Some fog lifts on site of SWAC title game
If both the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Alabama A&M win their regular-season finales on Saturday, the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s tiebreaker procedure may not take as long as spelled out.
The tiebreaker lists eight possible scenarios that could be used to determine which of the two teams will host the May 1 SWAC championship game. But Andrew Roberts, associate commissioner for media relations with the SWAC, said in a one-sentence reply to an email seeking clarification to the procedure: “Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll (FCS) ranking would be applied.”
That was the fourth-listed scenario.
With respect to that, there’s some good and bad news for UAPB, which will host Texas Southern at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Golden Lions (4-0 overall and SWAC) entered the Coaches’ Poll at No. 25, but they are three spots behind the Bulldogs (4-0, 3-0 SWAC), whose game at Mississippi Valley State will kick off at the same time.
It is not clear how soon the Coaches’ Poll would be updated after Saturday. If the Bulldogs still have the upper hand in the next poll, and they and UAPB win, the title game will be held at Louis Crews Stadium in Huntsville, Ala.
No tiebreaker is necessary if UAPB or Alabama A&M wins and the other loses, since the
hosting team would have fewer losses. The first three scenarios listed in the procedure are: head-to-head competition (not applicable because the Lions and Bulldogs have not played each other); overall conference record against common divisional and non-divisional opponents (Valley is the only team UAPB and Alabama A&M will have played); and record vs. non-divisional opponents (UAPB, the Western Division champion, defeated Valley of the Eastern Division in its only cross-division game, but Alabama A&M, the Eastern champion, has not played a Western team.)
MORE GOLDEN LION HONORS
UAPB’s Doc Gamble has been named a finalist for the Football Championship Subdivision’s top coaching award.
Gamble is one of 16 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, named after the legendary Grambling State coach. Gamble has led UAPB to its best start since 1994 and the SWAC Western Division championship after last weekend’s 36-31 home win over Prairie View A&M.
With two games remaining, the Lions have achieved other high-water marks in program history. In addition to debuting at No. 24 in the STATS Perform FCS Top 25 poll, the Lions broke into the Coaches’ Poll at No. 25 on Tuesday.
The national radio show “From the Press Box to Press Row” has Alabama A&M and UAPB ranked first and second, respectively in both the BOXTOROW HBCU Coaches’ and Media Polls.
Also Tuesday, junior linebacker Isaac Peppers has been named SWAC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season and an honorable mention selection for STATS Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week. Peppers collected a career-high 3.5 sacks, including one on the final play of the win against Prairie View, totaled 4 tackles for losses and forced a fumble leading to a turnover.