Tag Archives: National Signing Day footbal

01.31.15
by

Temple Finally Joins the Big Time

It’s never too late for Young Jeezy to put in a good word for Temple.

Usually, the only thing on TV in the middle of the afternoon on a mid-week day is a soap opera.

That and work is why I do not watch television on a week day afternoon. One soap opera on Wednesday, though, is must-see TV and that’s when Temple football finally hits the big-time on ESPNU. Every year, ESPNU reserves about a dozen spots for players who wait until signing day to make their announcements on live television. ESPNU’s only requirement is that the player must not have made his intentions known prior to the live announcement and he must be at least a four-star recruit as named by one of the two major recruiting websites, Rivals or Scout.

Usually, it is involves a guy who is about to pick between, say, a Florida or an Auburn. He looks at one hat, lifts it up, puts it down, and then finally puts the hat on of the school he where he chooses to spend the next four years playing football and getting an education. Since ESPNU started this charade a few years ago, I wanted Temple to be part of the show.

Now I have my wish.  That’s where Temple, Marshall and T.J. Simmons come into play.

Julu Smith’s signing day last year.

This will perhaps be the last time either school will have this opportunity because I believe the Power 5 schools will be paying players by the next show and, unless Temple can  find a route to the Power 5 capital, we won’t see this kind of drama again.

I hope I’m wrong, but I do not see this ending well for Temple because Simmons’ primary Marshall recruiter is Sean Cronin and Cronin is not the biggest Matt Rhule fan. I can see a lot of “negative recruiting” involved with Cronin’s knowledge of Temple and Rhule and, if negativity did  not work in getting someone’s vote, we would never see a negative political campaign ad (and that’s all we see).

Either way, tune in between 3:30 and 4 on ESPNU. For the first–and maybe last–time, it’s must-see afternoon TV.

Related:

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/x984739541/Simmons-visiting-MU-this-weekend