TRAP GAME
Obviously, Temple hosting Notre Dame is the biggest game on the American Athletic Conference slate this week, just as Memphis hosting Ole Miss was a couple weeks ago. That being said, fellow AAC unbeaten Houston isn’t exactly out of the woods this week, either, having the proverbial “umm, hello” game against an improving Vanderbilt squad. The Commodores may not be so special, but their D is, rating right up along Temple’s in points and yards allowed.

STILL ROARING
Penn State DE Carl Nassib leads the nation in sacks with 12.5 in eight games. The true beauty of his output, though, is in its consistency. The 6-foot-7, 272-pounder has registered at least one every week for the 6-2 Nittany Lions, who host my other alma mater – Illinois – today. It will be interesting to see where the former walk-on ends up going in the next NFL draft.

FEELING BLUE
North Carolina blue, that is. After losing their opener to South Carolina, the Tar Heels have ripped off seven straight wins, including Thursday’s 26-19 deal at No. 23 Pittsburgh. Their dynamic offensive trio of QB Marquise Williams, RB Elijah Wood and WR Ryan Switzer was on full display in that one, too. Perhaps now pollsters will be impressed enough to rank UNC.

THAT'S THE TICKET
Not surprised that No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 21 Temple is the highest-priced ticket of the day, starting at $324 on StubHub. But that number marking the most expensive seats thus far in the college football season kinda is. Wow, maybe the Owls already are big-time after all. FYI: The next most pricey today is No. 3 Clemson at North Carolina State.

​1. Sh!t just got even more REAL
The more success you have, the more the stakes go up. Sorry, scaredy-cat Owls supporters clinging to this silly notion that there is “no pressure” on their team in this one, that’s reality … and, frankly, it’s a good sign. Means the program is progressing. More is demanded of it, more is expected from it. That’s the way of the world … if you want to be big-time. Which Temple, under the guidance of Matt Rhule, does. ESPN GameDay. National TV. Prime time. Sold-out stadium. Actual coverage from an insanely pro-centric Philly media. All at one time. Totally new experience for the Owls, and should they perform well or, for the non-believing faint of heart as well as the normal pooh-poohers, even – gasp – win, more of the same would occur. Everything that Temple has achieved up to this point, right or wrong, has been tied to this game. Everything after it will mean more or less, depending on what happens in this game. That’s reality.

2. Time to open it up AGAIN
RB Jahad Thomas has been a blessing who defies description this season. He not only has been the bell cow for the offense, but he’s given it something that had been sorely lacking – a bona fide threat that opposing defenses had to worry about every week. This week will be no different. In fact, ND’s sole focus on defense likely will be to shut down Thomas and the Owls’ ground game, making them a one-option attack. OK, fine. It’s time QB P.J. Walker put on a magic show anyway. He certainly has the physical tools to do so. The Owls attempted that somewhat last week, but the rust in Walker’s arm showed a little and in his receivers’ hands a lot. Down the stretch, though, he and they were “money” and sparked arguably the Owls’ greatest Houdini act to date in a final-minutes comeback win at East Carolina. A more consistent, if not persistent, aerial effort will be needed to beat the Irish.

3. Pass rush ... no messing around
The feast or famine cliché was made for such entities as Temple’s pass rush. The Owls either go-crazy, go-nuts there as they did against Penn State (10 sacks) or ECU (6) or they pretty much go in the tank as they did in every game other than those other two. The latter certainly isn’t going to fly against ND, not if they hope to have any chance at winning. Even if they can’t get to elusive QB DeShone Kizer, they better put serious pressure on him in order to disrupt the visitors’ passing game. DT Matt Ioannidis, more than any other game, will be crucial to the Owls’ efforts here. He has to collapse the pocket as much as possible with quickness and sheer strength to provide avenues for his linemates or blitzing LB Tyler Matakevich to get after Kizer.

4. Supporting actors need to star
Robby Anderson FINALLY came to the party last week … just in time. Without him stepping up late in the fourth quarter, Temple isn’t unbeaten heading into this game. A repeat performance, if not a better one, would be a good idea against Notre Dame, and not for nothing, but can Rhule get back to utilizing Ryquell Armstead again. The backup to Thomas is like a bull in a china shop … with bad intentions. Get that dude the ball a few more times and turn him loose. If only to have ND defenders get the heebie-jeebies a bit after trying to tackle him. Frankly, the John Christopher-to-Walker option pass is a nifty little cross-‘em-up play the Owls utilize well and likely will try again tonight. But how about actually using the kid in the passing game? For someone who is credited with very limited skills, Christopher seems to make more than his share of key catches at crucial junctures. He’s a player.

