At the midway point of the regular season, the SWAC West is up for grabs and figures to stay that way through the final six weeks.
On Saturday, Prairie View jumped into first place in the division on the strength of a win over Mississippi Valley State. Southern, which won the West last season, fell in a close battle to East leader Florida A&M.
The game of the day took place in Lorman as Alcorn State rallied to beat then-first-place Grambling State 25-24 thanks to an 81-yard touchdown drive that ended with Braves quarterback Aaron Allen hitting Tavarious Griffin on a 15-yard strike with 1:42 left.
As it stands now, the Panthers — at 3-1 in the division — hold a 1/2 game lead over Grambling State, Alcorn State, and Southern in the standings, who are all 2-1.
Looking ahead, Prairie View, which owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Alcorn State, has Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Southern remaining in the division.
Grambling State, which owns the tiebreaker over Prairie View, plays its final two SWAC West games at UAPB and then Southern in the Bayou Classic. Alcorn State can make headway in the standings with matchups versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Southern and Texas Southern still left. But they will likely need help to overtake Prairie View.
Southern, the defending champion, is in the best position to win the West outright, with games ahead versus Alcorn State, Prairie View, and Grambling State in the Bayou Classic.
The top of the SWAC West will likely be a game of musical chairs, with teams shifting positions down the stretch until a winner is ultimately determined.
Remember, Southern didn’t clinch the West in 2022 until after it won the Bayou Classic and got help when Prairie View lost to Mississippi Valley State.
A similar crazy scenario could play out again this season. What team takes the title might not be known until the final whistle is blown on Nov. 25 in New Orleans.
