I hope).
By then, I hope he talks the Hardin talk and walks the Hardin walk.

Page 2 of the 1986 Temple football media guide.

More than anything else, the Heisman Trophy is the byproduct of an excellent and deserving candidate playing under the right circumstances with just the right level of promotion.
Temple’s Paul Palmer certainly was that back in 1986.

The Owls’ Bernard Pierce, who broke all of Palmer’s freshman rushing records last year, certainly is that now.

Not bad at all.
It was a great day for Palmer and for Temple University.
The only advantage the Palmer of 1986 had over the Pierce of 2010 is that Palmer played against what was then the No. 10 toughest schedule in the country and helped the Owls of Bruce Arians finish 6-5 against that schedule, beating the likes of Virginia Tech and East Carolina.
Yet Pierce will be on the field against Big East contender Connecticut and Big 10 contender Penn State, so he will have those kinds of chances, too.

What I’d like to see the university do for Pierce right now is nudge him toward the Heisman the way the SID office nudged Palmer. Get him into the conversation now, not after he rolls up, say, 514 yards and seven touchdowns against Villanova.
Back in 1986, the SID office put out a 16-page comic book with Palmer depicted as Superman and mailed the book to all 1,016 Heisman voters. The comic depicted Palmer’s meteoric rise from a small under-recruited tailback from Maryland to the big man on campus in a major metropolis, complete with stats and supporing facts. Back then, the SID office put Palmer on the cover of the 1986 Media Guide with the caption “Heisman Trophy candidate Paul Palmer” and the headline: Temple: the Philadelphia Team America’s Watching.
Page Two included quotes from Don Nehlen, Joe Paterno, Dick MacPherson and others touting Palmer’s ball-toting ability.
Clever stuff.
The only promotion I’ve heard for Pierce is a free schedule magnet.
As Derrick Coleman once said, “Whoopty-damn-do.”
I don’t see the same level of promotion right now for Pierce a couple of months before the season, but maybe the school is working with a couple of illustrators in New York City.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
Then again, maybe not.
Don’t give me any grief about this not being in the budget. Budget smudget. Do you know how much having a serious candidate for the Heisman Trophy does for the university’s coffers in terms of attendance, TV revenue, etc.? This is a gold mine. Gold. The 49ers (the gold-miners, not the football team) didn’t walk away from Sutter’s Mill because they didn’t have the money for a pan.
That’s why I’d like to see the university set the table for what I expect to be a terrific year for Pierce and the Owls by mounting a serious campaign now. Bang the drums hard. Set off smoke signals.
Do something.
If Pierce leads to the Owls to an upset win or two and helps them dominate the MAC, he will be right there in the conversation  up until December.
If he does it after the kind of campaign Al Shrier’s excellent SID office ran leading up to Palmer’s senior season, he might have to start shopping for brown suits.

Temple isn’t ignoring Bernard, as proven by these billboards about to go up at Interstate locations exactly one mile from the stadium. I would just like to see them just as go hard after the Heisman voters right now, too, but that’s more the job of the SID office than the promotions department.
You can be part of history, too. It’s the price of a Temple football season ticket. Buy one now by clicking below:

Oddly, Al Golden bears a facial resemblance to Bruce Arians here.

I like the way Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw works, quietly and behind the scenes.
I ran into Bill at the signing day function and mentioned something about Al’s contract and Bill said, “Al Golden can have a contract extension any time he wants.”
Bradshaw didn’t elaborte.
He didn’t need to for a Joe Schmoe like me.
I didn’t take it as a good sign at the time because I interpreted it as a “contract extension” of the current contract with the same financial terms in place.
Evidently, though, from what I hear, this is a significant increase in Al’s salary with a comenserate increase in staff compensation.
Someone tweeted me this morning that Al is now making money similar to head coaches in BCS conferences, a more-than-double salary increase.
I like that, but what I like more is that there are hightened protections in place for my beloved Temple University.
I hope Al stays here for a Joe Paterno-like run, but I live in a real world.
Others have come after him hard the past two seasons and, someday, someone is going to get him for the right offer.
Once that happens, though, I want Temple protected and this deal does that.
The school that hires Golden away from Temple will have to pay the school the kind of money West Virginia got when Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan.
That’s the best part of the deal and assures Temple will have the financial wherewithal to hire a big-name coach should Al leave.
Let’s hope Al settles in here and develops the kind of love for the school that Wayne Hardin, John Chaney and Harry Litwack had.
This school has a special mission and only very special people understand that.
For the historic-like turnaround Golden has already achieved here, he deserves to be compensated handsomely.
I hope he attacks the enormous task ahead to move the program forward with the same verve he has in working his magic so far.
Today was a great day for both Al Golden and Temple football, but there are greater days ahead.
It should be fun finding out what rewards those days bring to the Owls and their fans.
Temple has put its money where its mouth is … time for you to do the same and buy more season tickets:

Just a hunch, but this guy will be Villanova’s biggest nightmare on Sept. 3.

