SCSU on short end of SBN poll
By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer Tuesday, December 16, 2008The system used to determine the teams involved in the Bowl Championship Series is not the only one generating scrutiny and controversy from college football fans.
On Monday, the Sheridan Broadcasting Network released its final Black College Football poll and crowned Grambling University this year’s “BCF National Champion.” The Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Tigers beat out Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion South Carolina State for the mythical title by 34 votes and earning 16 more first-place votes than the Bulldogs.
From an objective view, either team can make a legitimate claim for the top spot. Both Grambling (11-2) and S.C. State (10-3) ran the table in winning their respective regular-season titles and averaged double-digit margins of victory.
Grambling’s lone two losses came against 7-5 teams Nevada - a Division I foe headed to the Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl - and traditional Football Championship Subdivision power Northwestern State. S.C. State dropped two games to FBS teams Central Florida (4-8) and Gator Bowl-bound Clemson (7-5) and three-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State (11-3).
There are, however, some legitimate arguments S.C. State can make on its belief for receiving the top nod over Grambling. For openers, the majority of the various power ratings had the Bulldogs and the MEAC ranked higher than the Tigers and the SWAC.
If the MEAC-SWAC challenge is a measuring stick for which historically black conference is superior, the MEAC holds a 3-1 edge in that category.
Despite finishing with one less win than the Tigers, an argument could be made the Bulldogs’ record was more impressive given the level of competition. Not all losses are equal and like FBS teams which schedule games outside their comfort zone, SBN voters seemingly did not truly give S.C. State the full credit it deserved in traveling to two FBS teams and facing a Mountaineers’ team which had won 42 of its last 43 home games.
This lack of consideration was evident for much of the season prior to the FCS playoffs. Even after running off eight straight wins following the losses to Central Florida and Clemson, the Bulldogs remained in the number two position behind undefeated Division II school Tuskegee.
S.C. State was poised to move into the number-one position after Division II Tuskegee dropped its final game in controversial fashion. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they picked the wrong time to lose a first-round playoff game to the second-ranked Mountaineers.
With the opportunity to finish the season against a conference opponent it had already defeated (Jackson State), Grambling capitalized on its last chance to make a lasting impression on voters.
Not surprisingly, some S.C. State officials privately griped about the unfairness of SBN Sports Black College Football poll in both holding the losses they suffered more against them compared to other teams and ranking together schools competing in different classification levels. Does any college football observer believe if the two teams swapped schedules that the Golden Tigers would finish the regular-season with an unblemished record? How much more dominant would S.C. State look against Division II foes other than Benedict?
It’s apples and oranges, of course, but that’s the biggest problem with college football polls. In lieu of a Heritage Bowl, determining a Black College Football champion is not done on the field, but determined by the various whims of reporters, bloggers and commentators with various agendas. Inevitably, it creates hours of debate without a definitive answer one way or another.
Just don’t expect S.C. State head football coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough to speak out on the matter. As Pough has made clear more than once, his goal is to build the best FCS program - period.
Bulldog fans who witnessed the team play this season cannot deny that’s the direction he’s leading the program. In the end, such is the only consensus which counts.
SHERIDAN BROADCASTING NETWORK
FINAL BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
1. Grambling (23) - 267
2. South Carolina State (7) - 233
3. Tuskegee - 219
4. Prairie View - 181
5. Florida A&M - 153
6. Shaw - 116
7. Bethune-Cookman - 72
8. Tennessee State - 63
9. Jackson State - 41
10. Southern - 34
T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.
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tiger man wrote on Dec 20, 2008 6:50 PM:
For god sakes man! Do you ever see anything other than black and white? Liberty and Wofford are not as you say "white" colleges. I assure you that there is no such thing. Haven't you ever noticed that schools such as SCSU, Hampton, Howard, etc. are called HISTORICALLY Black Colleges and Universities. All these schools are open for persons of any race. Furthermore, I'm shocked that no matter what the subject seems to be, you feel the need to inject race into the discussion. This article was about a fictitious poll of HBCU football, and yet you saw fit to turn it into a racial matter. Had you said that the voting was influenced by favoritism, then I would have whole-heartedly agreed with you. We all know that Grambling State is a nationally known school in part because of the nationally televised Bayou Classic every year, but mainly because of legendary Coach Eddie Robinson.
That being said, congratulations to SCSU on the MEAC title and an outstanding season. As a lifelong citizen of Orangeburg, and a rabid football fan, I look forward to next season and more Bulldog victories!! "
bigrasii wrote on Dec 19, 2008 9:12 AM:
I think we are going to forgive your answer here because the subject is about "BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL". I understand you are tired of hearing about a race and culture that has had to fight so long for equality in all other areas but that's over with because we are no longer oppressed! However we are speaking on a injustice within the black football community. Their was no racist comments made here thru my evaluation. The reference to white schools, acquiring the highest office in the land and our voter turnout was for the sake of precedence that has been established because we are fairly new to being the best so we are trying to adjust to polls and such. But trust and believe we are veterans of injustice. We apologize if policing within ourselves seem so racist to you but perhaps researching the subject a little further in the future will help you to understand the content and what the anticipated outcome the bloggers were expecting. We hope you have a better understanding of what the topic was now and if not please comment as we will elaborate as much as you require to understand. But also for future reference just like our Bulldogs we are so far past Racism because we are so far into success. Also what would white people have to complain about? Thanks for participating. "
norwegian wrote on Dec 18, 2008 8:50 AM:
bigrasii wrote on Dec 18, 2008 8:30 AM:
Pitbull wrote on Dec 16, 2008 6:18 PM:
Reddawg wrote on Dec 16, 2008 4:58 PM:
Chris' Cloths wrote on Dec 16, 2008 4:14 PM:
AMTRAK101 wrote on Dec 16, 2008 12:21 PM:
enough_already wrote on Dec 16, 2008 11:09 AM:
Pitbull wrote on Dec 16, 2008 9:03 AM:
bosshogg wrote on Dec 16, 2008 8:34 AM: