College Football Line – Temple Hopes To Improve Against Struggling Buffalo

TheTemple Owls are continuing their push toward the Mid-American Conference’s East Division title. That drive takes the Owls to Buffalo, New York, this weekend.They are the favorite on the college football betting line this week.

Temple Owls @ Buffalo Bulls

Saturday, October 23rd – 12:00 PM ET

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UB Stadium, Buffalo

Broadcast: ESPN Plus

College Football Line: Temple -7.5, Buffalo +7.5

Total: 47

In 2008, everything was sweet and rosy for the Buffalo Bulls. Under then-coach Turner Gill, the boys from Buffalo gave a typically snake-bitten sports city something to cheer about. The Bulls used timely defense and multiple fumble returns to stun unbeaten Ball State in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game. UB reached a bowl game for the second time in school history, but the team played in a bowl for the first time ever. The school’s one previous bowl bid – back in 1958 – was refused due to the Tangerine Bowl’s insistence that two African-American players on the Buffalo roster be prohibited from playing against Florida State University. Buffalo’s integrity deprived that 1958 team from playing in the postseason, so it was that much more emotional for Gill – an African-American coach – to lead the Bulls to their first-ever postseason game, the 2009 International Bowl against Connecticut.

Since that moment, however, Buffalo has fallen on hard times. The Bulls trudged through a losing season in 2009 and are 2-4 at the midway point of their 2010 campaign. Now comes Temple on the schedule. The Owls are 5-2 and just one win away from clinching at least a .500 season. Coach Al Golden’s club is that much closer to bowl eligibility for the second straight season. This game promises to be an uphill fight for Buffalo. Then again, the Bulls defeated Temple the last time these two teams met in upstate New York, on a Hail Mary pass at the very end of regulation time.

College Football Line: What Temple Has To Do To Win

If the Owls want to go into New York and take care of business, they need a steady performance at quarterback. Temple’s Chester Stewart threw a pick-six last week against Bowling Green before getting yanked in favor of backup signal caller Mike Gerardi, who promptly hit two touchdown passes of 46 and 80 yards. Gerardi or Stewart must display ball security and allow Temple to exert its influence on this game by pounding the rock between the tackles. Temple owns two terrific running backs in Bernard Pierce and Matt Brown. If the passing game makes basic plays and the Owls run the ball with authority, they should be in good shape.

College Football Line: What Buffalo Has To Do To Win

The Bulls beat Bowling Green earlier this season, 28-26. Temple beat Bowling Green last weekend, 28-27. Those two scores give Buffalo hope in this game. One of the key things to note about Buffalo’s win over Bowling Green was that it featured 11 total turnovers, with the Bulls committing six and the losing Falcons committing five. If Buffalo can snag a few interceptions against Temple’s less-than-proven quarterbacks, this game could change on a dime. Buffalo also needs to exploit a Temple secondary that allowed a last-second touchdown drive to Bowling Green last week. The Bulls will have the ability to hit downfield passing plays.

College Football Line: Outlook & Pick

Temple should be able to establish the run against a Buffalo defense that’s allowing an average of 29 points per game. If Temple scores 29 points this weekend, the home standing Bulls will have a hard time keeping pace with the Owls. Take Temple on the road.

College Football Line Pick: Temple -7.5

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