It’s a good day to be a Temple Owl

As I look back in my first year as an alumnus, Temple athletics has taken on a new identity. The Owls have gone from jokes to “holy smokes.”

Currently the men’s basketball team is ranked number 17 in the country after being idle since the last time rankings came out. After a 63-39 beat down on the Bowling Green Falcons Monday night the Owls could move up again. In the absence of last year’s senior star Dionte Christmas guys like Ryan Brooks, Ramone Moore and Juan Fernandez are stepping up. Temple is playing a team game that is fun to watch. No longer are they a team that recruited one good player and have the game revolve around him. They are now a lot easier on the eyes playing a team game that suggests their number 17 ranking is well deserved.

But it’s not just basketball that is creating a buzz on North Broad Street. Tomorrow marks the first bowl game for Temple football in — get this — 30 years. The Temple Owls will take their 9-3 record to the nation’s capital against a UCLA team that finished 6-6. The ADD Show’s Aaron and Dave will be in attendance at the EagleBank Bowl which, if you check your ESPN front page, is getting some respect (and a 4:30 time slot on ESPN).

Some notes for tomorrow’s game…

• Rookie running back Bernard Pierce is now healthy and will share carries with fellow freshman Matt Brown.
• ESPN’s Ted Miller reports that UCLA QB Kevin Prince has been inconsistent this year. If the secondary comes through, UCLA ‘s suspect running game will have to deal with a tough Owl run-defense.
• If you can’t get to a TV and are unhappy with online coverage, head on over to Twitter and follow The Temple News’ sports editor @JenniferReardon and reporter @Brian_Dzenis who usually live tweet the game.
• Al Golden has pulled a very quick 180˚ with this Temple squad. He is a great coach who at 40-years-old has a good future ahead of him. He will be the subject of head coaching vacancy rumors but don’t worry. He didn’t jump ship three years ago for the UCLA team he will face on Tuesday and he didn’t jump ship for Cincinnati this year. He turned this program around and wants to see it all the way through.