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- The Sickos Committee’s Weather Travel and Football Master Almanac Notebook. (SCWTFMAN) - The MEAC and SWAC Conference Outlooks.
The Sickos Committee’s Weather Travel and Football Master Almanac Notebook. (SCWTFMAN) - The MEAC and SWAC Conference Outlooks.
Welcome to the Sickos Committee’s Weather, Travel & Football Master Almanac Notebook aka the SCWTFMAN.
Here in our SCWTFMAN we will attempt to forecast the upcoming 2023 college football season by using our Sickos Committee alert system. We’re going to do this in the Farmer’s Almanac style. If you don’t know what a Farmers' Almanac is, basically it provides long-range weather predictions for both the U.S. and Canada. We will be applying our forecast to all of Division I in the United States. We’re trying to predict what the upcoming season holds for all Division I teams in college football using our Sickos Committee Weather Alert System.
First we will preview the 128 FCS teams in a conference by conference breakdown over the next coming weeks. Then we will get to the 133 FBS teams for a total of 261 team previews in all.
Will these previews be long winded and incredibly in depth? No. Will these previews be mostly based on “vibes” as assessed by the Sickos Committee weather forecasters? Yes.
Basically, we’re going to try to assess the team as a Sickos Warning, Watch or Advisory, give you their record last year, provide a little blurb about the team and for the FCS version to advise you of any of their games against the FBS and interesting schedule tidbits. We will do a couple of parts here for the substack as we can’t fit all the teams in one post.
We had our Norfolk State & Howard alum in the Committee write this one for both the MEAC and SWAC. (you can direct all complaints to him if you want). The Commish added the beautiful bevels.
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Delaware State
Last Year: 5-6 overall, 2-3 in conference
Del. State had an up and down season where they beat all the teams they should have and lost all the other games. The Hornets struggled in 6 games, losing all of them by 2 scores, except against the conference champion NC Central State. The Hornets last winning season was 2012 where they went 6-5.
Out of conference: Bowie State a CIAA team, Richmond Spiders from the CAA, and Central Connecticut from the NEC. Del. State has 2 FBS games this season, one against Army and the other against Miami(OH) in Yager Stadium.
Rating - Sickos Watch - This team has a lot to prove and has several winnable games.
Howard
Last Year: 5-6 overall, 4-1 in conference
The Howard Bison played in the MEAC/SWAC kickoff, Harvard and Yale in consecutive weeks, and the Hampton Pirates, and lost all four games. Then they beat Morehouse College, and every team in the MEAC except Celebration Bowl champs NC Central.
Out of conference: The Bison play EMU, Morehouse, Harvard, Hampton, Robert Morris, and Northwestern out of conference. Then open up conference play to finish out the season on October 21.
Rating - Sickos Warning - This team was co-champions of the MEAC with NC Central. They can win all their FCS games this season.
Morgan State
Last Year: 4-7 overall, 2-3 in conference
Morgan State won four games in 2022. Two MEAC games against SC State and Del. State. The other 3 games were losses where two of the games were not competitive and lost to a struggling Norfolk State.
Out of Conference: This season, the Bears have a full dance card, playing Richmond, Towson, Yale, Albany, and Stony Brook. The only FBS game on their schedule is Akron.
Rating - Sickos Watch - This team has struggled through all of this millennium, but can win some games this season.
Norfolk State
Last Year: 2-9 overall, 2-3 in conference
By all accounts, last season was a total failure for the Spartans. The 2021 season saw the departure of the most prolific passer in NSU history at the end of the season and a dramatic drop off in production by the Spartans. Averaging 17 points per game and allowing 40, the Green and Gold lost every out of conference game.
Out of Conference: The 2023 season brings back the Labor Day Classic against the Virginia State Trojans and the Battle of the Bay Classic away in Hampton. Temple, Towson, Tennessee State, and the Fish Bowl Classic against NCA&T back home round out the schedule.
Rating - Sickos Warning - The Spartans face a brutal schedule full of strong FCS teams including 4 HBCUs as out of conference games. The Green & Gold will struggle in almost every game on their schedule.
BEHOLD. A GREEN AND GOLD BEVEL.
North Carolina Central
Last Year: 10-2 overall, 4-1 in conference
10-win season, MEAC Champions, Celebration Bowl Champions, Black National Champions. This team was the pinnacle of HBCU football in 2022.
Out of Conference: The 2023 season has the Eagles playing their rivals in Winston-Salem State and NCA&T to start the season, then heading to California to play the UCLA Bruins in the Rose Bowl. They followed that up with the Circle City Classic against MVSU in Indy, then Elon and Campbell.
