The DC/Baltimore Rivalry is one that many people do not talk about enough. Whether that is over who is truly in the DMV, who has better slang, who made New Balances poppin, or even who the better HBCU is between Howard University and Morgan State University.  This Saturday, the rivalry takes center stage as arguably the most important game of the day for HBCU sports.

The Howard University Bison must win their game against the Morgan State Bears to clinch a berth to the 2023 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia, their first time appearing in the Bowl game.

The Celebration Bowl serves as the Black College Football National Championship Game, a title once held by the Heritage Bowl.  The last time that Howard played in the BCF National Championship Game was in 1996 against Southern University in the Heritage Bowl, in which they won 27-24. The last time they won a National Championship was 30 years ago in their famous undefeated 1993 season led by quarterback and now ESPN HBCU analyst Jay Walker.

Now the Bison, due to their victory over NCCU and SC State's loss to the Bears, find themselves in position led by quarterback Quinton Williams and Wide Receiver Kacey Hawthorne, must defeat Morgan State to make their dream a reality.  A team that has had faith since they hired Coach Larry Scott to the Head Coaching position.

The Bears have experienced a resurgence in play this season, with a strong MEAC Conference record and a win over SC State. As a result, they are in a position for a possible Celebration Bowl berth. They also have the potential to spoil the Bison's dreams on their Senior day.

They are hungry for a victory over the Bison as they have not beaten them since 2016. They are also hungry for their first MEAC Championship since 2014, as they have three total (1976, 1979, 2014).

To secure a spot in the Celebration Bowl, they must overcome the Bison and rely on Delaware State to defeat the NCCU Eagles. The Eagles previously defeated the Bears 16-10 and currently hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over them.

This matchup has restored faith in the DMV and BMore rivalry and is expecting a packed Greene Stadium. Howard Students will rep Navy Blue and there is sure to be plenty of Morganites making the trip.

The Howard University SHOWTIME Marching Band will be in attendance as well as the Magnificent Marching Machine of Morgan State. The game will take place Saturday November 18, 2023 at 1pm EST with the game being broadcast on ESPN+.