Quote:Temple is an interesting case as well because they were Independent, then MAC, then Big East, now G5.
Actually, trickier than that for Temple (since 90s):
- Big East (P5) [to 2004]
- Independent [to 2006]
- MAC (G5) [to 2011]
- Big East (P5) [to 2012]
- AAC (P5) [to 2013]
- AAC (G5) [to NOW]
Temple re-joined the Big East in the last year of it being the Big East -- but the name-change to AAC, it was still P5 for it's 1st year and 1st year only.
Quote:So Temple only counts as P5 for the few years in the Big East?
A Temple W/L only counts as a P5 W/L at the time they were in a P5 Conference. Which, yes, would be the Big East + the 1st year of the AAC which it was P5.
So if you beat Temple while in the MAC, Independent, or on the 2014 year or later -- no, it's not a P5 win. But if you beat them otherwise, it's a P5 win. Sure, nothing huge to brag about. But neither would be beating Indiana on a bad year for them either, and that's P5, too.
Quote:What distinguishes them as an Independent vs. Big East as a P5?
You're independent when you're not in Any conference. Only Notre Dame is considered P5 when Independent. One way one could look at it is SoS -- if you play more P5 teams as an Indy, you're considered P5. Notre Dame has that + in all other sports is part of a P5 conference, so that's more than enough support. But mainly, it gets an Auto-Qualifying-Bid in a BCS-level bowl. That's the Real definition.
The only other Independent where it'd come into question whether they're G5 or P5 -- would be BYU. But BYU, although having a tough SoS, doesn't have enough P5s to be considered "P5". It being tough though, if in all other sports they were, say, part of the B12 -- you could make a case for that. However, they get no Auto-Qualifying-Bid to a BCS-level bowl, so that's the real meat & potatoes.
But to answer your question: If WMU or CMU beat Temple when they were Independent -- no, it wouldn't count as a P5 win. You could make the case that it's a P5-level win as far as Temple's SoS and record... but they were 1-22 during those 2 years Independent, as a Result of being KICKED OUT of a P5 conference (Big East). So NO WAY could one say in 2005 & 2006 would a win over an Independent Temple count as a P5 win.
But a win against Temple in 2012 & 2013 -- IS a P5 win (last year of Big East; first year of AAC).