The New York Times gives Temple Football Forever some love.
"For a little while there earlier this decade, we weren�t sure if Temple football would really stick around. Now, we can safely state Temple football will be around forever."
_The New York Times, in the same paragraph it mentions this blog
By Mike GibsonBill O'Reilly isn't going to like this, but we're going to be paying some positive attention to the New York Times today because they paid some positive attention to us.
O'Reilly is The Times' biggest critic, calling that institution the center of the secular progressive universe, whatever that is.
The Times
referred a whole new set of readers to us in picking the Owls as the No. 74 team in the country in the recent Quad Countdown.
While they were throwing bouquets in our direction, they also tossed a few at Al Golden's Owls.
"We're No. 74" doesn't sound like all that positive a chant for Cap Poklemba to lead the crowd in this year, unless you take a historical perspective.
Temple was No. 105 in the same countdown two years ago, No. 86 in the same countdown last year.
New York Times Quad Countdown
No. 73: Colorado State
No. 74: Temple
No. 75: Memphis
No. 76: Louisville
No. 77: Florida Atlantic
No. 78: Buffalo
No. 79: Baylor
No. 80: Northern Illinois
No. 81: Virginia
Even more illuminating is a look at who The Times have ranked BEHIND the Owls.
Memphis is ranked No. 75 and Louisville is ranked No. 76.
Louisville beat the Owls, 62-0, in Golden's first season.
The Times, like us, feels those days are over.
The next step is a winning season and that must be accomplished now.
The Owls are also ranked ahead of Buffalo (No. 78), Baylor (No. 79) and Garrett Barnas-led Northern Illinois (don't get crazy, tongue firmly implanted in cheek) is No. 80.
Five years ago Virginia was beating the Owls, 44-0, at halftime with a defensive coordinator named Al Golden.
Now Virginia is ranked seven spots behind Temple at No. 81.
So we're moving on up like the Jeffersons.
At least in the area of perception.
Before we get excited we've got to do it on the football field.
We've still got to find a quarterback who can turn the scoreboard into an adding machine, but I believe that guy is on the roster now. The cream will rise to the top once the full squad reports on July 5.
There's a lot of hard work ahead and it won't be easy, but it's nice to know some influential folks will be positioned at the end to say "I told you so."
The New York Times earned at least that much college football street cred with its bold and well-researched opinion.
ony Nelson in their "Top 10 Small School Running Back Prospects".
