The FCS top 25 polls have been out for a couple of days, and two things become apparent for the black colleges ranked within them.
South Carolina State will be hard to put out, even if they drop a game. And FAMU is going to be in a tight spot to earn an at-large bid thanks to Prairie View A&M.
Distance yourself from the excitement and bias of two MEAC teams potentially getting into the Division I-FCS Playoffs, and you realize just how hard it will be for the Rattlers to earn a berth even if they win out the rest of the season. South Carolina convincingly beat FAMU, and has risen to tenth in the FCS coaches and Sports Network poll. Barring two incomprehensible losses in the remaining four games against Morgan State and various conference bottom-feeders, they are in.
But notice PVAMU sitting pretty at 26th and 25th in the polls, respectively. The Panthers have as good a chance to win out and convincingly win the SWAC football championship in a game that will be played on the same day as the FCS playoff semi-finals.
It’s not a stretch to assume that FAMU, who will be playing the remainder of the season for an at-large invite to the dance, will be measured against the proficiency of Prairie View and snubbed as a result of the SWAC champion’s playoff abstinence. FAMU has everything to lose with a loss, OR with close performances against sub-par competition. Blowout victories over Morgan State, North Carolina A&T, Hampton and Bethune-Cookman are the Rattlers’ only chance at getting the 16th spot or better in a national poll to convince voters and the selection committee they deserve the shot over teams like Eastern Washington, Eastern Kentucky and Lafayette.
And convincing the pollsters won’t be an easy task if Prairie View, a team that won’t be in the playoffs but will be playing at the conclusion of the regular season for most FCS teams, draws votes every week with impressive wins.
Prairie View’s dreadful football past and stellar present are creating the perfect storm for the Panthers to ascend in the FCS rankings. But don’t be surprised if that perfect storm ravages the Rattlers’ chances at an at-large bid.
