The Sports Network is calling it early; Curtis Pulley and the Florida A&M Rattlers vs. Will Ford and the South Carolina State Bulldogs for the 2009 MEAC football championship. But before you can call the championship showdown on October 17, there is a matter of other opponents.
Namely, those BCS opponents that both FAMU and SCSU have to get through on their respective roads to the championship.
FAMU will face the University of Miami just a week prior to the 10/17 showdown with SC State. The Bulldogs will match-up with the South Carolina Gamecocks two weeks prior. There’s no small reason to think that both MEAC squads will have uphill battles on the roads against their in-state BCS brethren, but there is the small matter of injuries that can come out of these contests and how they can affect the conference races.
Forget the notion that BCS schools are bigger, faster and stronger than their mid-major counterparts. The disparity between these divisions has shortened dramatically in the past few seasons. Neither FAMU or SCSU have to worry about being physically outclassed in any phase of the game.
But when it comes down to it, the details of technique and timing do mean a lot, particularly in football. Poor footwork for a lineman can increase the likelihood of an ankle injury. A lack of clarity on a blocking assignment can mean a big hit that could put a quarterback down flat.
A fumble or an interception can mean equate to more opportunities for cheap shots to be taken at offensive players. And that increases the chances for a crackback block that gives somebody cracked ribs.
And these injuries that take place in an emotionally-charged, in-state rivalry game can make the difference for both the Rattlers and the Bulldogs in their quest for the conference championship. The health factor is a significant symptom in the mid-major plague that is guaranteed games, but in this year’s MEAC football race, it could be a symptom that easily turns into an outbreak of misfortune for any team in the league.
FAMU and SCSU can’t afford an outbreak. Both teams are expected to win and win big against conference foes. So here’s hoping that their biggest out-of-conference games of the season don’t cause damage to their in-conference destinies.
Curtis Pulley, an all-state high school player in Kentucky and former Kentucky Wildcat quarterback, will 