Rating - Sickos Advisory - This team is poised to have another double digit win total along the way beating multiple out of conference foes.
South Carolina State
Last Year: 3-8 overall, 1-4 in conference
A rough season for the Bulldogs following their 2021 Celebration Bowl victory. This team won a single conference game, but was the only loss in conference that the 2022 MEAC champ NCCU had in conference. Their only other wins were woeful B-CU and NCCAA Virginia University-Lynchburg.
Out of Conference: Kickoff the season with the MEAC/SWAC Kickoff with a Celebration Bowl redux against Jackson State, then playing Charlotte and the Citadel. SC State heads to Atlanta to play GA Tech, followed by Tenn Tech and Virginia University - Lynchburg.
Rating - Sickos Watch - This team is looking to bounce back from their rough 2022 campaign. Coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough is back for his 22nd season and is the Dean of HBCU Football. His team will compete in every game.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference
Alabama A&M
Last Season 4-7 and (4-4) in SWAC play
In 2022 the Alabama A&M Bulldogs started the season with a four loss slide before winning three in a row against B-CU, Grambling, and ARPB. the team then lost the next three including the Magic City classic before beating TX Southern to end the season.
Out of Conference: To begin the season ALA&M will be heading to Nashville to play Vanderbilt to open the season. After the opener the Bulldogs will play Lane College, and NAIA HBCU with their final OOC game against Tuskegee.
Rating - Sickos Watch - Coach Connel Maynor seeks a better result this season with only one game against FBS teams and playing two Division II schools. The Bulldogs will improve this season, and should be watched for improvement.
Alabama State
Last Season 6-5 and (4-4) in SWAC play
In 2022 the Alabama State Hornets were in the middle of the SWAC standings. Starting the season hot, the Hornets stung the Howard Bison in the MEAC/SWAC Kickoff and then prevailed over Miles College, an SIAC school. The Hornets then faced UCLA as the first HBCU to play the Bruins. Alabama State then went 4-4 in SWAC play.
Out of Conference: Alabama State has two OOC games, one against Miles College an HBCU from Division II and Tuskegee another Division II classic for the Turkey Day Classic.
Rating - Sickos Warning - Coach Eddie Robinson (unrelated to the great Coach from Grambling of the same name) in his second season will be lining up the Hornets against two Division II opponents and then a SWAC East Division that the Hornets can sneak into the top spot. Look for a better season this year for Alabama State.
Alcorn State
Last Season 5-6 and (4-4) in SWAC play
In 2022 the Alcorn Braves were just below .500 for the season overall and exactly .500 in SWAC play. The team lost two of their out of conference games to FCS power Steven F. Austin in a tight game and a shutout against Cotton Bowl Champ Tulane, but beating McNeese State soundly. Starting with back-to-back wins the Braves then lost three in a row.
Out of Conference: This season Alcorn is going to be playing Southern Miss, Stephen F. Austin, and McNeese State at home. After which they will be heading directly into SWAC play.
Rating - Sickos Watch - Alcorn will play each opponent tough and keep their games close. 7th year coach Fred McNair will have the team ready for all their games.
Arkansas–Pine Bluff
Last Season 3-8 and (1-7) in SWAC play
In 2022 the UAPB Golden Lions got their season off to a good start by winning games against DII HBCU Lane College and NAIA North American University. They then proceeded to lose 8 games in a row starting with the Pokes of Oklahoma State. Their lone win came at the end of the season against Alabama State.
Out of Conference: The season begins with a trip to Tulsa and then to play Tennessee State in the Southern Heritage Classic, returning home to play Miles College from the SIAC.
Rating - Sickos Warning - The Golden Lions will take a hard series of body blows from the Golden Hurricanes and most likely have challenges, under first year coach Alonzo Hampton previously on the staff at ULM.
ULM MENTIONED - Here is a UA-PB Bevel for the ULM Mention only.
Bethune–Cookman
Last Season 2-9 and (2-6) in SWAC play
In 2022 Bethune-Cookman’s Wildcats had a tough season with only two wins against the only team below them in the East Division MVSU and Grambling at the bottom of the West Division. B-CU was noncompetitive in their game against rival SC State and had a bad defensive showing against Tennessee State.
Out of Conference: In 2023 the season starts with a trip to play the Memphis Tigers, a home game against the SIAC’s Savannah State, and then against the Miami(FL) Hurricanes in Hard Rock Stadium.
