Riding an 11-game winning streak and odds on favorite to repeat as SWAC champions, Jackson State has clearly defined itself as one of the elite teams in the FCS.
Any other program that is ranked in the top 10 in both the FCS media and coaches polls would likely be eying postseason positioning. But for Jackson State, particularly head coach Deion Sanders, none of that matters. In fact, “Coach Prime” reaffirmed that the goal for JSU football was not to play in the FCS playoffs but to participate in the more financially lucrative Celebration Bowl instead.
The SWAC and MEAC — the major HBCU conferences at the Division I level — no longer have automatic bids to the postseason, though schools from each league can earn at-large selections to the tournament.
Jackson State this season, whether it won the SWAC or not, would be an entrenched playoff team.
Let’s use our imaginations for a moment and consider what this version of Jackson State in the postseason field would look like. How would they fare? How far could that offense led by Sheduer Sanders and all those receivers go in playoffs? What would its great defense look like against the upper-tier FCS programs? Could Jackson State seriously contend for the national championship despite its preseason 104th-ranked schedule?
HBCU Sports asked HERO Sports FCS senior analyst Sam Herder, The Bluebloods Zach McKinnell and HBCU Gameday contributor BJ Jones how Jackson State would stack up in the 24-team field.
HBCU Sports: How far in the FCS postseason could Jackson State advance?
Herder: If the SWAC sent their champion to the playoffs, I think Jackson State could win a couple of games and make a run at the quarterfinals.
McKinnell: People know they’re talented and if you’re just basing it off of paper and comparison of rosters, I’ve said at minimum they could make a quarterfinal run.
Jones: They could legitimately make it to the quarterfinals.
HBCU Sports: Why would the quarterfinal round be Jackson State’s ceiling?
Herder: When it comes to the top-tier teams like South Dakota State, Montana State, I don’t think they’re there just yet. I think the big thing for me is the play in the trenches. I think that’s what separates those top-tier FCS teams from even good FCS teams is that play in the trenches. It’s hard to judge because Jackson State hasn’t played a top-tier team or a second-tier team. … I think it’s that play in the trenches where Jackson State would be a bit behind on as far as this year goes.
McKinnell: What separates teams that make a semifinal or national championship run is just what side of the bracket you’re on. How would Jackson State fare in late December in Bozeman, Montana if they had to travel? Or if they had to go to the Fargodome and compete? Or if they had to travel to Sacramento State, Utah State or Weber State? That’s where it would get a lot more difficult.
Jones: I don’t think they would be capable of beating some of those teams they would run into. There are a lot of teams in the playoffs that they are capable of beating, but when you get to the upper-echelon teams like the North Dakota States, Montana and the Montana States of the world that’s where you run into problems.”
HBCU Sports: How difficult is it to evaluate Jackson State based on the schedule they’ve played this season?
Herder: When the question comes up, how would Jackson State actually compete against top-level FCS teams a lot of people would just go back to how Florida A&M competed for last year (in the playoff) at 9-2 — was looking really good — looking like a great defense and then they allow you know, 30 to 40 points against an average Southeastern Louisiana team. And so I do think it’s kind of a balance to my opinion, because should Jackson State really care if they are considered the No. 1 team in the FCS or a top-five team? If Jackson State has the goal of, ‘We want to win the Celebration Bowl but also be considered the best FCS team,’ well, then they need to schedule tougher.
McKinnell: It makes it difficult but it’s not just Jackson State. You can look at Holy Cross as someone who is difficult to look at. For Jackson State, the schedule is always hindsight is 20-20. The schedule was probably supposed to be a little more difficult than it turned out to be. What hurt Jackson is Tennessee State falling apart and losing to (Division II) Lane (College) and having some unfortunate injuries. Grambling completely underachieving this year under Hue (Jackson). And I think Jackson really needed Campbell to go on and win the Big South. The fact that North Carolina A&T beat them (Campbell) kind of hurt the perception of that schedule. All these teams Jackson and Jackson fans were going to hang the strength of schedule banner on didn’t live up to the hype. But there’s nothing watching Jackson from an eye-test perspective that tells me they’re not a top-10 team.
Jones: From a scheduling standpoint, they have one of the worst strength of schedule in the country. There is not a way to do it (compete for a national championship) without playing a good schedule. The league (the SWAC) also has to give them some help. The league has to play better in the non-conference. If (the SWAC) had gotten some of those non-conference wins earlier in the year, it would have helped all the conference out. That’s why non-conference games are so important.
Consensus: Herder, McKinnell and Jones all agreed that Jackson State would be a worthy postseason team and even could advance several rounds on the strength of its talented and deep defense. But concerns about how the Tigers would fare in the trenches and in potential road games versus the elite FCS teams limits its national title aspirations in this hypothetical scenario.
