One of the great things about Facebook is catching up with old friends, like Joe.
Joe is a terrific college football play-by-play guy who went to Temple.
We both worked in Doylestown in our 20s, me as a writer for the Doylestown Intelligencer, him doing Central Bucks West football play-by-play for WBUX-AM.
I don't get Joe, though. He's like a lot of Temple people I know.
That's why, unless a change is made at quarterback, I don't have a feeling one way or the other. This team cannot win with two hobbled running backs when the QB is unable to make a positive play on his own. This team has too much receiving talent to not make explosive plays in the passing game. Seeing that talent go to waste irks me to no end. They just haven't found the right guy to light the fuse.
Every time I post something positive about Temple football on Facebook, he says nothing. Didn't say a word after the 38-7 win at Maryland, the back-to-back shutouts of Ball State and Buffalo (two teams better than most people credit) or the gut-wrenching lost to Big 10 leader Penn State.
Yet lose to Toledo or Bowling Green and Joe is the first guy to post.
"Toledo?" was his one-word post after the Toledo loss.
"Bowling Green?" was his one-word post after the Bowling Green loss.
I asked him:
"Why do you hate Temple so much? You seem to revel in the failure, yet never comment on the success."
"Don't hate," he replied. "Just don't want to make them out to be anything more than what they are."
Well, that got me to thinking.
What are we?
We'll find out on Wednesday night at Ohio (8 p.m., ESPN).
Really, the whole world will.
On every TV in every bar in the United States (and some across the world), Temple football will be the only thing on in the background. A lot of assumptions of what Temple is will be made that night.
It's time to put up or shut up.
Here's what I think "we" are: A championship-caliber MAC team that is also good enough to win the Big East. Last year's Temple team beat the BE champion by two touchdowns. This year's Temple team is better than that one.
I think most Temple fans, maybe not Joe, would agree.
I think a team that won, 42-0, at Ball State and a team that beat Buffalo, 34-0, should be able to handle this Ohio team. Heck, both Ball State and Buffalo did.
However, I think the team that went three-and-out with maddening consistency at Bowling Green due primarily to subpar (and that's a kind word) quarterback play will struggle at Ohio. That's why, unless a change is made at quarterback, I don't have a feeling one way or the other. This team cannot win with two hobbled running backs when the QB is unable to make a positive play on his own. This team has too much receiving talent to not make explosive plays in the passing game. Seeing that talent go to waste irks me to no end. They just haven't found the right guy to light the fuse.
I'm not seeing any indication that a change will be made at quarterback so I'm thinking it will be a four-point game either way.
This week's blogger roundtable questions come from Let's Go Rockets:
1. As we enter the final month of the regular season for most teams, what piece has been missing from your respective team? Can adjustments be made in the remaining schedule to fix it?
TFF: Quarterback. Temple can win a championship with Mike Gerardi. I'm not sure about Chris Coyer because I've never seen him throw the ball. All he does is score 80-yard touchdowns. I don't think Temple is a championship team with Chester Stewart at quarterback. Sorry, I just don't feel that way.
2. How do you feel about the new uniforms in college football this season? Seems like teams are rolling out throwbacks and unveiling special uniforms for certain games. Should the MAC hop on board with this trend?
TFF: No. I hate new uniforms. I even hate the T on the Temple helmet. I think a team should stick with the uniforms it had during its most successful era. For Temple, that was TEMPLE on the helmets and Liberty Bell stripes down the side of the pants.
3. If you were creating an ideal MAC team using the offensive, defensive, special teams, and coaching portions of current MAC teams, list the components of your powerhouse combination.
TFF: I'll pass on that one.
4. What one player on your team has the best chance of making an NFL roster?
TFF: Bernard Pierce is a second-round pick if he comes out now. If he comes out next year, he's a first-round pick with big bucks.
5. Rank ‘em
Toledo
Temple
Western Michigan
Ohio
Northern Illinois
Eastern Michigan
Bowling Green
Ball State
Central Michigan
Miami
Buffalo
Kent State
Akron
