Temple vs. Villanova? This means War

Al Golden (left) accepts surrender sword from Andy Talley after game.
By Mike Gibson
I have to admit I was more than a little nervous when the renewal of the Villanova-Temple football series was announced three years ago.
Geez, I thought then as I do now, Andy Talley is a pretty good coach.
On days when it is not playing Temple, Villanova is my second-favorite college team (Penn is the third favorite, as you can see, I like local college football) and I know Talley's coaching style as well as any outsider.
I'm one of those rare individuals who walk into a bar and ask them to put on Villanova-Delaware when Temple's not playing.
Talley can flat-out coach and, quite frankly, a young guy like Al Golden probably is overmatched against him.
I figured that whatever talent advantage Golden could get could be nullified the crafty old field General.
Today, three years later, I am more convinced than ever that Talley is probably a better game coach than Al Golden is and that's no insult to Al Golden.
Talley is probably a better game day coach than 90 percent of the other guys out there. He's just found a niche a 'Nova and loves it so much he never wanted to go anywhere else. Talley loves the Philadelphia area and he doesn't throw his name into the ring whenever any higher-profile opening becomes available.
There's a lot to admire about that.
He's good. Real good.
As convinced as I am about that, I'm even more convinced than ever about this:
By 10 p.m. or so, on Thursday night, Sept. 3, 2009, Temple will walk off the field a 20-point or so winner over Villanova.
Or thereabouts.
At least.
Say, 34-13.
I'm writing that on Feb. 19 with the full knowledge someone will clip it, save it and show it to me on Sept. 4.
I hope it's to tell me that I should have had more confidence in our defense.
I'm concerned about Villanova having 16 starters back from a 10-3 team.
I'm concerned about the mental advantage Talley has over Golden, concerned that Villanova has two quarterbacks, Chris Whitney and Antwan Young, who have been more productive on the college level than anyone Temple currently has, but nonetheless but mark it down.
Golden will beat Talley.
Temple will beat Villanova.
This Epiphany came to me not in a dream but as a result of some deep football and war games thinking developed recently.
I'm a football and a Civil War nut and I'll make this analogy.
Andy Talley is Robert E. Lee and Al Golden is Grant The Butcher.
You know how that turned out.
Robert E. Lee had the strategy part down pat. He could maneuver circles around most Union generals, who were afraid of a growing body count and were too timid to attack the smaller Army of Northern Virginia.
Then Grant came along, correctly figured he had more men and materials than Lee and would just keep throwing those men and that material at Lee until he wore him out.
Body count be damned.
So he was called Grant T. Butcher.
I checked the signing list the Daily News had on Feb. 4 for Villanova. Twelve guys.
I checked the signing list the Daily News had on Feb. 4 for Temple. Twenty-eight guys, with 15 additional redshirts eligible for a grand total of 43 newcomers (or 40).
Additionally, Temple, the best I can tell, has 21 guys on a roster of 105 capable running in the neighborhood of a 4.5 40-yard dash, counting defensive backs, running backs and wide receivers.

Now if Golden was William Tecumseh Sherman (the guy who burned Atlanta), he'd be up 54-9 with a minute left and calling timeouts trying to get to 60.
It won't happen, but oh how I wish Golden becomes Sherman that night.

Villanova has four on a roster about half as large.
Grant had a plan. Now Golden's plan is coming to fruition.
His plan has been a simple one: Keep bringing in high-quality talent and then call in the reserves. For the first time last year, he was able to redshirt 15 guys.
That's a pretty nice force in reserve.
With 20 less scholarships for football, Villanova doesn't have that luxury.
Golden, like Grant, will keep throwing bodies at Villanova.
Bigger, faster, meaner, leaner, bodies.
As Joe Paterno has said, "Temple doesn't have any fat guys."
Yes, both teams play 11 guys at a time but when Temple's guys are bigger, faster, stronger across the board it's not really that fair a fight.
That's OK with me because it eases my nervousness about Talley's impact on the game. He could win a quarter or two but, by the third at the latest, both lines will be overwhelming the Villanova lines on a fairly consistent basis.
The 'Cats won't be able to block Mark D'Onofrio's defense and they will be largely ineffective against Temple's offense because the Owls could have an athletic line that averages 300 pounds across the front. That's a lot of big, gaping holes for a 4.4-40 guy like James Nixon or a 4.5-40 guy like Kee-Ayre Griffin to run through.
It could get ugly, but it won't because Golden, like Grant, will graciously accept Talley's sword at the end of the game and kneel on the ball rather than run it up.
Now if Golden was William Tecumseh Sherman (the guy who burned Atlanta), he'd be up 54-9 with a minute left and calling timeouts trying to get to 60.
It won't happen, but oh how I wish Golden becomes Sherman that night.
Hell, this is War and War is Hell.
Or at least it should be for Villanova.