Not quite up there with the Harry Potter Series, but the best work of fiction this spring has been penned by Al Golden.
Or at least part fiction.
It’s called the 2010 Temple Football Depth Chart.
For something to while the time away in the “reading room” I like it.
There’s some humor in it and I like comedy.
There’s a strong purpose to it, mostly to light a fire under some of the more talented Owls.
That’s all OK because this is a rough draft and not the finished version.
It’s not this depth chart that needs to be taken seriously, it’s the one released in the pre-game notes on the day of the Villanova game that matters.
I have a feeling, except for positions like quarterback, running back and kicker, there will be a lot of tweaking to it before the Mayor’s Cup game.

OFFENSE
QB – Chester Stewart, Chris Coyer or Mike Gerardi
WR1 – Michael Campbell OR Hammond OR Deon Miller
WR 2 – Joey Jones OR Rod Streater followed by Haldeman
TE – Charlton OR Brown, then Alex Jackson, Cody Booth
RB – Bernard Pierce, Ahkeem Smith, Matt Brown
K – Brandon McManus
DEFENSE


DE – Adrian Robinson, Blueford
DE – Kadeem Custis, Johnson
DT – Big Mo Wilkinson, Paulhill
NT – Joseph, Jeff Whittingham OR Levi Brown
OLB – Tavir Whitehead, Quenten White OR Blaze Caponegro
MLB – Peanut Johnson, Marcus Green OR Johnson
OLB – Amara Kamara OR Jordan
CB – Marquise Liverpool OR Johnson, Nixon
CB – Jones, Griffin
FS – Jaquain Jarrett, Parker, Parker, Gildea
SS – Kevin Kroboth, Vaughn Carraway
P – Jeff Wathne or Cerrette

I think Evan Rodriguez, someone not even listed on the four-deep version, wins the TE job by Villanova. Gosh, I hope so because the ceiling of this guy’s talent is about as high as the Volcanic Ash cloud from Iceland. He looked pretty good to me in the Cherry and White game.
I think the staff is intrigued enough by the 6-6 size on one side that Miller gives and he grabs that WR1 job.
If Charlton starts and plays significant minutes at tight end against Villanova (say, half the game), I will be stunned out of my mind.
Who knows what happens at quarterback, but I think Golden got it right. Chester Stewart has been here for awhile and it was his job to win in the spring and he might have just done enough to win it.
He certainly did enough to get Charlton moved to tight end.
I like Amara Kamara at linebacker and I like the size and athleticsm that Custis brings to the other end spot. That should help Adrian Robinson a lot.
Imagine being Chris Whitney on opening day, if you will:
A nasty 6-foot-4, 265-pound Custis coming at you from one end and a speedy equally nasty Adrian Robinson coming at you from the other end and people like Big Mo, Jeff Whittingham and Levi Brown helping to collapse the pocket from the middle.
Call that novel War and (Whitney) Piece.
And that would come under the category of non-fiction.

Some questions answered, some answers questioned and otherwise random thoughts from Cherry and White Day 2010:

1) It’s hard to make a decision about quarterback _ I liked all three quarterbacks, but no one really stood out on this day. Chester Stewart aired it out on the last play of the first half, but it didn’t come close to a receiver. I like the fact that CS competed. I also like the fact that Chester Stewart had no interceptions all last season. I liked Mike Gerardi’s poise. I thought that Chris Coyer had too many passes dropped. Slightest, if any, edge to Stewart on this one day. Great to see Vaughn Charlton out there competing at tight end and showing the a positive attitude and leadership he always displays. Gerardi looks like he’s been there before. He looks like he expects to start. Everybody tells me he has no shot at playing, but it’s always those guys you have to keep an eye on. The same people who poo-poo Mike Gerardi said Matt Brown wasn’t going to do didly and he got 155 on Ohio on the MAC East title game. I think this Mike Gerardi kid bears watching. If he doesn’t have the “it factor”, he’s damn close to having it. That’s all I’m going to say on the subject. None of the three QBs did enough, but I’d have to rate Stewart’s deep ball the best and Gerardi’s poise the best based on this one day. Coyer probably blows them away in the elusiveness category, but everytime someone touched him, that was ruled a sack and that’s just not fair to a guy who can duck out of danger and make positive yardage.
2) Event really is too big for the Edberg-Olsen Complex _ It’s saying something when the best seats in the house are in the high-rise apartment complex across the street. It’s got to be moved to Ambler next year. Bring the field up to standards. They have a nice horticulture program up there anyway. Put those students to work. I didn’t go up on the deck because some day that thing is going to collapse below the weight of too many people and I don’t want to be there when it does. Another reason to move it to Ambler.
3) Thank God Bernard Pierce didn’t get hurt _ It says something that all three quarterbacks were wearing the orange (“don’t hit me”) jersey, yet it was open season on next year’s Heisman Trophy winner (hopefully). I say take the orange jerseys off the quarterbacks next year, too.
4) Vaughn Carraway can catch after all _ The most heralded pass receiving recruit in a number of years finally found the field and the ball with a real nice interception. Hopefully, that’s a portent of things to come.
5) Liked the contributions of big DT Levi Brown,   DE Adrian Robinson, WR Rod Streater, WR Delano Green, Pierce (of course) and the pride of Wall Township (N.J.) High, Blaze Caponegro (two interceptions on tipped balls), among so many. Brandon McManus, the best kicker in the MAC, nailed about a 51-yarder, which was a good sign particularly in a 24mph crosswind. Didn’t like that there were so many tipped balls, but that can be worked on in the coming days.
Overriding thought was that I can’t wait until Sept. 3.

