In the parity-ravaged, topsy-turvy world of the 2007 college football season, nothing seems all that surprising any more. Rankings are no longer safe, and even the lowliest of opponents have a shot at the most unlikely upsets.
And although it's not as sexy as Rutgers beating USF on a trick play, Kentucky's upset of LSU last week or Stanford's shock win over USC two weeks ago, the Mid-American Conference has something strange of its own brewing in Philadelphia.
Temple (3-5, 3-2 MAC) ' easily the last team anyone would expect to contend for anything ' won its third straight conference game in its inaugural season as a football-only member of the MAC by handing Miami its first conference loss this past weekend.
The Owls not only weathered Miami's comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, but they forced the RedHawks to turn the ball over twice on fourth down inside their own 10-yard line to win 24-17. The week before, the Owls beat Akron in the last 27 seconds, and the week before that they defeated lowly Northern Illinois on a field goal with 9 seconds remaining.
Sure, it's not exactly a pretty way to go about winning, but winning hasn't exactly been associated with Temple a lot in the past two decades.
And now for a refresher course in the recent history of Temple football:
The Owls haven't had a winning season since going 7-4 in 1990, which was the last time they won three consecutive games. The last time Temple won three straight conference games? 1967, when they competed in the Middle Atlantic Conference.
They were kicked out of the Big East after 13 seasons (1991-2004) in which they went 30-126 for failing to field a competitive team, among other things. As an affiliate league member of the MAC in 2005 and 2006, they were 0-11 and 1-11, respectively.
But this year, there must be something in that Philly water, or perhaps MAC teams should take Temple more seriously.
Most within the MAC assumed that the addition of Temple wouldn't change the dynamic of the conference much. It might give Buffalo, the conference's historical doormat, some solace in having a new kid to kick around, but that'd be it.
But because there are now 13 teams in the conference, and a team's divisional record is the primary factor in reaching the MAC Championship game, the surprise of Temple combined with an up-and-coming Buffalo is making things much more difficult for the MAC East's traditional favorites.
With four weeks left in the regular season, Buffalo leads the East. And should Temple continue its winning ways and find itself deadlocked in the division, the Owls hold the head-to-head tie-breakers with Akron and Miami.
Temple is off this week and faces Ohio in Athens on Nov. 2 next.-
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Katie Carrera
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Temple shakes up conference