5. All-American needs to be Heisman-winning worthy
Gonna say it, because it’s about time … Matakevich is the best player to ever don a Temple uniform. That doesn’t mean he’ll be the best pro, or that he’s the most athletically gifted Owl of all time, but over the course of a college career, no one has been as consistently good and productive as the senior ’backer. Year in, year out, he has been THE defensive stalwart for Temple, and often its only defensive stalwart. Whether or not he sets a school record for tackles doesn’t even matter anymore. His presence, his timing, his knack for making the big play, for creating the turnover desperately needed takes him to a level rarely seen at any school. Last week, the Owls needed a massive effort from him in order to survive at Greenville, N.C. They got 13 tackles, a sack and an interception. Typical T-Mat. Unreal. All-American worthy. They need an even better performance from him this week. So don’t be surprised if they get one that actually has people then inserting him in Heisman discussions.

- Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com​

Truth is …

It always was comical to me that so many people pointed to Penn State as the BIG game on Temple’s schedule, and that beating the Nittany Lions would be the end-all, be-all of the 2015 Owls’ football existence.
​
Yeah, sure, it was high time that Temple finally snapped a 74-year skid against its in-state Big Brother. The losing had gotten old and stale, and, frankly, far more of an emotional beatdown than a physical one.

But, if any game on the Owls’ slate was a “given” for me this year, it was that. Had no doubts they’d win that one. Had no doubts they had the better team, the better coaching, the better talent, the better uniforms, the better everything. In fact, as the final seconds of that 27-10 Temple victory ticked away the main memory recall now was thinking, “How the hell did the Owls only beat Penn State by 17?”

Seriously.

Just as serious, though, not a single game since has evoked the same kind of assuredness here, if any at all. The reality is, Temple has faced bigger obstacles since Penn State, with Cincinnati the most talented team, Massachusetts the biggest scare and East Carolina the most morphed combo of the two.

Up next, Notre Dame trumps all. Not by as much as most think, but still …

Unbeaten was never in yours truly’s vocabulary whenever glancing at the Owls’ slate. Oh, a win seemed possible each and every time out. Just as it usually does when the series of passing-by rationalizations are tossed in there. Having seen an Owls squad that finished 2-10 hang quite well with the Irish in South Bend, Ind., two years ago, believing this edition under head coach Matt Rhule could do much better has never been hard to digest.

But a loss Saturday night wouldn’t surprise. Then again, neither would a win.
​
Full disclosure: Not a single inkling exists in my mind for a close game. All vibes scream blowout win to me. By either side. Yeah, even Temple’s.

​No pressure. It’s all on them.

The refrain is the oft-used one of a non-believing crowd prepping itself for defeat, almost afraid of the alternative because – gasp – that couldn’t possibly happen, could it?!!

As the weeks drew closer to Saturday’s Temple-Notre Dame tilt at Lincoln Financial Field, with the unthinkable of the Owls coming into that matchup unbeaten evolving into clearer reality with each win, be it a convincing one or yet another Houdini act, the voices have multiplied and gotten louder to share in this mindless, unified condescension:

“Oh, there’s no pressure on Temple. It’s all on Notre Dame. The Irish are expected to win. They should cream the Owls. If they don’t …”

If they don’t … then what?

Idiots. There is NO pressure on Notre Dame in this game. Absolutely NONE. In the grand scheme of things, this is just another game against another ranked opponent in another prime-time setting among an infinitesimal list of them for the most revered and reviled program in the history of college football. Win or lose, nothing will change for the Irish. Their place among the elite – even when they suck, and, believe me, they have sucked at times – is etched in stone thanks to almost 100 years of mostly high-quality performance and a following that knows no bounds.

Temple? You gotta be kidding me …

This is the Owls’ shot. The ultimate, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a program banned to a black hole of afterthought even on its own campus to make some headway along North Broad and beyond.
​
Oh, they could get creamed and recover, and somehow manage to bandage egos and patch recruiting avenues to get back to this point again. But how likely is that? Maybe it’s not the next-door neighbor to impossible, but it’s in the same neighborhood.

