Much at stake for Temple football this weekend
The Owls can make a statement on multiple levels by beating Connecticut.
Much at stake for Temple football this weekend
Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com
The timing surely wasn't intentional, but it is what it is. As the discussion swirls about Villanova following in Connecticut's footsteps from I-AA football to the Big East, the Huskies come to Philadelphia tomorrow to face a team that got kicked out of the Big East not too long ago.
As Mike Kern noted in yesterday's Daily News, Temple already has enough motivation for revenge against UConn because of the close games the two programs have played in recent years. But it so happens that the Huskies are a dark horse to do very well in the Big East this season. Pitt is the favorite to win the conference, but UConn has a favorable schedule that includes the Panthers, West Virginia and Cincinnati all at home. Those were the three teams picked above the Huskies in the preseason poll.
Connecticut's toughest road game of the season probably already happened: at Michigan on the season's opening weekend. That the result was a 30-10 thumping certainly dented UConn's prestige, but that game will be well off in the rear view mirror when conference play begins.
Temple, meanwhile, seems to be in high spirits. The Owls are 2-0 for the first time since 1981, and even though both wins were close they were wins nonetheless. A win Saturday would the record 3-0 for the first time in 31 years. It will be an upset if it happens, but it's certainly possible.
Here's the real discussion topic, though. If Temple wins, will it have any effect on the discussions of Big East football expansion? I know quite a few Owls fans who have watched the Villanova discussions from afar, quietly seething about the fact that their program hasn't even gotten a whiff of attention from the Big East.
That wouldn't change with just one game, but you can make a very easy case that Temple is much more ready to change conferences than Villanova. The Owls already have a big enough stadium in Lincoln Financial Field. And though neither they nor the Wildcats draw big crowds for football, at least Temple has a bigger potential fan base from its student body and alumni.
So let's stir the pot a little bit. Which team do you think would be a better fit in Big East football, Temple or Villanova? Share your thoughts in the comments.
There are quite a few other notable games this weekend involving local teams. Penn State hosts Kent State, Villanova plays its home opener against Towson, and Penn plays its season opener against Lafayette at Franklin Field.
As we get ready for tomorrow, here's a look at the latest Sagarin ratings. The numbers in parentheses are the ratings for each of the previous weeks in the season. So for example, Penn State is ranked this week, was ranked 24th last week and was ranked 10th the week before that. Each week, the string of numbers in parentheses will expand, so that we can track each team's ranking over the course of the season.
27. Penn State (24-10)
57. Rutgers (39-60)
60. Temple (59-99)
65. Delaware (106-112)
71. Villanova (104-64)
128. Penn (130-135)
168. Lehigh (143-146)
220. Lafayette (141-156)
187. Princeton (189-187)
222. Delaware State (220-204)
235. Bucknell (230-213)
Temple has yet to renew its agreement with the MAC -- a major bone of contention between conference officials and TU. They may ultimately sign, but it's interesting that they are keeping their options open during the very season they are picked to win the conference.— ss1073- Apparently Temple signed an agreement with the MAC conference to stay on board for 2 more years...UGH...
I really do hope Nova elects to join the Big East. At least it'll give college football fans in the area real games to watch every weekend. I like Temple, but the MAC is a joke of a conference.— Leron - Dunphy is a good coach, but Temple bball is still not back to the level it once was under Chaney, and is still way behind Nova in bball, despite 1 game last year. Don't forget, Nova beat Temple in football last year, too. The football team has a great coach with Al Golden, but does anyone actually believe he's not going to jet the program when he gets offered a better job??? He already gets rumored as a replacement to JoePA, and it's only a matter of time until he gets offered a better job that he will take because the MAC is a stepping stone, not a destination for great coaches. Where does the team go from there? Back down to the toilet bowl...enjoy your time with Golden, because it's be the peak of Temple football.— VUCE02
- Basketball? Temple 75, Villanova 65 last season. Temple was the better team. Football? Temple won a by a TD 31-24 a few weeks ago. Temple was the better team. Temple fits the Big East demographic better than Villanova, but absolutely soiled their bed in the 90s when they had a great opportunity. I'd say it's Villanova's turn to give it a shot.— xxx
- Jay wright is already having problems with his "special admit" kids on Nova's campus -- two drug related issues and several other incidents are all bubbling beneath the surface or a program about to have a major problem. Now imagine adding 35 football players to the mix. The campus environment isn't ready for it.— ss1073
