Two terrible teams? Upon further review …
Highlights from this game probably won't make SportsCenter. Heck, the score might not be worthy of ESPN's crawl at the bottom of the screen.
Temple, which has lost 28 of its last 29 games, enters today's Mid-American Conference clash in Philadelphia as the nation's worst team, according to the Bowl Championship Series' computers.
Northern Illinois stands 115th out of 120 Division I-A teams, according to those same rankings compiled by CollegeBCS.com.
As an added indignity, the Huskies (1-4, 0-2) also seem well on the way to their first losing season since 1999.
Wait a minute. Before slagging the Owls and Huskies any further, let's give NIU coach Joe Novak the chance to rebut some of the negative statements made above.
So, Joe, Temple isn't as bad as its 1-28 run suggests?
"They're twice as good as they were last year," Novak said. "They're a mirror of us. They're beating themselves."
One reason why Temple (0-5) doesn't win much, even when it builds leads and fights into the fourth quarter? The Owls have just two seniors on the roster, but 32 sophomores and 45 freshmen as second-year coach Al Golden rebuilds from the bottom up.
"I was telling (NIU athletic director) Jim Phillips, this team in a year or two is going to be pretty darn good," Novak said.
And about the Huskies heading toward their first losing season in eight years? We need to put that sentence into the past tense.
That's because on Sunday, 24 hours after NIU suffered a 35-10 defeat at Central Michigan, Novak declared it to be a whole new season.
Borrowing a page from Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, albeit not deliberately, Novak had the Huskies dress in helmets and shoulder pads and do some physical work at Brigham Field on Sunday.
That's something he never does.
"We didn't scrimmage, but we banged a little bit," Novak said. "We got a lot done. Normally all we do is go out in shorts and talk about things.
"I'm just trying to pick up the intensity. Maybe I've treated this team like a mature team. I think we need to practice more."
If the Huskies go with the starters listed on their depth chart, there will be eight sophomores, two freshmen and just three seniors in the lineup.
Will the heartier practices speed the youngsters' development? Novak admits he doesn't know.
"You're searching a little bit," he said. "Like Weis or anybody, you're looking to do something different."
Northern Illinois (1-4, 0-2) at Temple (0-5, 0-2)
When: Noon at Lincoln Financial Field
TV: Pay-per-view at www.mac-sports.com; Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Series: NIU leads 2-0.
Coaches: Joe Novak (62-70, 12th year at NIU); Al Golden (1-16, second year at Temple).
Players to watch: Sophomore running back Justin Anderson continues to hurtle up the nation's rushing charts. Not only does he rank 15th in yardage (115 carries, 573 yards, 3 TDs), but there are only two running backs who catch more passes per game (23 receptions, 175 yards, 2 TDs). Junior defensive end Larry English shares third place nationally in sacks (7) and shares sixth in tackles for loss (8.5).
NIU must fear kick returner Travis Shelton. Not only is he Devin Hester's first cousin (one of three cousins in the NFL), but Shelton ranks as the nation's top returnee in all-purpose yards. Junior QB Adam DiMichele completes more than 60 percent of his passes, but isn't afraid to run it, either.
The skinny: Regardless of what the records show, neither Northern Illinois nor Temple are terrible teams. The Huskies must find a way to stop turning over the ball early and often. With 17 giveaways and just 6 takeaways, they rank 117th out of 120 Division I-A teams in turnover margin. QB Dan Nicholson will start today, but he'll be bothered by the sprained ankle suffered last week against Central Michigan. If he can't make it all the way, it wouldn't be crazy to see true freshman Chandler Harnish, the No. 3 guy on the depth chart, take the field.
-- Lindsey Willhite