Temple vs. No. 13 Oklahoma looked like a schedule break for the Sooners. Not anymore.

Temple last hosted a team ranked inside the Associated Press top 15 in 2017, when then-No. 14 Central Florida made a visit to Lincoln Financial Field. Before that? It was 2015, when ESPN’s College GameDay made the trip to Philly ahead of the Owls’ clash against then-No. 9 Notre Dame that ended in a 24-20 loss.

The 2025 iteration of Temple football may not match the talent level nor the success that Matt Rhule’s teams achieved, but it’s hard to ignore the buzz around the program after dominant wins over Massachusetts and Howard.

Next up? No. 13 Oklahoma on Saturday (noon, ESPN2).

The betting line for this game compared to last year is one of the telling signs that Temple has made significant improvement in K.C. Keeler’s first season at the helm. The Owls were consensus 43-point underdogs last season in Norman, Okla., and lost, 51-3. This year’s spread at BetMGM opened at 24.5 points in favor of the Sooners and has dropped to 21.5 points.

» READ MORE: Temple faces a true test against Oklahoma. Can the Owls compete with a nationally ranked opponent?

Before we get ahead of ourselves in discussing a potential upset, here’s some perspective: Oklahoma played sound defense against an improved Michigan offense. The Sooners, who have a dual-threat, NFL-caliber quarterback in John Mateer, defeated the Wolverines, 24-13.

Oklahoma massively improved its offensive line even from a year ago and has NFL level players on the defensive line, including R Mason Thomas, who led the Sooners in sacks last season with nine.

The step up in talent will present challenges, especially along the offensive and defensive lines. It’s typically where the biggest discrepancy lies in the talent gap between schools in the Power Four and Group of Five schools. Oklahoma has a clear advantage over Temple here.

But around college football, the American Conference has already made a few splashes this year. Tulane easily handled Northwestern of the Big Ten. South Florida dispatched ranked opponents in Boise State and the SEC’s Florida. Army beat Kansas State from the Big 12, despite losing to FCS school Tarleton State to open its season.

The common themes in those upsets? Winning the turnover battle and not making self-inflicted mistakes. That will be the task at hand for the Owls, not only this weekend hosting Oklahoma but in Atlanta the following weekend against Georgia Tech.

Keeler has noted several times that it’s “the Power Four, and then the [American] is right next in line” in naming college football’s top conferences. He wants Temple to be the next Memphis, the next Tulane, in pushing for a College Football Playoff spot and building a sustainable winner.

The next two weeks will be litmus tests to see how close the Owls are to realizing that vision.

Temple quarterback Evan Simon is playing efficiently and distributing the football (nine touchdowns to six receivers). Gevani McCoy is the backup quarterback, but don’t be surprised if he takes snaps to stretch Oklahoma’s defense horizontally. Offensive coordinator Tyler Walker is keeping defenses guessing with his varied play-calling approach through two weeks. Seven players carried the ball in Week 1, and 10 carried the ball in Week 2.

» READ MORE: Here’s how a hot mic gave Temple even more motivation ahead of its game against No. 13 Oklahoma

The Owls won the turnover battle in both wins, and the defense, led by coordinator Brian L. Smith, has allowed just three red zone opportunities, stopping UMass twice.

Two Temple teams over the last decade broke through against Power Four schools, both at the Linc. The 10-year anniversary of Rhule’s Owls beating Penn State just passed. In Year 1 under Rod Carey in 2019, Temple took down No. 21 Maryland.

Keeler and the Owls will look to be the third. A win, although unlikely, would be massive, but keeping the game competitive well into the second half would be a strong indicator that the program is moving in the right direction.

“[Oklahoma coach Brent Venables] did a great job talking about Temple, but not a single media person asked about the game against Temple. I think there’ll be a different energy [on Saturday]. ... I think when people went through their schedule and looking at the number of wins, I’m sure Temple was a simple ‘Yeah, check that one off.’ I don’t think we see it that way.”

Since Mark Ferrante took over as head coach in 2017, his Villanova teams have played six games against FBS opponents and own a 1-5 record in those games, the lone win coming in 2018 against Temple.

The average margin of defeat in those five losses was 23 points, including a 38-17 loss to Penn State the last time these programs met in 2021.

They’ll meet again on Saturday, with Penn State coming off a shaky offensive performance against Florida International and Villanova narrowly winning its season opener against Colgate.

With the exception of a loss to Central Florida in 2022, Villanova forced nearly every team to pull away in the second half, evidence of how hard Ferrante’s teams play and how hard it is to put them away.

Outside of getting younger players more reps, there’s not much to gain from Penn State playing an FCS team two weeks before it entertains Oregon. But the Wildcats can use the game as a measuring stick before Coastal Athletic Association play begins at Monmouth on Sept. 20.

» READ MORE: Australian kicker Luke Larsen, Villanova’s new punter, isn’t letting his age define him

Simon, the Temple quarterback, leads college football in passing efficiency with a 263.3 rating, just ahead of Southern California’s Jayden Maiava (262.4). Simon has completed 27 of 35 passes for 422 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

The rivalry goes back to 1899. Both teams have CFP aspirations and quarterbacks who have plenty to prove. There are NFL prospects on both sides of the ball for either team, but two stand out in particular: Georgia linebacker CJ Allen and Tennessee edge rusher Joshua Josephs. The Vols haven’t beaten Georgia since 2016.

The unexpected top-20 matchup in Miami will air on the CW, of all networks. South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown is talented, but Miami’s defense, led by potential first-round edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., should make life difficult.

Probably the top game of the weekend. Notre Dame hasn’t played since a narrow loss to Miami two weeks ago, but now faces a Texas A&M squad with an outstanding front seven and future draft picks on both sides of the ball. Irish running back Jeremiyah Love will need to have a big game.