By Henry Funny
With the 2015 MEAC Football Press Luncheon coming up this Friday, there are plenty of fans who are torn about this upcoming season which will feature the MEAC champion meeting the SWAC champ in ATL in the inaugural Celebration Bowl. No matter if you’re excited to have the bowl game opportunity or, like yours truly, prefer to see your team in the playoffs, this season is sure to be action packed in what could be another tight race to the finish.
Here’s a few questions still looming fresh in the mind with just over a month to go until
the gridiron games are back…
Here’s a few questions still looming fresh in the mind with just over a month to go until
the gridiron games are back…
1. Who is really in the driver’s seat heading into 2015?A goalline fumble doomed A&T in Durham last fall, leaving 1,2,3,4……….5 teams sharing the MEAC Championship. Morgan State won the autobid in the FCS Playoffs. Hard to predict a contender and a pretender when 5 teams have rings. The recent news of NC A&T QB Kwashaun Quick return to the roster makes the Aggies a very attractive preseason pick. But that’s not to discredit the very capable teams at Morgan St and NCCU. Both have stellar quarterbacks returning and if they can perform as they did last year, there could be yet another log-jam come the final weekend.
2. Are Bethune-Cookman and South Carolina State no longer the top dogs (and cats)?With the rise of A&T, NCCU and MSU last season, are SCSU and BCU on the outside looking in.Is their golden age over? One thing we’ve been able to say for nearly a decade is that BCU or SCSU will be front runners for the title. Now after last years sharing of the rings, you have to wonder if time has finally caught up to the Bulldogs and Wildcats.
3. Who could be the surprise team this year?
Last year it was Morgan State and North Carolina Central coming out of nowhere. This year, there are two likely candidates, with both residing in the Tidewater Region. Both Hampton and Norfolk State, with their young coaches, Connell Maynor and Latrell Scott, have the potential to make a real bowl game push. Hampton has a plethora of playmaking, high scoringpotential returning on offense. Norfolk State has a downright-nasty, bone-crushing defense coming to the field. It’s almost like the missing key to each team’s success lies across the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. But seriously, if either of these teams can fill in the holes on the other side of the ball, look out MEAC!
Last year it was Morgan State and North Carolina Central coming out of nowhere. This year, there are two likely candidates, with both residing in the Tidewater Region. Both Hampton and Norfolk State, with their young coaches, Connell Maynor and Latrell Scott, have the potential to make a real bowl game push. Hampton has a plethora of playmaking, high scoringpotential returning on offense. Norfolk State has a downright-nasty, bone-crushing defense coming to the field. It’s almost like the missing key to each team’s success lies across the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. But seriously, if either of these teams can fill in the holes on the other side of the ball, look out MEAC!
4. Which MEAC RB will have the better season, Herb Walker Jr or Tarik Cohen?
Right here we’re looking at potential front-runners for not only the MEAC Player of the
Year and 1st-Team All-MEAC selections, but quite possibly the Walter Payton Award, awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in FCS football. So who has the better year? Looking at the schedule, Morgan St has a very tough opening with Air Force & FCS
Championship runner-up Illinois State before getting pattycake VUL, and I can guarantee Walker won’t see the second half in this one (which won’t count stats-wise anyway, thanks to the NCAA).
Year and 1st-Team All-MEAC selections, but quite possibly the Walter Payton Award, awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in FCS football. So who has the better year? Looking at the schedule, Morgan St has a very tough opening with Air Force & FCS
Championship runner-up Illinois State before getting pattycake VUL, and I can guarantee Walker won’t see the second half in this one (which won’t count stats-wise anyway, thanks to the NCAA).
Cohen likely will be in the same first half action opening vs Shaw before hitting the road totake on UNC and the Elon. Looks like whoever can shine more in the out-of-conference
contests will be the front runner heading into what is sure to be a season where plenty of scouts will have tabs on both backs.
Henry Funny’s preseason predictions
1. NC A&T
2. Morgan St
3. SCSU
4. NCCU
5. BCU
6. Hampton
7. Norfolk St
8. Howard
9. Florida A&M
10. Delaware St
11. Savannah St
2. Morgan St
3. SCSU
4. NCCU
5. BCU
6. Hampton
7. Norfolk St
8. Howard
9. Florida A&M
10. Delaware St
11. Savannah St