Here’s the deal: In sports, as in life, there are always going to be the haves and have-nots, and then by the grace of good fortune, hard work or total fluke, times will pop up when a have-not is presented a chance to join the have lot. When that chance arises, it needs to be recognized and acknowledged as such, and then utilized in order to, well, hit that “have” jackpot.

This is Temple’s chance. How it performs in the spotlight will affect the program in everything stinkin’ regard imaginable. Recruiting. Facilities. Perception. Retention – as in keeping quality coaches such as the man heading the Owls’ efforts right now, Matt Rhule.

Think about it. Think about everything that has had to happen in order for the Owls to get to this point, where they’re 7-0 and ranked and hosting No. 9 Notre Dame before a sold-out crowd, a national-TV audience in prime time with ESPN in town all weekend to, essentially, highlight their program, their school and their city.

Oh, and the stage was completely wiped clear for them, too, with the NFL franchise in town having the week off as well.

The mind boggles at the kind of other-worldly, divine-intervention, stars-aligning magnificence that took place, and that’s with not even factoring in the always-exciting, often-awkward, snatch-victories-from-the-jaws-of-defeat path Temple has taken thus far in 2015.

To think the Owls have no pressure with this game and could just step back and hit the reset button to get right back here, or to whatever “rightful place” the blinders-wearing dopes stuck in the past believe the Owls belong, should they lose is as stupid and asinine as it is to proclaim that they are guaranteed to lose.

This is a big deal for Temple. All the pressure is on the Owls, not Notre Dame.

They need to win, far more than the Irish do.

Deny it all you want, but that’s reality.

- Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com​

0
ND wins against ranked teams on the road this season

1
ND wins against ranked teams this season

6
Turnovers forced by Temple more than ND

7
ND’s rank among all FBS schools in total offense

9
Temple’s rank among all FBS schools in total defense

11
Sacks the Owls have registered more than the Irish

14
Points the Owls have outscored their opposition more than ND

18
Receptions for both feature RBs, ND’s C.J. Prosise and Temple’s Jahad Thomas

84
All-purpose yards Thomas has posted more than Prosise

100
Yards that Prosise has rushed for more than Thomas

Oh, they CAN. There is no doubt about that.

Not from this vantage point, which has had college football in prime focus for four decades, eyeing the ups and downs of the best and worst programs all across the country, the evolution of some and the demolition of others, and witnessing the most overrated and underrated and every-other-rated in between of those who have played and coached the sport at this level.

So, it is with complete confidence and insight that this statement is made:

Yeah … oh, hell yeah, the Temple Owls CAN hang with Notre Dame this Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field.

Whether they could or not never should have been the question, though. That’s just more pandering to the uninformed masses stuck in beliefs and prejudices that refuse to change even when reality does.

No, CAN is one thing. WILL is another, and that is the legit query that always should have been posed all along … will the 21st-ranked Owls hang with the No. 9 Fighting Irish?

Considering the stage, a completely new one for Matt Rhule, his team and, really, the entire Temple football family, it has merit. The Owls may be overwhelmed by it all: national TV, ESPN GameDay, actual meaningful coverage by Philly media, sold-out crowd in prime time.

That is certainly possible.

But this blinders-wearing, Cro-Magnon thinking born out of sheer laziness and lack of knowledge that Temple, talent wise, has no business being on the same field as the Irish is an insult to everyone, including the Irish.

You think they wouldn’t relish – and deserve to relish – a victory on the road against a ranked opponent possessing two of the best players in the country in Owls running back Jahad Thomas and linebacker Tyler Matakevich? Think again, and while you're at it, get a flippin’ clue.

Beating Temple is no given, pre-ordained, menial task for ND. Oh, it may win. It may even roll to victory. But that isn’t set in stone, nor should it be.

Having started the season 7-0 and toppled the likes of Penn State, Cincinnati and East Carolina, Temple has proven it is no pushover – whether its naysayers chose to admit, or accept, that or not. All of the aforementioned are quality programs, and all marked quality wins for the Owls.

The way they’ve won several times now has been nothing short of miraculous. High drama at its nail-biting best. Granted, you could argue that they’ve struggled against some inferior opponents, but you can’t turn around and then say other teams are good because they find ways to win, either.

