Former Temple fullback, Bill Cosby

This week Penn State hosts the Temple Owls, so I predict most of those participating in this edition of the Round Table will agree that a 3-0 start should certainly be in the bag. Galen of The Nittany Line was kind enough to offer some questions to ponder leading up to the Temple game.

Be sure to pay a visit to the rest of Blue White Round Table participants this week after reading my answers;

We Want the Lion
W. F. Yurasko
Happy Hour Valley
Penn State Clips
Zombie Nation
Nittany Lounge
2 The Lion Football
The Nittany Line

Temple lost over half of their offensive line and their starting QB from a team that didn’t have much of an offense anyway (107^th in total offense in the country). Do they have a realistic shot at moving the ball against Penn State’s defense?

Temple likely will find it hard to move the ball against this Penn State defense. We already know that the Nittany Lions are one of the best defensive teams not just in the Big Ten, but in the country and it is usually very difficult to run the ball on them.

Just look at how Temple’s total offensive yards looks in the previous meetings. In 2008 the Owls had 16 rushing yards and 138 total offensive yards. In 2007 at the Linc Temple had 242 yards (4 rushing). In 2006 they obtained 282 yards (16 rushing). If this is a trend, it is a bad omen for the Owls.

For a couple years now we have heard that Temple is moving in the right direction. They are getting players that can raise the level of game play. They are changing the atmosphere. But of course, we should know that we can’t always trust what comes out the mouth of a Temple Owl…

Homework time! You’ll have to dig deep and be creative for this one: name something about this Temple team that scares you (ok scare may be a bit much… how about gives you pause).

After exchanging questions and answers with someone familiar with the Temple football team I learned about Michael Campell. According to Todd Orodenker of Examiner, Campell is Temple quarterback Vaughn Charleton’s go-to receiver who possesses the ability to break a play on almost any given down. If anyone on the Temple offense is going to give the still somewhat untested Penn State secondary, I would look for him.

Temple lost to Villanova in week one on the last play of the game. If you’ll remember that also happened to Temple twice last season: bad luck or bad coaching?

It has to be credited to both in most situations. Last year saw a bit more bad luck with a Hail Mary in Buffalo, but losing to Villanova was bad coaching. Of course you can not coach turnovers, which Temple did a lot of, especially in that second half, but there is no excuse for Temple to have lost to Villanova. I don’t care that ‘Nova is among the elite in the FCS (ranked #3 and considered a national championship contender by many), Temple should have the edge in that game.

And they did. Look at the yardage totals from that game and you can tell that Temple had their way with Villanova for most of the game,. But as is the case all too often in football, turnovers are the great equalizer.

Somewhere along the line, the coach must be held accountable, and Golden has come under fire in the Philadelphia area a bit. I wonder if Golden’s coaching sounds like this to the Temple football players…

True or False: Penn State holds Temple under 200 yards of total offense?

False, only because of backups in the second half

True or False: Temple goes bowling this season?

We interrupt this Blue White Round Table to bring you this important announcement…

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program…

…if they have any chance of going to a bowl game.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being “totally sucked” and 10 being “awesomeness of epic levels” – how did the Michigan victory over Chuck Weis make you feel last week? Be honest!

I may disappoint many Penn State fans by this response, but it is because I do not have the deep hatred for Michigan that many of you have. ::dodges stray objects being hurled in my direction:: I can say without any hesitation that I was actively rooting for Michigan to beat Notre Dame without any guilt . To me seeing Notre Dame is enjoyable in itself and it does not matter who the coach is; I will enjoy them all the same. Put me down for a solid nine.

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