Spring practices are in the books and
fall camps will be here before you know it so that means
getting an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season.
Knowing the teams now will save you time in August and Matt
Fargo is here to help you get a grasp of what to expect this
upcoming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006
NCAA Football Preview in order for you to improve your
college football picks
this season.
#119 – Temple Owls 0-11 SU; 5-6 ATS
Fargo’s Take Temple was easily the worst team in football
last season but if there is any good news from that, it is
that the Owls have no where to go but up. Temple finished
114th in the country in total defense and dead last in total
offense, getting outscored by an average of 35.5 ppg. Seven
touchdowns per game is impossible to make up and that will
certainly make first year coach Al Golden’s job that much
more difficult. Getting rid of Bobby Wallace was the best
move it could have done but he put the program so deep into
a hole that it could take years for it to recover. After
spending last season as an Independent, Temple will compete
in the MAC this season and that could be good for a couple
wins at some point. One very encouraging sign is that the
Owls incoming class was rated the best in the conference by
numerous sources. Unfortunately, it won’t make a huge impact
this year.
Returning Starters on Offense – 5This offense was
the worst in the nation last year as it was the only team in
all of I-A that averaged single digits in points. The Owls
failed to top 17 points in any game and they scored a
touchdown or less six times. The offense will be under the
direction of George DeLeone who has 35 years of coaching
experience so his leadership should benefit right away. The
running game will be important since there is little
experience at quarterback with three sophomores competing
for the starting position. Expect a slight improvement but
nothing off the charts.
Returning Starters on Defense – 3Similar to the
offense, the defense was horrible in 2005, allowing fewer
than 34 points only once while giving up at least 450 total
yards of offense in eight of its 11 games. With just three
players returning on the unit, it could actually be
beneficial starting from scratch. There is some decent
experience returning in the secondary and at linebacker but
the entire defensive front needs to be replaced. Under new
defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio, the Owls will be
switching to a new 3-4 defense with multiple coverage
formations and fronts.
Schedule A switch to a MAC slate is a definite plus for
Temple who faced seven bowl teams on its 2005 schedule. Six
MAC contests are on the schedule starting right off with a
game at Buffalo in the opener. The Owls get three home games
against Bowling Green, Kent and Central Michigan, the latter
two being winnable contests. The non-conference schedule is
a bear as they face five bowl teams along with an improved
Vanderbilt squad. Louisville and Clemson are the two home
games from the non-conference portion, neither of which
should even be close.
You can bet on… The first game is usually the most important
game for most teams but it is even more so for the Owls. The
game at Buffalo is the surest thing to a win so if they lose
that contest, it could easily send the team in yet another
downward spiral. A win, which would be the first in 12
games, could give this team enough confidence to pound out a
three-win season. Since 2003, Temple is 1-26 against 1-A
teams with Syracuse being the only victim two years ago.
That is not a good track record for success but the Owls
have gone 18-13-2 against the number over the last three
years so while they are not a good team on the scoreboard,
they have put money in the pockets of their backers thanks
to getting an inordinate number of points. Another
profitable year in 2006 is a definite possibility.
