For the first time in 74 years the Temple Owls football team had defeated in state rival Penn State in front of the largest home game in Temple’s history.  Christian Hackenberg was sacked a whopping 10 times and the Owls would win 27-10.  For some fans this has been something they have been waiting for awhile.  For myself this game meant just as much as someone who has been a Temple fan for 30 years.  I became invested in the Temple family my sophomore year of high school as soon as I visited.  Since then I have been rooting heavily for the cherry and white.  These 7 years that one topic would come up in discussion every time, “Is this the year Temple beats Penn State”?  The answer was yes this year and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Temple over the last several years has risen tremendously on the college radar.  Their marketing campaigns, expansion, and academic success has led Temple to be recently name the 115th best national university experience.  This ranking is tied with the University of Kansas and University of Utah.  When those schools come to mind, they are respected throughout the country.  Temple over the last 5 years has risen 17 spots in the U.S. News ranking.  That puts them as the 7th highest improvement in the public schools category nationally.  That’s why Temple’s win on Saturday is more than just breaking one streak, but a continuation of the momentum Temple has gathered over the last several years.  Athletics are a great way to represent a university.  While they should not be the only factor, they can be a main factor because of the media exposure involved.  This win helped attract attention to Temple football, who over the past decades have not been taken seriously.  I think it starts right with Matt Rhule, who stresses some of the most important beliefs someone needs.  He understands where Temple is and what this means for the university.  He is part of the Temple community since the Al Golden era and stresses to his players what is really does mean to be a Temple Owl.

For myself this is an exciting time to be part of the Temple community.  I would rather be a part of a school who has a future that is getting traction right now.  This victory is just the start and the football team needs to continue to win to keep the attention on them.  It could reap big benefits for Temple, such as an on campus football stadium, or an American Athletic Conference Championship.  For now though, the Temple community will enjoy this victory that means so much whether if it was one year or 74 years.