Alabama State was among the best teams in HBCU football, finishing with a 10-2 record following their 58-21 victory in the Turkey Day Classic. But, the Hornets were left out of the NCAA FCS Playoffs field. In a recent media availability following the Turkey Day Classic, obtained by WAKA, Robinson reacted to the snb as Alabama State secured a historic 10-win season for the first time in 21 years.
Alabama State finished just outside of the FCS top 25 poll. Robinson looked at the snub in a more granular fashion, advocating for more respect for Division I HBCU football.
“For me, it’s not just about Alabama State being left out. It’s about the SWAC Conference on the bigger note. Our goal is always to get those teams (from the SWAC and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) into the championship games or into the Celebration Bowl. But at the same time, we want that next team to be able to get the at-large bid.”
He mentioned Jackson State's ranking in the latest AFCA Coaches Poll, which has them at 12th. Jackson State was unable to compete in the playoffs due to its participation in the SWAC Championship game with Prairie View A&M, which will ultimately determine the conference representative in the Cricket Celebration Bowl.
“With Jackson (State) being ranked as high as they were, and I think they should be– I think they’re that type of team. So it makes me think that we can’t be (fourteen) spots below that,”
The Hornets, led by star quarterback Andrew Body, were one play away from securing a SWAC Championship birth on October 11th. The fate of the SWAC East ultimately came down to a red zone stand where Jackson State read Alabama State's speed option play perfectly and prevented Jamarie Hostzclaw from forcing the ball into the endzone and stealing the game with one second left.
Now, Alabama State looks to build on the foundation of its success in the offseason and push for a championship goal next Fall.
