2018 Football Countdown: Temple

Temple:

I used to really hate Temple, in part because they were insanely arrogant and in part because... Well... I don’t really know.

Temple came into the MAC more than a decade ago after being punted by the Big East and they were all kinds of awful at football. They were a hairs breath from dropping the program until the MAC threw them a lifeline.

And then they came into the MAC and lost, and they lost a lot.

In their entire Mid American conference tenure they never once (1) Once the conference, (2) Won the East division, or (3) beat a MAC team that ended the season with a winning record.

But to talk to them, at the time, they thought they were the conferences lone bright spot.

I hated them so much they made me watch a game and root FOR Ohio... Let that sink in.

But that’s the past...

Temple got a bit better in the MAC, become a pretty decent team and then when the Big East was falling apart they invited Temple back. And since then the Owls have been very good.

I respect what they did. It shows in a pro football town you can take a terrible program and with some middling success build something better.

History

UB and Temple Met frequently in the 1950’s and 60’s. But They did not start playing in the modern era until the Owls joined the MAC.

Turner Gill won his first three games against the Owls in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

The 2008 Hail Mary victory ended up being a decisive moment in the Bulls first MAC championship.

After 2008 the series went all Temple. The Owls won in 2009, 2010, and 2011. And in every game the absolutely crushed Buffalo. The cumulative score of the three games was 113-13.

Granted the second and third games were played in Jeff Quinn’s first and second season, not exactly a high water mark for UB Football.

This Years Team

Geoff Collins is in his second year at Temple, last year Temple slid back a bit but managed to get to 6-6 and then win a Bowl Game, they look to build on it this year.

The Owls will be a good test for this UB team. On paper this team looks like one of the best of the modern era, if they put everything together 9-10 wins is certainly attainable.

How we play Temple in week two may help set expectations for the rest of the seasons.