Oh, there is no debating that ND has faced a tougher schedule than Temple. The Irish have beaten the heavy-hitting likes of Georgia Tech and Southern Cal, both of whom were ranked high earlier this season, but no longer find themselves in a national poll. Frankly, while the Irish lost by two at then-No. 12 Clemson, they were the better team for the far greater part of the game.

Still, it seems the vast majority of the doubters and detractors and, worst of all, Temple “supporters” too chicken to speak up for their team were saying spewing the same “can’t win” bile heading into the Penn State game, too.

Tried to warn ya back then. Throw out the recruiting grades and go by what you actually see in players, how they have evolved and now perform, before making the brain-dead blanket statement that Temple just can’t compete, or, it’s more PC version, that, gee, you hope the Owls can.

Barf …

The reality is that, yes, Notre Dame comes in with the team that, thus far, even with a loss, has looked better through the season’s first eight weeks. Statistically, it is better in most areas. Heck, even its first-year starter at RB, C.J. Prosise, has better numbers (129 carries, 922 yards, 7.1 ypc, 11 TDs) than Temple’s Thomas (165, 822, 5.0, 12).

But the Owls do have something special with their defense up to this point, somehow working an odd sort of innate submission hold on opposing offenses that has them thinking things will work out even as Temple’s Matakevich, Matt Ioannidis, Sean Chandler and Co. slowly syphon off the oxygen and ultimately put them to sleep.

It’s been amazing to watch. The Owls struggle, struggle, struggle on offense and you’re thinking that they are dead to rites … only to stop and realize that, umm, hey, the other team ain’t getting anywhere with the ball. Or, if it has, it didn’t get far, and it ain’t going no farther.

So, spare us the pre-moral victory speeches, or the prepare-for-disaster proclamations. Temple is far beyond that now.

Sorry if you missed the memo.

The Owls certainly CAN hang with the Irish, as a far lesser Owls team proved as recently as two years ago in South Bend, Ind. The question is WILL they … and that’ll be determined Saturday night.

- Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com​
​

92
Ranked teams the Owls have faced since 1970, when they opted to step up their strength of schedule with the hiring of Hall of Fame coach Wayne Hardin. This Saturday’s nonconference matchup with No. 9 Notre Dame will push that number to 93.

2
Victories posted by the Owls against those ranked opponents. The more shocking of the two was a 28-24 win at No. 14 Virginia Tech, which snapped a six-game losing streak to start the Temple season and accounted for half of its wins in 11 games.

8
Times Temple lost by a field goal or less to ranked opponents since 1970, including a pair of two-point defeats by the Paul Palmer-led Owls of 1985 and 2013’s 39-36 loss to No. 15 Central Florida in Matt Rhule’s first season as head coach.

4
Ranked teams that Temple has faced since Rhule took over as head coach in 2013. The Owls are 1-3 in those matchups, with last season’s 20-10 victory against No. 21 East Carolina at Lincoln Financial Field being the most recent.

200
Win total reached at the college level by Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly when his Fighting Irish hosted Temple back in 2013 and prevailed 28-6.

25
First downs the Owls recorded in that game at South Bend, Ind., a total that topped ND’s by four.

3
Kicks (2 FGs and 1 PAT) the Owls missed in the first half, which ended with them down 21-6.

16
Losses the Owls suffered in Rhule’s first 23 games at the helm.

0
Losses the Owls suffered in Rhule’s last 8 games at the helm.

Yet again, something escapes me.

In this superficial, look-at-me society we currently tweet, post and boast in, it hardly seems fathomable, never mind reasonable, that some take a step back, crawl into a cave and genuinely fear sharing what they hope, or even believe.

So it is, though, with most who have connections with, or attachments to, Temple University and its football program.

Even now, with the Owls off to a start unprecedented in their gridiron history, ranked for the first time in 36 years and unbeaten after seven games for the first time ever, there is very little pumping of chests going on, hardly any proclamations of continued success, and absolutely no guarantees of victory against the next opponent.

Showing your colors? Bragging about your team? That’s the “whisper under your breath” exception with this timid lot.

Just don’t understand it, not in this day and age.

