"Satisfied is the right word. It just doesn't get into our building. We have guys who need to improve right now. A lot of times, that's difficult, with all you guys asking questions about the postseason and the implications of this game.
"They have to [keep doing] the things that got them here."
Win or lose, the Owls are headed to a bowl for the first time in 3 decades. A win would earn them a trip to Detroit on Dec. 4 to play Central Michigan for a ring. To the outside world, given all the historical perspective, it would seem they already are playing with house money.
Except they don't live in the outside world.
"To tell the truth, this season potentially could still be a disaster," senior tight end Steve Maneri said. "There's a lot of poison out there."
How's that for keeping it real?
The Owls will be without freshman Bernard Pierce, who has rushed for 1,308 yards and 15 touchdowns on 224 carries. He injured his left shoulder on the first play of Saturday's 47-13 home win over Kent State. But freshman Matt Brown, who is all of 5-5, ran for 156 yards and two scores (including a 71-yarder when the Owls were up 12-10) on 18 attempts.
It's what good teams do.
"Our guys have been feeding off each other," Golden said. "We've become a winning team. Whether or not we'll be an uncommon team or a championship team or all of those things is all before us."
He always has maintained that it's harder, maybe even much harder, to deal with prosperity as opposed to whatever hurdles presented themselves throughout this process.
"When my wife's yelling at me, I don't want to hear it," Golden said. "If she's saying how great I am, I'm all ears. Players are no different.
