Temple vs. Notre Dame Is Much More Than Just A Game
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's only fitting that the Eagles are in the bye week. This week belongs to a different football team in town.
It belongs to the Temple Owls.
The college football universe revolves around No. 21 Temple this week. That sentence would have seemed far-fetched coming into this season, but it's the case as the Owls prep for a Halloween night match-up with No. 9 Notre Dame.
Week after week, this team has shocked college football by remaining undefeated well beyond the amount of games anyone expected.
7-0 is no fluke.
This week marks an important moment for Temple football. However, it also holds a major significance for Temple University, the students, the alumni and this city.
"I think that Temple University is a wonderful place. I think it's doing amazing things in the community. It's doing amazing things for the students that go here. It's doing amazing things nationally with the alumni that we have coming out of here, the education that's going on. There's so many wonderful things," head coach Matt Rhule said this week.
He is happy to have his team stand as a representation of the growth at the university.
"If people across the country can see a three hour commercial for our university then I think it's outstanding."
There is certainly more than a football program going on for Temple. The university is a world-class educational institution; an institution that educated Dr. Peter Chodoff.
The education that Chodoff received at Temple inspired him and the 1947 Temple alum has become one of the biggest supporters of the program. Chodoff's donations to the program have lead to the practice field being named after him.
Chodoff hasn't missed a game in 15 years - home or away. He supports the team because he believes in them and he believes in Temple.
"What's meaningful to me, is what the achievement means to the entire university," Chodoff told CBSPhilly.com. "Temple is a very interesting story. The entire university over the last ten years has changed almost completely…the accomplishment of this team fits in so well with it."
Chodoff shared his rationale for the level of support that he's given the program.
"The reason that I really support this, I spent my entire medical life in the academic world and the academic achievements of this university are fantastic now with what's going on with it. And I think that having a credible Division 1 athletic program is a part of a live-in kind of college and an important part of a student's life."
Temple senior Kristi-Lynn Blagman is wrapping up her education at Temple after spending four years as a member of the Temple Band. She spoke with CBSPhilly.com about the impact this season is having on the campus and on her.
"The atmosphere around Temple has really changed. Just like the crowd…I went to the Penn State game and to see the difference between the student section when we're winning opposed to when we're not, it was just nice to see the stands packed and stay packed," Blagman explained.
As a Temple student, she understands that the school has a lot to offer beyond a talented football program and she thinks the attention definitely helps. "It's bringing so much attention like news stations covering the campus or Gameday coming. This just opens up opportunities for the university," she said.
Blagman has seen a lot of football games up close as a member of the band and even she did not see this season coming. "I actually keep telling my friends, am I dreaming? Like, pinch me I'm dreaming. I never would have imagined a season like this to come so quickly. Matt Rhule…he did it."
The former band member also provided some analysis for the game:
"We have a good chance, depending on the momentum of the first half. Before halftime we have to decide whether we're down to clown or not."
I didn't confirm the definition for "down to clown," but I like to imagine it means ready to play.
The meaning of the game is strong for students, but it's not lost on the players themselves. They are well aware of the buzz that comes along with this match up, but they are more focused on playing their game and shocking the world.
"You can definitely feel the excitement around campus," Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich said following practice. "You can't let that get in the way of what you got to do. We got a job that we got to do and we're going to come out here and take care of business."
It's all about focusing on the major prize for quarterback P.J. Walker.
"Distractions, we don't want none of those around our players," he said. "We're going to go out there and try to show everybody what we can do."
But, how do you block out the distractions when your game is in the national spotlight?
"We just have to stay together, stick to our plan to win, stick to the process and everything will be alright," Matakevich explained. "[Notre Dame] is good. They're like anybody you know? Like Coach Rhule says, we don't worry about our opponent. We worry about us. As long as we stick to doing what we were trained to do, we'll be fine."
While Matakevich might view Notre Dame as being like any other team, the attention on the match up proves they aren't. This is two ranked opponents going head-to-head in primetime. This moment is not lost on Chodoff.
When asked if he ever pictured a match up like this in all his years of supporting Temple football he replied, "Of course not. Absolutely not. It's actually hard for me to describe. Almost every five minutes, there's something on the news about us…I'm looking at [the attention] as someone who was used to absolutely nothing like this before."
Rhule is not used to this moment either, at least not in his time as a head coach and he wants to make sure not only are his players aware of what is before them, but that they enjoy it while also focusing on the mission at hand.
"Embrace the moment. We don't pretend it's not here. We don't pretend Gameday's not coming. We don't pretend we're not playing Notre Dame," Rhule said. "All those things are great, but they don't help us play better.
"I want us to enjoy each and every moment," Rhule continued. "Enjoy it man! Enjoy this moment. Don't enjoy Saturday, today."
Rhule is confident that his team will be fully in the moment on Saturday and will be ready to lay it all on the line in what is shaping up to be the biggest game in the program's history. I'm not concerned at all that we won't be ready to play the game. I'm not concerned that the moment will be too big. Are we good enough to hang with Notre Dame? That's the concern."
An answer to that question will come this weekend, but it will not come without the Owls' best effort. "If it's good enough or not, we'll see, but I'm confident that our kids will be ready to play," Rhule said.
Hopefully they come ready to play. It will mean a lot to a particular alum who will be in attendance rooting his team on as he has done for so many years.
"You can't imagine the enormity of what Temple alums feel," Chodoff said. "Beyond the fact that they're winning, it's extremely meaningful to me and a bunch of old geezers like me that have supported this for a long, long time."
