I don't know about you, but I've given up on circling wins and losses on a schedule a long time ago.
(some dates and times unofficial :) )
Fri., Sept. 3: VILLANOVA Lincoln Financial Field, 5 p.m.
Thu., Sept. 9: *CENTRAL MICHIGAN Lincoln Financial Field, 7 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 18 CONNECTICUT Lincoln Financial Field, 12
Sat., Sept. 25 at Penn State University Park, Pa., 3:30
Sat., Oct. 2 at Army West Point, N.Y., 12
Sat., Oct. 9 *at Northern Illinois DeKalb, Ill., 1
Sat., Oct. 16 *BOWLING GREEN Lincoln Financial Field, 12
Sat., Oct. 23 *at Buffalo Buffalo, N.Y., 12
Sat., Oct. 30 *AKRON Lincoln Financial Field, 2
Sat., Nov. 6 *at Kent State Kent, Ohio, 1
Tues., Nov. 16 *OHIO Lincoln Financial Field 8 p.m. ESPN2
Tues., Nov. 23 *at Miami (Ohio) Oxford, Ohio 7 p.m. ESPN2
It was about the season that Jeff Garcia replaced an injured Donovan McNabb and took the Eagles on a six-game winning streak.
That was the year the Birds were at Giants, at Redskins and at Cowboys all in consecutive weeks.
All the talking heads had the Eagles losing all three.
When McNabb got hurt, they all said it was over.
Wrong on all counts.
The Eagles won all three and did it without McNabb.
Who knows what the future holds for any team, although it appears the Owls are swifter, stronger, more talented and more experienced than any other team in their league.
I wouldn't bet against them.
When this schedule came out, though, I thought this was the perfect for me schedule because:
1) I hate byes
2) It opens up with three straight home games.
After the way the team opened up last year against Villanova, don't think that they aren't excited about getting that bad memory out of their heads forever.
I think they will.
If they do, it sets up a well-attended next two games.
If they win those, the attendance momentum will just continue.
Picture, for example, the EagleBank Bowl experience in terms of a roaring loud crowd and a real homefield advantage and you'll get what I'm talking about. At the EBB, I saw a loud, involved, Temple crowd. It stunned UCLA and it sure stunned a lot of us who had season tickets for the past 30 years.
A good start brings that kind of excitement back in a way nothing else can.
I'm selfish about the byes. I know they sometimes help heal an injured team, but I don't see the use in them.
Kids are, what, between 18-22, and they should be able to play every week.
Plus, the Owls get 10 days between a couple of games so it shouldn't hurt them too much.
I hate byes because that means a week without Temple football and my autumns have been consumed with the Owls.
That's why this is the perfect schedule for me.
I get to talk, breathe, blog and live Temple football each week.
It's a good schedule.
Bring it on, the sooner the better.
