Go ahead and take a look at your Philadelphia sports calendar for this coming weekend.
A quick flip through will show the biggest game in town is ... Temple football?!?!?!
Yep, you read that right: Temple football.
For the first time ever, the city’s eyes will be locked in on the Owls — the undefeated No. 21 Owls — as they welcome the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish to a sold-out Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday for a nationally televised showdown that could well have gigantic bowl implications for both teams.
All on Halloween night, no less.
Oh, almost forgot to mention ESPN is even bringing its wildly popular College GameDay show to Independence Mall on Saturday morning for what is sure to be a frenzied pregame environment.
And all of it couldn’t have come together at a better time for the Owls.
Before we go any further, full disclosure: Yeah, I’m a Temple grad. And yeah, I’ve covered Temple’s football team for the last four seasons, so I have relationships with people within the program.
But this is not meant to be some type of infomercial to sell you on the legitimacy of Temple football or convince you to watch the game on Saturday or buy tickets or merchandise or whatever else. I’m not in that business and I think the 7-0 Owls have done a pretty good job of selling themselves.
The fact of the matter is that this is a perfect storm, timing-wise, for Temple football.
The game against Notre Dame on Saturday night is arguably the biggest game in the history of a program that was born in 1894 and has, save for stretches of a couple years here and there, been mired in a state of perpetual losing pretty much ever since.
Former head coach Al Golden brought the program much-needed hope and structure when he arrived in late 2005, the same year the school’s board of trustees almost voted to disband the program entirely because things were so bad.
Matt Rhule, Temple’s current head coach, was on Golden’s staff as an offensive assistant and recruiting coordinator.
Rhule has taken his knowledge of structuring a program, coaching and smart recruiting and turned Temple into a program on the rise. This era of Owls went from 2-10 in Rhule’s first year in 2013 to a school-best 7-0 start and their first AP Top 25 ranking since the end of 1979 season when Temple beat California in the long-defunct Garden State Bowl at old Giants Stadium.
Rhule’s the right guy with the right players (especially on a ferocious defense that allows just 307.7 yards per game — 14th best in the country) at the right time for the program’s first taste of true national recognition.
But as the Owls prepare to step into the national spotlight on Saturday, the local spotlight continues to grow.
The local coverage and notoriety are both picking up because the Owls are a really good team. They deserve all the coverage and notoriety they are getting here in Philadelphia. Natives are getting behind them for a reason.
This game against Notre Dame could not have fallen at a better time because this city could really use a winner right now.
Be completely honest with yourself, the Philadelphia sports scene is a generally poor state of affairs these days.
The Eagles, who are on a bye this week, have a disappointing, to put it lightly, 3-4 record and have been just excruciating to watch at times this year. We need a break from the Eagles. You know what? The Eagles probably need a break from the Eagles.
The Phillies just named a new general manager, which is exciting. But they’re still the worst team in baseball and team executives have already warned fans the team probably won’t contend for at least a few more years. If it wasn’t bad enough for Phillies fans, they’re dealing with a rival team from New York in the World Series.
The Flyers have looked better during the first month of the season, but their cap situation is still a mess and they probably won’t be a true contender for another year or two until overpriced veteran contracts come off the books and talented prospects can begin making their way on to the big club.
I admittedly am not a huge soccer guy, but I do know the Union just missed the playoffs again.
And the Sixers? Welp ...
Oh, the humanity! Someone cover the children's eyes.
I’m not saying the Owls are the “cool thing” in town just because they’re a bright spot in a dark time or just because they’re playing Notre Dame.
This Temple team is good. Really good. The Owls deserve every single ounce of credit they’re getting. A team doesn't go undefeated to this point in the season for no reason.
With a stout defense and an offense that has some legitimate weapons, they have a shot to do what was just a laughable figment of imagination not all that long ago: beat Notre Dame.
But the fact remains all of this couldn’t have come at a better time for the program.
The Philadelphia sports spotlight has been known to shine bright. It’s taken 121 years, but Temple football has now stepped into it.