Villanova is already in the Big East for baketball, and that is the reason they were asked to move. Temple is A-10 for basketball, which is why the Big East didn't want them.— Pelti- Nova clowns.........surely,Its obvious to all of us that nova could compete in the acc in football now.....didnt you see how they handled the powerhouse 1-aa caa last yr.......you suck........stay jv........the birds are on the rise............Thats why we beat you last yr in bball and will beat you at that high school gym this yr too.........Temple is spending $1.2 bbbbbbbbb illion on campus (and save the north philly remarks you never even been there) enrollment and on-campus resident students are increasing bigtime,the basketball program is national again, we control the linc, and were bigger and stronger than you..2 more yrs mac then bcs and orange bowls.......YOU SUCK...........FOCUS ON LACROSSE///////— ILUVPHILLYCITYOFLOSERS
- Villanova would be a better fit in the ACC, where B-ball is king and F-ball is on a level where Villanova can already compete. And it would rekindle the great rivalry between Villanova and Boston College.— John Guiniven
- Villanova would be a better fit in the ACC, where B-ball is king and F-ball is on a level where Villanova can already compete. And it would rekindle the great rivalry between Villanova and Boston College.— John Guiniven
- We always talk about selling out the Linc, but did you know only 25 programs average more than the Linc holds? Pitt, for example, averages 50,000. Boston College gets 35,000.— bobbyd24
- Temple failed in the Big East previously, but the Big East inviting Nova seems to have a potentially worse outcome. Sort of like when you need that 5th man for a pickup game and there's no one else but the kid shooting layups on the far court. I think Nova would be taking a huge risk by upgrading. They have a great national reputation that can get soiled pretty quickly by getting drubbed out of the gate, which leads to depressed fan support. Talley is a great coach but Nova would be ill advised to go to the Big East due to the emotional high of last season's national championship. There are other IAA programs with better infrastructure to make the transition. Temple would be a far more natural addition to the Big East and seems like a more logical fit.— RTL
- the only team that has a chance at selling out the Linc in the near future is Temple because they're the only team that'll be playing there until at least through 2018.— mchaump
- Neither team makes the BE more legitimate or competitive, at least initially. Neither team is going to sell out the Linc, and neither team is going to win the conference for the first several years at least. But, if you’re looking towards the future and the best fit then Nova is the clear choice. Their fans pack the Wachovia center several times a year, so there’s at least hope that they will eventually garner the same support for the football team if Andy Talley can translate his consistent winning to the next level. Not to mention, why would the BE mess up the bball schedule even more by expanding to 17 teams when they get basically the same product in the same market without having that headache?
For Nova, this is more about positioning themselves for when the superconferences eventually destroy the BE and they need to join one to keep Jay Wright around and maintain its bball notoriety.— VUCE02 - The 6,000 fans (am I'm probably being generous) that Nova would bring to Chester (PPL Park) to watch a game in a 18,500 capacity stadium (that by far would be the smallest stadium in the Big East after Cincy with Nippert Stadium at 35,000) would look really odd watching a game without any football lines painted on the field (as Tannenwald previously pointed out about MLS opposition to the idea). And what about Franklin Field? Nothing says "legitimate BCS football program" like playing in a run down stadium with the giant "P" of the Penn Quakers of the Ivy League painted on the middle of the AstroTurf field. Temple went down that road and it wasn't pretty.
But let's be honest; this isn't about legitimacy at all. It's about the powers of the Big East not wanting to rock the basketball boat. Football is an after thought. Shame.— mchaump - Temple had their chance at the Big East. I'm not saying they should never go back, but their performance is directly tied to being in the MAC and being able to recruit in markets that other MAC teams can't. Villanova wouldn't be competitive in the Big East, but if it was one of the two teams and the decision had to be made tomorrow, I'd give Nova a shot. Just be ready for a whole bunch of 3-7 seasons.— HandNik
The Big East is obviously a better fit for Temple. Playing in the MAC does not provide the Owls with ANY natural rivalries (Temple vs. Ball State anyone??). I beleive it's fair to say the Temple vs. WVU, Pitt, Rutgers, et al, would draw quite nicely at the Linc.- Give Nova the 22 additional scholarships and replay that game. Nova is just as good as Temple right now, and they have a long relationship with the BE. Not to mention that as long as Jay Wright is on the Main Line, Nova is not just THE basketball power in Philly, but a national power, which gives them an attraction to BCS conferences that Temple can't compete with. All they need to figure out now is whether to play at PPL Park or Franklin Field...— VUCE02
- Temple is obviously more ready for the Big East than Villanova. a) They're only a 6pt. dog in this game. b) they have the stadium. c) they're on the way up.— bobbyd24
Reach Jonathan at jtannenwald@phillynews.com or 215-854-2330.
