The Temple dream is alive

DID I dream this belief?

Or did I believe this dream?

The best thing about this line from an old song by Peter Gabriel is that, depending on your perspective, the answer takes you to the same place.

Let's be honest, because Temple football being booed is nothing new. What was interesting about the Owls getting some business on Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field was that it happened after they took a slim lead into halftime of their 30-16 victory over Central Florida.

That some in a crowd of more than 31,000 booed the Owls says wonders about the roll they are on.

"I said, 'Look around at the sky, the stadium, the crowd, this is amazing,' " Temple coach Matt Rhule said of his halftime talk. "I said, 'Guys, now wait a minute if you're getting booed, that's a good thing. It means you are a good team that's not playing well. That means they are not feeling sorry for you. Enjoy that. Enjoy that the other team is losing by a point but running into halftime excited.'

"I got after them a little bit, but then said we play for four quarters so you better start enjoying this."

Enjoy this. That was the only goal when I jumped on the Temple bandwagon after the Owls won in Cincinnati in their second game.

I put my belief in a dream that Temple could make a run to a "New Year's Six" bowl game by getting the automatic bid for being the highest-ranked champion from "The Group of Five" conferences.

At the midway point of the season, dream shifts more to reality. Temple is 6-0 for just the fourth time in school history and checks in at No. 22 in the Associated Press writers poll and No. 24 in the coaches poll – its first Top 25 ranking since 1979.

"I'm really proud of our players and it's a tribute to them that people have noticed how they have played to this point," Rhule said of the rankings. "But I'll repeat what I have said before; it's a long season and I'll be happier if we can finish the year ranked among the best in the country."

The Owls are where they need to be. No one said the dream would be easy, just that it is achievable.

There is no side door into a major bowl for Temple. The Owls are not a Southeastern, Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast or Pacific 12 power that can shake off a loss or two and still play in a major bowl on New Year's Day.

If Temple does not win the American Athletic Conference championship game, finish as the highest-ranked champion and get an automatic bid into the Peach or Fiesta Bowl, it will go to some minor AAC-affiliated bowl.

That is not bad, but much more can be achieved.

Starting with their win over UCF, the Owls had a great weekend. Boise State (5-2) dropped out of the Top 25 and out of automatic bid contention by getting crushed by Mountain West rival Utah State, 52-26.

The biggest boosts for Temple, however, came from victories by fellow undefeated AAC members Houston (6-0) and Memphis (6-0). Memphis jumped in the coaches poll to No. 17 and 18 in the Associated Press poll by upsetting previously 13th-ranked Mississippi, 37-24, for its first victory over a ranked opponent since 1996.

The Tigers beating an SEC school that defeated Alabama solidifies the American Athletic as the best of the "Group of Five" conferences to which a Peach or Fiesta bid must go.

With Memphis, Houston (22nd coaches, 21st AP) and Temple, the AAC has as many teams in the AP Poll as the ACC and PAC 12. Toledo (20th, 19th) of the Mid-American is the only other "Group of Five" team that is ranked.

The AAC is 7-11 against the "Power 5" while the Mountain West, MAC, Sun Belt and Conference USA are a combined 9-73.

"We want to be considered for the (final four) playoff spot," AAC commissioner Mike Aresco said. "We're not just content to be playing for a 'Group of 5' spot on New Year's Day."

I will be content with that, for now.

Temple still has Memphis and Notre Dame as high-profile opponents remaining on its schedule. In the end game, it could even be to Temple's benefit if Houston is ranked higher.

If the Owls, having done their part, were to beat an undefeated and higher-ranked Houston team in the AAC championship game the day before the College Football Playoff Selection Committee makes its bowl pairings, it could seal a trip to the Fiesta or Peach Bowl.

Columns: ph.ly/Smallwood

Blog: ph.ly/DNL