OK, sure, it’s been so long since Temple has experienced some level of legit, “catch the country’s attention” winning that no one can either relate or remember. Yeah, plenty subscribe to the jinx factor and fear that speaking out in favor of the Owls would surely spark the team’s immediate demise. Then, of course, you got your doubters and your pooh-poohers heading the inferiority-complex crowd who cannot accept that anything even remotely associated with themselves can be “decent,” never mind “great,” or – gasp – “special.”

But not a single peep about the Owls beating Notre Dame this Saturday in prime time? Really?

It’s one thing for Temple head coach Matt Rhule and his players to show restraint, promoting only respect for the highly touted opposition awaiting them. It’s quite another when those supporting him and the Owls crawl under a proverbial rock when discussions turn to the upcoming affair, deathly afraid of showing any real support because, well, frankly, they really don’t believe themselves.

It’s sad.

Not for nothing, but work on the beer muscles or grow some cojones. Jeez. Something. Anything. At this point, it is EMBARRASSING.

As a Temple alum and longtime BELIEVER in what the football program could become, and currently – newsflash, everyone: HAS BECOME – my skin crawls every time another with Cherry & White coursing through their veins retracts like a turtle into its shell, emotionally, verbally, maybe even physically, whenever the words “Fighting Irish” come up right now or suggestions about an unbeaten season arise.

What is the point of that? Seriously, what is it?

OK, say your greatest fears – from this point on – are eventually realized. The 21st-ranked Owls lose to the No. 9 Irish. Even get blown out … to the point they don’t recover, and stumble to the 2015 regular-season finish line with a mediocre record and a crappy bowl berth.

So what?

Right now, your team is one of the top 25 teams in the country … and recognized as such. Not just in one poll, but two. Your team is one of 12 unbeatens remaining in the country. Your team already has beaten its unbeatable opponent, Penn State, this season. Your team has two of the top individual performers in the country in running back Jahad Thomas and linebacker Tyler Matakevich. Your team has one of the top-ranked defenses in the country. Your team has discovered how to win … in just about every conceivable AND inconceivable fashion possible.

This you know.

So, why would you not celebrate it, bask in it, rejoice in it, shout from the mountaintop that, “hey, you know how all you punks said we sucked; well, now we’re gonna kick your ass … and their ass … and everyone else’s ass?”
Down in the dumps for decades, if not generations, the Temple faithful finally – right here, right now – has reason, and the firepower, to poke the bear. Even one encased in gold and incomparable history.

So, once and for all, do it ... and drop the namby-pamby, scaredy-cat “loser” mentality.

- Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com​

CLOSE TO HOME: Reality is, the more success Temple has, the more likely head coach Matt Rhule’s name will come up as a potential candidate for other jobs. Heading into the weekend, South Carolina, Southern Cal, Maryland and Illinois were openly seeking new leaders or riding things out with an interim one. Now, we can add Central Florida and Miami (Fla.) to the list after George O’Leary opted to retire at the former and Al Golden got canned from the latter. Golden, obviously, is an intriguing name to Temple fans since he was the Owls’ former coach and, in fact, gave Rhule his initial opportunity at the school. More than anything, though, his tale could offer food for thought to Rhule should he consider leaving. Golden’s choice always seemed a bit odd, considering the success he was having at Temple and that Miami had been a bastion of NCAA issues, both real and imagined. Frankly, he laid the groundwork for whatever, first, Steve Addazio and then Rhule have accomplished along North Broad. Just the same, opinion here is he couldn’t have taken the Owls to the level their current coach has … and that should make him a very attractive name to those seeking a new coach.

COACH 'EM UP: Oddly, and thankfully to Temple fans, Rhule’s name has yet to come up with any position thus far – at least for public consumption. Some of the names that have, though, are ludicrous. Since Golden got shown the door two days ago, the Miami wish list has become comical. Yeah, sure, Charlie Strong is going to leave Texas for Miami. Or James Franklin will depart Penn State for it. Get real, people. Those are better, far higher-paying jobs at schools with significantly larger alumni and fan bases. That being said, could we get Greg Schiano back in the coaching ranks just so his name can be deleted once and for all from the “possible” lists with every damn opening?

DID YOU KNOW? Three conferences account for three-quarters of the nation’s remaining unbeaten squads at the FBS level. Two of them, you know, you might expect: the Big Ten with Ohio State, Michigan State and Iowa, and the Big 12 with Baylor, Texas Christian and Oklahoma State. The third? Well, Temple’s 7-0 ain’t the only outstanding mark achieved by an American Athletic Conference school this fall. Both Memphis and Houston are unblemished as well. The remaining unbeatens? Clemson of the ACC, LSU of the SEC and Toledo of the MAC. All of the teams mentioned are ranked in the Top 25.

SAY WHAT? Clemson beat Miami 58-0, courtesy of nine possessions in which it scored, and STILL had to punt the ball four times. Andy Teasdel handled the chore, averaging 42.3 yards per kick.

Might wanna turn the other cheek, Temple.

You've been slapped again. Even in one of your greatest hours.

Sorry, but ESPN’s College GameDay coming to Philly and setting up shop at Independence Mall is NOT a tip of the cap to Temple University’s football season. It’s an insult to the Owls, the university and the reality that both have been islands unto themselves within a city whose vast majority has shunned them when it wasn’t mocking them.

Granted, Temple has played its own part in this by making so many overtures to the city in hopes of support, such as advertising campaigns that highlight Philly as much as itself, a “Liberty Bell” logo on its helmet in the past, and the current Under Armour-inspired #TeamPhilly promotion. But you can’t really blame the school for seeking a little love in its hometown.

The worldwide leader in sports entertainment, though … c’mon. Get a clue.

A week after stepping down to FCS-level James Madison and showing off its campus in all its foliage-enhanced glory, GameDay opts to ignore what the real story is here – Temple – and cater to the brain-dead thinkers out there so reliant on getting the same redundant Philly history lessons?!!

Newsflash #1, people: Temple has a pretty awesome campus, made even more awesome by the fact that it has achieved a significant level of appeal within a hard-scrabble section of North Philly. Brilliant structures along Broad Street. Tree-lined walkways throughout. A bell tower. All crammed into a few city blocks. You want cutting-edge difference, ESPN, there it is. Hello …

Newsflash #2, people: While Notre Dame being the opponent is a major draw to the network bringing its mobile Saturday morning spectacle to town, its success is old news. Good news to Irish fans for sure. But, still, old news. Temple being ranked, being unbeaten, umm, now that’s something. Hello …

The Owls are THE reason you are here, because of what they’ve achieved thus far, and, not for nothing, it might be interesting for the nation to see just how and where they have done that. Psst, it ain’t down on Chestnut Street.
Frankly, it was refreshing this morning to hear WIP’s Michael Barkann and Ike Reese ripping into ESPN for what it has chosen to do. While certainly not shy in seeking their share of laughs even at the expense of possible insight, the pair often is right on the money. Never more so in this case.

Neither of the two of them have hard-core allegiances to the school. Barkann graduated from Syracuse. Reese starred as a linebacker at Michigan State before having a nice pro career, mainly with the Eagles. But they both get “it.”

How anyone could not … well, that’s a testament to blinders-wearing thought processes everywhere, which should absolutely never exist within an entity that is pushing itself, via one of its own programs, as being colleges’ best friend.

Think about it … how in the hell does GameDay holding court show do anything for Temple, or tell anything about its story?

As Mike & Ike suggested, we’re likely about to get a dose of footage showing ND players checking out the local sights and getting some cheesesteaks. Zzzzzzz … please wake me when that scintillating segment is over.

Ugh. How unimaginable. How utterly blah.

I’m a Philly native. I’m a Temple grad. I love both places. But they are not joined at the hip. If anything, the Owls’ current success has come largely in spite of mostly non-existent support from the Philly sports fan base and positively dreadful media coverage throughout the region for, well, forever.

Some of that has changed this fall … slightly and slowly as the Owls have charged into the unknown of 7-0. But not enough to make this about Philly instead of Temple.

The Owls, and the school backing them, have earned the spotlight – not only for all the crap each has had to endure, but because of the smart, progressive-minded decisions they made, such as sticking with the football program when all the Philly-based geniuses called for its abolishment and ultimately hiring Matt Rhule as head coach.

Apparently, though, ESPN doesn’t see it that way. The same network that deemed Franklin Field and Penn’s campus worthy of its GameDay presence on its last visit to Philly 13 years ago for an Ivy League game has decided Temple ain’t worthy of the same.
​
Other cheek turned yet?

​- Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com