UCLA going bowling
From UCLA:
UCLA will face the Temple Owls in the 2009 EagleBank Bowl. The game will be played at RFK Stadium in Washington DC on Tue., Dec. 29 at 4:30pm ET. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN.
"We are excited to have the opportunity to play in the EagleBank Bowl," said UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel. "We have a lot of respect for what Coach Golden has accomplished at Temple and we are looking forward to a great game.
"It is also a thrill to play in our nation's capital. Most of our players have never been to Washington DC and this will be a chance for them to learn about what makes our country great. We thank the EagleBank Bowl committee for the opportunity to play in the game."
From me: I'll get reaction from Neuheisel and Temple coach Al Golden around 5 p.m.
Here's an angle for you, Jon - Al Golden interviewed for the UCLA job back in 2007. Since then, he's taken Temple from 0-11 to 9-3 this season. Does he have any sense of needing to "prove" to Gene Block and Dan Guerrero that they made the wrong decision?
(Because I'm remember at least a few of the UCLA people on this board and others really wanting Golden to be hired.)
Temple plays in the MAC, where powerhouses like Ohio, Toledo and Miami of Ohio play.
Oh, come on - that's an impressive turnaround for ANY program.
There's gotta be a heart under that "I ♥ THE BCS" t-shirt you're wearing, right?
I mean, you wouldn't turn down a date with a smoking hot model because she only does gigs for Ann Taylor, right?
Temple's strength of schedule was something like 113 and UCLA's was 10. If UCLA played Temple's schedule, UCLA would probably be 11-1 (losing to Penn St.). 9-3 < 6-6 sometimes.
In addition to highly focusing on the job each player has to execute with vigor, I offer two points:
DO NOT take Temple lightly ... or we lose. They are better than they sound.
It's likely to be cold in D.C. so get over it ... now!
I'm driving up from Williamsburg, VA to see my Bruins and I'm expecting a win...I mean it!
Go Bruins!!