The upcoming battle between Alabama State and Prairie View A&M is perhaps the most important SWAC contest of the weekend. It features two teams that have long toiled in the shadows of others over the past few years—whether it was FAMU and Jackson State in the SWAC East, or Southern in the SWAC West. This is their moment, and the implications of this game stretch far beyond a simple win-loss column, determining who heads to the SWAC Championship and potentially the Celebration Bowl.
Both programs have recently emerged from periods of instability to become genuine contenders. Prairie View A&M is rolling under first-year head coach Tremaine Jackson. Jackson has a knack for success, as evidenced by his previous track record at Division II Valdosta State University, and he has quickly run the gamut in the SWAC West. That victory over Texas Southern to start the season, decided by literally one final, clutch play at the end of the game, propelled Jackson and the Panthers toward a likely SWAC West Division title.
If Prairie View wins this weekend and Jackson State loses another game, PVAMU could put itself in position to host the SWAC Championship game in early December. The team is disciplined and, critically, has handled all of its divisional contenders. They are on a clear beeline to their first Celebration Bowl since 2021.
On the flip side, Alabama State is surging because Eddie Robinson Jr. and the coaching staff finally decided to let Andrew Body be Andrew Body. We saw last year they were trying to move him around, even playing him at wide receiver during the Orange Blossom Classic versus North Carolina Central, but now he’s firmly under center, airing out the offense and fully utilizing his elite dual-threat ability.
Their dominance was on full display in the Magic City Classic, a beatdown of Alabama A&M that turned the fourth quarter into a yard show—shimmying by the players that are members of Kappa Alpha Psi, handstands, the whole Madden celebration package. Even Cam Newton got in on the action, slapping and squaring up with the Bulldog mascot on First Take’s live show from the Magic City Classic on Friday. It was wild.
Alabama State’s situation is more precarious but equally hopeful. They lost to Jackson State on a last-second goal-line stand early in October. They desperately need Jackson State to lose another SWAC East game, and with Bethune-Cookman looking good and FAMU always a threat even as they struggle this season, that’s possible. An Alabama State win this weekend keeps their hopes alive for a SWAC Championship berth, especially since they've already beaten FAMU and Bethune-Cookman.
This game is arguably one of the most important matchups of the season, making the decision agonizing. I’ve been rooting for both these programs, and this choice is pulling me apart as an HBCU football fan who loves good stories. But I have to make a decision, and I’m picking Alabama State to win.
This contest is the ultimate test of two divergent philosophies: the sheer force of generational, dual-threat talent versus a rapidly built, winning team identity. While Jackson has built a formidable structure, I trust Andrew Body to be the best player on the field and make the plays that keep Alabama State's championship hopes alive.
