Temple picked to win MAC title

Teddy Roosevelt once said to walk softly and have a big stick.
I thought a lot about Teddy while walking out of the Temple-Villanova football game last year.

2010 MAC FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLL

EAST DIVISION
1. TEMPLE (17) 137
2. Ohio (3) 116
3. Kent State 94
4. Bowling Green 74
5. Miami 53
6. Buffalo 48
7. Akron 38

WEST DIVISION
1. Northern Illinois (15) 115
2. Central Michigan (3) 183
3. Western Michigan (2) 77
4. Toledo 75
5. Ball State 50
6. Eastern Michigan 20

Marathon MAC Championship Game Winner
Temple 11, Northern Illinois 5, Ohio 1 (three voters did not choose a winner for MAC Championship)

The trash talking, particularly from the Temple side of the field, on some Villanova message boards was pretty alarming to me.
Hell, nobody knew more than me that Temple should pound Villanova in football.
I picked 34-13.
Should have, would have, if Bernard Pierce carried the ball oh, say, 30 more times than the paltry six touches he had.
I was thinking of that walking out of the Villanova game last year, too.
But more than that, I was thinking about how all the Temple trash talking came back to bite those fans in the ass.
I say talk all the trash you want AFTER the game.
Don't say a word before it.
I'm writing this because I recently read a tweet from a Temple fan I respect saying, "all this trash talking is really getting me excited for the Villanova game."
We all know we're carrying more than a big stick into this game.
We're carrying an H-Bomb (Heisman bomb).
That, and a great defense and a quarterback who can finally make more positive plays than negative ones, should be enough.
If you want to trash talk before the game, bring a banner that reads, "Big 5 champs."
Otherwise, keep quiet until your Temple Owls make a victory lap with the Mayor's Cup in tow.