That trip might as well have been yesterday.
I still remember that structural design midterm I skipped for the promise of an inevitable F.
And I don't really miss that civic with four doors that was so old it only really functioned as if it had two.
But in the moment and for the memory the trip was worth its weight in gold.
Once we were in Philidelphia there was no mistaking Temple for a MAC school.
By the time Tuesday rolled around I couldn't even relate to Athens. But from kick off to the final whistle there was no doubt who the better football team was on the field. There was certainly no doubt in the mind of the perhaps 5,000 fans inside Lincoln Financial that day.
It's easy to forget Temple had a young hot shot coach that game who was destined for greatness (and inevitable termination from the University of Miami Hurricanes).
It's easy to forget that Temple program never beat a MAC team with a winning record (and never did).
It's easy to forget that Temple program never won a MAC Championship (and never will).
It's easy to forget because we all just watched Notre Dame play in front of a sold out home Temple crowd on a Saturday night in October.
But don't let your neighbor's dream spoil your reality.
Don't ever forget Temple didn't earn that visit from Notre Dame from their play on the field. Don't ever forget Temple didn't earn that visit from their support from the stands. Most of what got Temple that game was beyond Temple's control.
And much of what Ohio fans complain about is beyond their control.
At this point, Ohio's reality is painfully obvious. Unlike Temple, Ohio's not getting any breaks from the outside world.
With that established the only focus of the fanbase should be the factors within their control.
If there's a pill to swallow it's that there are too many programs with a birthright to easy street. I say too many for the sole purpose of expressing that there are too many golden tickets on the market to think an "anyman" effort is going to elevate this program.
What Ohio's fans can control can be measured in the distance between their center of gravity and their seats on game day. If there's a univerisal metric, it can be captured in Ohio's fan's volume on third down. And if there's an x-factor for Ohio University it's only going to be found in those wearing glasses with shades of green tinted twice the legal limit.
If you're an OHIO fan dreaming of the "next" level, wake up! No one is going to take you there but yourself.
And if "yourself" does not have the ability to recruit, call plays, hire or fire, then "yourself" is best served by focusing on the factors "yourself" can control.
Last Edited: 11/1/2015 2:42:08 AM by The Situation