First Look: Temple Owls

With this coaching staff, Penn State really needs to schedule Temple as its homecoming game. Really, Temple Head Coach Al Golden was one of the great Penn State tight ends (’91), Defensive Coordinator Mark D’Onofrio was his team mate and an outstanding linebacker for the Lions, and even the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, Matt Ruhle is a former lion (’97). I think the biggest draw for this game is already being set up--the pupil vs. the mentor. But the underlying story line--one PSU fans may overlook--is the amazing job Golden has done in Philadelphia since his arrival in 2006. Five years ago, if you said “Temple” and “bowl game” in the same sentence, it was part of a joke. Now, it’s a real possibility. Scary, huh?

Three things you should know about Temple:

1. Could be the best staff in the nation -- That’s not an understatement. If Golden and Co. pull of the once-impossible and take the Owls bowling, this will turn into the new Rutgers-type feel good story. The results may not blow your mind, but this staff has changed the attitude of a program. In Golden’s first year, the Owls were outscored by 365 points. Last year that margin shrunk to 118, and won four games! Those four wins were the most since 2002, and the three-game win streak was Temple’s longest since 1990!

2. Everyone returns -- Temple returns every single starter from 2007, and some have moved to backup spots to make room for some new young talent. That will translate into crucial depth if this team has to finish strong to gain bowl-eligibility. Quarterback Adam DiMichele (PSU Transfer) enters his senior season behind a veteran offensive line, with big play threats like Bruce Francis and Jason Harper, and a shut-down defense. If the Owls can win the turnover battle (broke even in ’07), this could turn from a promising year to a special one.

3. A challenging, but not impossible schedule -- Temple gets only five home games this season, but only one of them is probably out of reach (UConn). The away games set up nicely with trips to Army, Buffalo, Miami (OH), Central Michigan, Navy and Kent State. I figure only Central Michigan and Navy should pose real problems for the Owls. But if Temple could have a winning road record this year, a bowl is certainly reachable, with the final two games at home against Eastern Michigan and Akron.

That wraps up the non-conference slate for First Look. Penn State has every chance to arrive here at 4-0, but that doesn’t guarantee much after last season’s disappointing Big Ten campaign. What purpose these first four games will serve may not be realized until October, as the early schedule will allow Penn State to work in its new quarterback(s) and gain some identity on both sides of the ball. Don’t expect these teams to go quietly. Just ask Michigan how easy I-AA teams are. Just ask Syracuse if they’re going to be jacked up to play a bitter old rival. Just ask Oregon State if they’re going to take their 2,000-mile journey lightly. And just ask the Temple Owls if they want to help their coach beat his old team.

And you thought the non-conference games weren’t that interesting.

Next week’s First Look: Illinois Fighting Illini.

-First Look: Syracuse Orange(men)
-First Look: Oregon State Beavers
-First Look: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers