by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Fair … or not?

On the surface it seems a bit odd that Temple University’s football team doesn’t even get a sniff of the top 25 at this point. Winners of six straight, nine of 12 overall, headed to the American Athletic championship game for the second straight season, courtesy of a solid defense of its East Division crown in the conference, and bound for another bowl game following last year’s appearance, a back-to-back first in program history, the Owls seem worthy of a little more respect.

Ya know, c’mon, we got 7-4 Louisiana State and Houston, loser of two of its last three, sitting at 21 and 24 in the College Football Rankings released Tuesday night, South Florida at 23 in one poll and 24 in the other, and Navy finding itself at either 19 or 20 in all three subjective outlets.

Not for nothing, but ain’t Temple playing the Middies this weekend for AAC honors while fellow members Houston and USF sit at home? Besides, the Owls manhandled the Bulls at midseason.

LSU? SEC member, sure, but we’re not even talking a .667 winning percentage there.

Just doesn’t seem right to see those four, and others, basking in the limelight while Matt Rhule’s crew continues to toil in virtual anonymity.

Only, it is …

Point being, Temple’s strength of schedule, the way things panned out, killed it this fall in terms of paving the way to a few accolades. It’s not so much that Notre Dame was missing this time around. It’s that the conference slate didn’t hold up like it did last year.

In 2015, the Owls played eight quality opponents (winning records and/or bowl entrant), going 4-4. Thus far in 2016 they’re 1-3 with two on deck – Navy on Saturday and then whoever awaits in a bowl.

That’s just not enough “toughies” to merit much attention, especially with sporting a losing record against them.

Conversely, Navy is 3-2 in such contests, including a win against Houston when the latter was ranked sixth in the country, South Florida is 2-2, including a win against Navy when the Middies were ranked 22nd, and Houston is 3-2, including wings against then-No. 3 Oklahoma and then-No. 6 Louisville.

LSU? Hey, SEC, people, and the Tigers went 2-3 in toughies, with those losses coming against the current Nos. 1, 6 and 15 in the CFP rankings: Alabama, Wisconsin and Florida.

The first time the Owls will see a ranked team while it was ranked is this Saturday at Annapolis, Md. … as Penn State wasn’t in any poll way back in September.

All that aside, Temple put itself in a near-insurmountable hole in terms of respect by losing its opener to Army, giving such a lifeless and apparently ill-prepared effort that it anyone who watched a play or two would have a hard time believing the Owls ever could reach a righteous level, never mind a winning one.

Of course, a win against Navy likely erases that perception and pushes them into the top 25 – perhaps in the AP, Coaches and CFP rankings.
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by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Yeah, Carson Wentz had his ups and downs.

As did head coach Doug Pederson.

The officials had another rough one Monday night. The home team’s secondary did, too.

But, once and for all, this has to be said: Following another Invisible Man outing in a 27-13 loss to the Packers, fan favorite Fletcher Cox is the most overrated player in town right now.

With Jason Peters a distant second.

Sorry, reality-check time … and, hopefully, it’s enough to get Mister 103 Mil off his keister and earn his paycheck, or something close to it.

For all the hype and rationale used to promote his – cough, cough – value, the acclaimed linchpin of the Birds’ defense has been a virtual non-factor pretty much all season. Except, of course, when he’s picking up personal fouls.

Stop if you’re about to defend his late, and cheap, hit on Aaron Rodgers. That forearm shiver to the Green Bay quarterback’s chest plate came well after the ball had been released and was completely unnecessary. Not to mention stupid.

Much like Pederson’s challenge of a meaningless two-yard pass play that not only erased a meager gain for the Packers, but also the home team’s ability to question any more calls the rest of the evening.

But, we digress … back to the big man.

Hoopla and hope aside, Cox has brought about as much production to the table as a retired assembly-line guy.
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Seriously, one tackle in this one … with the clock winding down and the outcome long since settled?

Of course, guess that’s better than his zero and zilch efforts against Washington and Atlanta earlier this season …

Granted, a defensive lineman ain’t exactly going to be racking up Luke Kuechly-type tackle totals, but it would be nice to see Cox show up once in a while without a yellow flag accompanying his presence. He checks in at 29 stops (and four sacks) through 11 games this season. That’s a far cry off the pace he set last season with 71 (and 9.5) en route to earning all those accolades and coin.

Spare me the “he was double- and triple-teamed” excuses against Green Bay. For the most part, Cox was manhandled by a rookie offensive lineman all game.

Recognize it. Accept it. Deal with it.

For starters, by ending this ceaseless dedication to his dominance and his worth when the evidence continues to pile up to the contrary of both.

For clinchers, hold him accountable for not performing – to an acceptable professional level never mind an All-Pro one.

The Eagles had a lot of culprits factoring the downfall in this one. Cox was chief among them.

It needs to be said.

by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

A season salvaged by a 32-second, 70-yard scoring drive.

A run of six straight victories, including a dominant five-game stretch at the moment in which the average score is 34-11.

A second consecutive American Athletic Conference East Division title, which brings along with it a 2-for-2 on appearances in the circuit's championship game.

Don't forget another guaranteed bowl invite following one a year ago, marking a program first.

A quarterback who has surpassed 10,000 career passing yards. A pair of running backs who have cleared 800 yards on the ground this season and combined for 25 touchdowns. A former walk-on who has performed at a first-team All-America level at defensive end, and another who has tapped into color commentator Mack Brown's bromantic nature to become the most ballyhooed fullback in the country.

No doubt, these are pretty heady times along North Broad ...

So much so, it might be time to stand up and take notice. Again.

Yo, Philly, we got it. That attachment to adopted son Penn State is strong, especially with the Nittany Lions back to being relevant on the football field this fall instead of off.

But you don't have to search quite so far to feel that connective pride. Temple University has you covered. Again. Not just with Phillip Walker, Jahad Thomas, Ryquell Armstead, Haason Reddick and Nick Sharga, but just about anyone who suits up for the Cherry & White these days.

Indeed, if any outfit would seem to be perfect, upilifting representation of a “your town, your team,” the Owls are it.

Blue collar. Tough. Been through hard times. Serious hard times ... and, now, times are pretty darn good. The hard work performed under head coach Matt Rhule's direction has paid off.

The noteworthy accomplishments – and players – listed above only begin to tell the story. Thing is, while most checked out once last season's Cinderella in shoulder pads story faded to black with a nice, but no cigar outing against Notre Dame on Halloween night that triggered a 3-4 finish following a storybook 7-0 start, the real substance kicked in this fall.

Hey, any dog can have its day. Just rise up from the ashes and enjoy a meteoric stint of success, one that disappears as fast as it arrives.

But to follow up what they did last season with what they've done this season, well, simply put, the 9-3 Owls have outdone themselves.

They're better than last year – better on offense, better on defense – and that was evident before Rhule even uttered such sentiment in the week leading up to Saturday night's division-clinching, 37-10 victory against East Carolina.

Put it this way, following that miraculous, last-second win at Central Florida on October 15, Temple has been an absolute joy to watch. Imagine that total-team-effort trouncing of Memphis last fall ... every week.

Opposition hasn't mattered. Even against the most talented team in the conference, South Florida, the Owls were remarkably in control.

This is not your Temple of yesteryear, or any year, including the last one.

Looking sluggish, especially on defense, against ECU right out of the chute? Previously, that would've been major cause for concern, regardless of who they played. Now, no way. After falling behind 7-0, the Owls rattled off the next 30 points, and 37 of the final 40.

Now comes No. 25 Navy, and considering the Midshipmen's vaunted option attack, prevailing there would be really heady stuff. Perhaps enough to get the recognition and respect Rhule's squad deserves.

Not to mention it potentially could serve as a springboard to a program-record 11 wins in a season and even better down the road.
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by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Playoffs? PLAYOFFS?!! …

Ahhh, if only Jim Mora were decked out in midnight green and primed to deliver a reality check to Eagles Nation.

Barring a total collapse by every other team in the NFC East, 2016 won’t be extending beyond the regular season for your favorite NFL franchise, Philly.

Oops.

For all the pretzel logic going on around town, fueled mainly by a 3-0 start that included a stunning 34-3 dismantling of Pittsburgh that seemed less stunning with each loss the Steelers endured during a four-game nosedive shortly after, the reality was, and is, that the Birds are the fourth-best squad in their own division.

Talent-wise, that’s just how it is. The Cowboys and Giants clearly are, not just because they beat the Eagles, but because they fare better against the rest of the league, too, and can we just accept and admit that Kirk Cousins is much more than a serviceable quarterback down in Washington.

While we’re busy pumping up rookie Carson Wentz for his intangibles and that always positive “potential,” the most underappreciated player in the NFL is busy cementing his status as one of the top five signal-callers … AGAIN. Whether anyone cares to notice or not.

By falling Sunday in Seattle and not exactly super in doing so, the Eagles check in at 5-5 now with rematches against all those aforementioned divisional rivals still on the docket. In short, we ain’t looking at a double-digit win total this fall.

No biggie. With first-timers running the show on the sidelines and behind center that was to be expected.

What might be, though, are the chinks in the armor both of those two are showing. While Doug Pederson bobs and weaves his indecisive way to determine if he’s a conservative head coach or go for broke one, Wentz continues to display some tangible inconsistencies – i.e., he’s short on long throws and he’s often high and wide on intermediate ones.

The kid has talent. It’s obvious. He also has an excuse-making media and fan base that is taking rationalizing to level rarely seen around these parts.

Put it this way, if Sam Bradford or Nick Foles or Donovan McNabb were making the same mistakes Wentz often does, they’d be getting roasted. Not dusted off and patted on the head with “you’ll get ’em next time” words of encouragement.

Yo, did you know “Sleeves,” aka Mr. Dink and Dunk, actually averages a half yard more per passing attempt than our savior?

Yeah, he also checks in with a passer rating 15 points higher … but, hey, who’s counting?

We got playoffs to think about.

Umm, maybe next year.

​by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

The similarities are not uncanny.

Probably because few, if any, exist.

Aside from records, statistics and position in the American Athletic Conference standings after 11 games, the 2016 and 2015 editions of Temple University football have very little in common.

Yeah, many of the same players have dotted each roster, chief among them quarterback Phillip Walker, running back Jahad Thomas and defensive Haason Reddick, but the make-up of those squads and their seasons are almost diametrically opposed. Since starting slow, Walker has been almost lethally efficient the last four games, completing 61.5 percent of his passes for 960 yards and 8 TDs against just 2 interceptions. Meantime, Thomas has become a dynamite receiving option and Reddick a bona fide first-team All-America candidate.

Put it this way, unlike their immediate predecessors, these Owls spread the ball around, they leave little doubt to the outcome of games and they show strength down the stretch.

A year ago at this time, Temple was limping to the finish line, losing two of their next four games after a 7-0 start, a stretch that served as a precursor to an ugly 1-2 close-out to a 10-4 campaign that kinda hollowed out many of the positive vibes that actually got area fans to stand up and take notice.

With Saturday afternoon's dominating, 31-0 decision at Tulane, Matt Rhule's current crop is riding a five-game win streak that includes an obliteration of its primary challenger in the AAC East Division (South Florida) and back-to-back shutouts, as the Owls handled Connecticut, 21-0, their last time out two weeks ago.

Yeah, this definitely feels different.

Like, umm, kinda easy ... instead of gnashing-teeth difficult.

Frankly, right now, the only thing seeming to stand in the Owls' way of a conference crown, top-25 ranking and quality bowl game is a matchup against the West Division leader in the AAC title contest in a few weeks. The Middies and their option attack might give Rhule and Co. nightmares before, during and after such a meeting, should it come to likely fruition, mostly because Temple already endured embarrassment at similar service-academy, run-oriented hands this season.

Remember Army in the season opener? The Owls gave up 329 yards on 67 carries in a stunning, 15-point loss. Navy just racked up 480 on 68 against East Carolina on Saturday.

Winning that contest would be a true testament to just how far Temple has come since September, and confirm that, really, it not only is different than last season, but better.
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