Today’s operative word is spin.
It’s a form of propoganda making a move or position more sellable.
There have been a few famous “spin doctors” in the arts and media over the years.
My favorite was a guy named Mike Flaherty, played by Michael J. Fox, in the sitcom Spin City. Flaherty, the deputy Mayor, specialized in getting the mayor out of trouble by spinning an issue that otherwise wasn’t flattering.
I could only think of one word when I heard the quotes coming from Al Golden’s lips about Vaughn Chartlon’s move to tight end on Wednesday.
Spin.
“Everybody was blown away,” Golden told Owlscoop.com. “Everybody was blown away by his vertical stretch, by how soft his hands were, and how well he ran with the ball after the catch. So of all the things that you guys ask me every day, it’s probably the biggest news, probably since I’ve been here.”
Yeah, right.
Hmm.
Charlton has played no other position than quarterback since Pee-Wee ball, yet Golden gives a glowing report on the potential of Charlton as a pass-catching and route-running Division IA tight end.
Basically, Golden is telling us _ exaggerating just a little for effect, here _ that we might have had a John Mackey or a Pete Retzlaff right here under our noses for four years without realizing it.
If that’s not spin, I don’t know what is.
I’m not buying it.
Listen, I’m on board with the decision, whether it was Golden’s or Charlton’s. Vaughn is a great kid and a terrific team leader.
A lot of people I’ve talked to say it doesn’t make sense because they’ve been grooming him to be quarterback for five years and he deserves a chance.
I’ve seen enough to know that they could groom him for five more years and he’ll never be half the quarterback Adam DiMichele was or Henry Burris was or Brian Broomell was.
Temple needs a playmaking quarterback who can make good throws (often) under pressure. I don’t think Charlton ever responded to pressure quite the way, say, DiMichele did. I don’t think Charlton ever put enough points on the scoreboard.

I’m betting that the immensely talented Evan Rodriguez is better equipped to put up those kind of numbers, if properly used

Temple’s program has reached the point where it needs to go from one Adam DiMichele to another Adam DiMIchele. There should never have been a disastrous drop in talent at that position, particularly when you have a recruiter as accomplished as Golden.
What happened, I think, is that both Chester Stewart and Chris Coyer (and possibly even Mike Gerardi) have passed Charlton on the depth chart.
The move to tight end was pure spin, a way to lessen the impact of the fall to the bottom of the depth chart.
If Chartlon catches 60 passes for 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns next season and blocks like Mike Ditka, I will admit I’m wrong.
I’m betting that the immensely talented Evan Rodriguez is better equipped to put up those kind of numbers, if properly used. Rodriguez’s backups are more likely to be named Matt Balasavage, Cody Booth and Alex Jackson than Vaughn Charlton.
And that’s no spin.

That’s me behind the railing trying to get a peak last year.

Watched a little bit of the North Carolina football spring day on ESPN last weekend.
I was interested in a quarterback that they kept bringing up as being a future star, Bryn Renner.
Virginia High school football fans will remember Renner being involved in quite a few battles with rival Oakton High and its star quarterback, Chris Coyer.
Experts put both quarterbacks pretty much on the same level and Coyer earned player of the year honors.
I’m sure any questions that North Carolina fans had about Renner’s arm or leadership skills were answered in the spring game. He had a productive day.
I’m wondering what questions will be answered about the Owls on Saturday in the 2 p.m. scrimmage at Chodoff Field.
Some I’m interested in, no particular order:
1) When will Coyer get to show his running skills?
I hope they allow the quarterbacks to get hit (I doubt it) because Coyer’s ability to make plays in the open field with his legs will separate him from the other three quarterbacks, in my humble opinion. All four quarterbacks can throw the ball. Owls need to be multi-dimensional at that position. The Catch-22 here is that you end up starting the same guy who started last year if all the Cherry and White game becomes is a glorified passing drill.

2) Has the Cherry and White Game gotten too big for the E-O?

My vote is yes because I arrived some two hours before last year’s game and could not find a spot in Lot 10. I had to park four blocks away at the Baptist Temple. If the game can’t be moved to Lincoln Financial Field, I vote for Ambler.
Or Northeast High.

3) Will we see an improved pass rush?

Not unless they take the orange jerseys off the quarterbacks (see No. 1).

4) How much action will Heisman Trophy candidate Bernard Pierce get?

My hunch is plenty, but not 40 carries. I’d say between 10-20 for C&W, shooting for 20-25 quality ones per game during the season.

5) Where is the best place to buy Temple gear?

Err, Cherry and White. You can’t buy good Temple stuff in any store not on campus, yet I get hundreds of comments from people throughout the year about “where’d you get that cool Temple (sweatshirt, T-Shirt, hat, etc.)?” I’d always say, truthfully, Cherry and White day. No other day compares when it comes to that stuff. Bring cash.