When I was a kid I used to hate hearing at the barber shop those old guys who used to say “back in my day” this and that used to happen.

Now as one of those old guys I’m beginning to get it.

A year ago at this time we wrote in this very spot almost on the same day that Temple did not do enough in the “recruiting” months to have a winning season.

Unfortunately, we were proven right for 2023.

We still think that for 2024.

The difference there is Temple did nothing to improve from the end of May to the beginning of August and paid for that indecision BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY AGAIN.

Temple football has one month to make up for the inaction of Dec.-May and it doesn’t look good simply because the Owls couldn’t afford to wait until June to get moving.

In my mind, Temple needs a proven QB (duh) and a couple of proven sackmeisters at the defensive end positions.

Football is not rocket science.

The teams who win are the ones who keep their quarterback upright while putting the other guy’s quarterback on his ass.

In my mind, Temple has done enough to keep any quarterback it has upright. The problem is doesn’t have a quarterback who can do damage while upright. It used to but that guy bolted for Rice.

The biggest question of this offseason is that 15-20 quarterbacks were BETTER than that guy and Temple sat on this situation and the coaching staff did absolutely nothing to get one after Clifton McDowell left for oblivion. One by one those great quarterbacks left for other schools and Temple is now down to about five who are better than Evan Simon.

What the hell are they waiting for?

Oddly timed puff piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer this week on Stan Drayton. If I’m the reporter, I’m not asking what he does to relieve stress I’m asking him how the hell he intends to turn 3-9 into 9-3. I’m asking him what makes him think Evan Simon and Forest Brock can be better than E.J. Warner.

I’m letting him know he’s rolling the dice of his career on a guy who got beat 55-0 by SMU while the guy who beat SMU 24-22 the year before is still in the portal.

I’m telling him I don’t give an F what goes on behind the scenes but I really care about what goes on during those three hours every Saturday afternoon and why Temple hasn’t won more than three games since 2019.

That’s what I’m telling him.

Defensively, Temple has NOT done enough to strike fear into the bad guys’ quarterbacks and that’s one of two reasons why another 3-9 is way more likely than 9-3.

Like it or not, this isn’t the “back in my day” time when, after a successful recruiting class three years prior and a redshirt year and a promising sophomore year, a fan could say, “hey, Temple is looking really good this year.”

This is 2024 and the indicators are all in what Temple has done in the transfer portal.

One month to get a couple of FCS proven pass rushers and a quarterback who has done something–anything–above the JUCO level on a consistent basis.

So far, the coaching staff is proving the race to pick up the Temple paychecks every Friday is winning over the race to get players who can make a difference.

Not a good sign at all for any current day barber shop talk.

While waiting for the most consequential television show about Temple since the 2016 AAC championship game, the thought occurred that the most high-profile of recent departures tweeted about receiving offers from Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt.

That’s what the transfer portal has come down to these days.

An All-AAC defensive end leaving Temple for maybe … maybe … two bottom-feeders in Power 5 Conferences. SMH (or shaking my head as the kids say today). Does Darian Varner really think his NFL draft status will be more enhanced by playing for a losing ACC or SEC team vs. perhaps winning the AAC Defensive Player of the Year for a resurgent Temple?

If so, he’s getting some very bad advice.

Varner is not only the latest departure from Temple but he represents a trend that can and should be stopped now.

Single-digit guys leaving Temple.

It’s Varner this year, last year it was Jadan Blue and a couple of years ago it was Quincy Roche and Isaiah Graham-Mobley. Then Temple fans had to not only go through the indignity of watching their former players on TV for teams they don’t like, but they also have to hear the announcers tell them how tough the guy was because he earned a single digit at Temple.

After the signing day show (Wednesday, 6 p.m., ESPN+), Temple head coach Stan Drayton can remedy that situation with one simple announcement.

No more single digits will ever be awarded at Temple until the summer camp before that player’s senior and final season of eligibility at 10th and Diamond.

Part of being Temple TUFF is being Temple Committed and only those guys who stay until the end should be rewarded with a single digit for their final seasons. No longer will it be rewarded to underclassmen who have an option to leave.

It’s a Temple tradition and should remain that way.

Wednesday is shaping up as at least a decent day because the best high school running back in Florida (Joquez Smith) and ONE of (if not the best) high school wide receivers in that state (Richard Dandridge) reaffirmed their intentions of signing on the dotted line last week. They have a shot at Colorado State’s best defensive lineman and another transfer portal defensive lineman from Nebraska. Decent turns into good with the addition of those linemen. Good turns into outstanding if the Owls can grab an established FBS or FCS running back.

That’s important because if Temple doesn’t sign a 1,000-yard rusher from the transfer portal, the Owls only hope of upgrading the running game is if Smith either beats out Edward Saydee or Saydee has twice the production next year that he had this one. The Dandridge piece is important because he appears to be the heir apparent for Jose Barbon, who is leaving for the NFL draft. I don’t see Saydee getting twice as good and maybe Smith steps in and pulls the kind of true freshman season Bernard Piece did in 2009. Preferably, you’d like to see a big-time portal running back and a big-time portal wide receiver joining those two.

If Barbon came back, he certainly deserved a single digit.

If Smith and Dandridge stay for the full four years, they certainly should receive every consideration for the same honor prior to their final seasons.

Not before.

The era of Temple single digits leaving for elsewhere is something that can be easily fixed and should.

Friday: Reaction to Early Signing Day

Monday: Five Plays We’d Like to Have Back