Whatever happens in Tulsa a week from now, 11 games have provided more than enough evidence to come to one conclusion.

If Matt Rhule was the perfect guy to lead Temple football into the next decade, and he probably was, Geoff Collins is The Exception to the, err, Rhule.

In other words, The Anti-Rhule.

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It took Rhule three years to understand the key to winning at Temple is running the football behind the fullback, playing sound, fundamental defense (no Mayhem), shortening the game with long drives predicated on a running game that forced opposing defenses to bring their linebackers and safeties up to the line of scrimmage and then hitting on explosive plays in the passing game by using play-action.

It’s a simple formula but it’s a proven effective one for the last two double-digit win seasons. This is football, not Rocket Science.

Why Collins saw the need to tinker with that formula with talent tailor-made to run it is beyond the comprehension of most Temple fans.

Certainly this one.

The shame of it all is that Temple went from a guy in Rhule who understood what it takes to win here to someone who might never grasp the concept. What made Rhule great here doesn’t necessarily transfer to Waco and what made Geoff Collins a good coordinator in Gainesville doesn’t necessarily transfer to the top spot here. Rhule’s gone and probably won’t be back but you’ve got to wonder if the Temple administration is kicking itself now knowing that there was a guy out there who knows how to win here, Al Golden, and they passed on him to roll the dice on an unproven coordinator.

Now we have at least a 50/50 chance–I assume Tulsa will be either a two-point favorite or a two-point underdog when the lines come out–of going from two 10-win seasons to one five-win one.

I made it a point to approach Dr. Pat Kraft at the pre-game tailgate and congratulate him on one thing.

“What’s that?” the Temple AD said.

“Firing the soccer coach,” I said.

“Why?”

“Because you said in the statement that Temple will not accept mediocrity,” I said. “That’s something new at Temple because Temple never fires any coaches. That statement shows Temple’s not playing when it comes to holding coaches to a standard.”

“I meant it,” Pat said.

If this season finishes in a five-win disaster, big changes need to be made at least at the coordinator level if not above.

In a week, the Owls have a chance to be either mediocre or bad.

If it’s the latter, I hope Kraft holds American football to the same standard he demands from the international kind.