Rating - Sickos Watch - Bethune-Cookman University has suffered immense turmoil in the offseason leading up to the 2023 season. This team hired and fired HC Ed Reed in the span of a month, had a major scandal with on campus facility issues, and a team that feels betrayed by the administration. B-CU needs as much support as the college football community can spare.
Florida A&M
Last Season 9-2 and (7-1) in SWAC play
In 2022 the FAMU Rattlers continued their brilliant play in the SWAC in which they have lost two SWAC games in two years both against Coach Deion “Prime” Sanders’ Jackson State. Their only other loss was a wild game against UNC.
Out of Conference: In 2023 the Rattlers have a game against South Florida, West Florida in Division II and Lincoln (CA).
Rating - Sickos Advisory - With Coach Sanders now coaching the Colorado Buffs, this may be the season where FAMU breaks the through and wins the East and ultimately the SWAC. There are some concerns with off season events, but Coach Willie Simmons and the Green and Orange are ready for 2023.
BEVELED RATTLER!! Probably the best beveled logo we have ever done.
Grambling State
Last Season 3-8 and (2-6) in SWAC play
In 2022 under first year head coach Hue Jackson the Grambling State Tigers had a tough season losing SWAC away games. The team lost to B-CU in a lopsided game, the second in a five game losing streak. The Tigers did win against Alcorn and ARPB.
Out of Conference: Grambling will begin the season in the Brick City Classic against Hampton and then head to play LSU in their first game playing the flagship. Their final OOC game is against HBCU Florida Memorial, an NAIA school.
Rating - Sickos Warning - The Tigers are in their second year under Coach Jackson. This follows a tumultuous off season going into Jackson’s first year. Apart from the game with LSU, Grambling should be competitive against their schedule, but will have challenges deep into the SWAC schedule.
Jackson State
Last Season 12-1 and (8-0) in SWAC play
In 2022 the Jackson State Tigers went undefeated in regular season play and then won the SWAC Championship game to give themselves their second SWAC championship under Coach Deion “Prime” Sanders. The team played in the Celebration Bowl, losing to North Carolina Central University of the MEAC.
Out of Conference: This season the Tigers begin in the MEAC/SWAC Kickoff against the SC State Bulldogs. The Tigers have one other OOC game against Texas State in San Marcos.
Rating - Sickos Warning - This season marks the first for Coach T.C. Taylor Jackson State record holder and legend. The portal hit this team hard in the off-season and this is a rebuild for Jackson State. Many teams in the East Division are ascendant and will be looking for wins against the Tigers.
Mississippi Valley State
Last Season 2-9 and (2-6) in SWAC play
In 2022 the Delta Devils began the season on an eight game losing streak, scoring 21 or more once, including a shutout and three single score games. MVSU won their first game against AL A&M only to score just 7 against Southern the following week.
Out of Conference: In 2023 the Delta Devils have a neutral site game against HBCU Central State at Soldier Field, a game against Delta State, and a second neutral site game against reigning Black National Champion NCCU in the Circle City Classic.
Rating - Sickos Watch - The Valley is facing an uphill climb in every game this season. With only four home games and under first year Coach Kendrick Wade, this season may be a rough one for the Delta Devils.
Prairie View A&M
Last Season 6-5 and (5-3) in SWAC play
The 2022 PVA&M Panthers had a good season as co-champions of the West Division. Beating their long time rival in the Labor Day Classic the Panthers went 5-3 in conference play.
Out of Conference: The Panthers play Abilene Christian, SMU, and Houston Christian in out of conference play this season. Staying in their hometown of Houston for two of those games.
Rating - Sickos Warning - PVA&M will play a tougher than average schedule out of conference. However, in his second season Coach Bubba McDowell is seeking an outright West Division championship and ultimately a SWAC championship. The Panthers will be one to watch in the SWAC this season.
Southern
Last Season 7-5 and (5-3) in SWAC play
In 2022 the Southern Jaguars were the West Division champs. The season started with NAIA Florida Memorial which was a victory, but then back-to-back losses to LSU and Texas Southern. The Jaguars then won the next 4 before getting shut out in the Boom Box Classic. Southern then got a rematch against Jackson State, which the Tigers won, sealing the SWAC.
Out of Conference: Southern plays Lincoln (CA) as their only OOC game.
Rating - Sickos Advisory - In year two for Coach Eric Dooley, the Jaguars will be poised to do well in all their games. With no out of conference body bag game Southern will be a force in the SWAC this season.
Texas Southern
Last Season 5-6 and (4-4) in SWAC play
In 2022 the Texas Southern Tigers had an up and down season with a perfectly balanced 4-4 record in the SWAC finishing 4th in the West Division. Losing the Labor Day Classic to Rival PVA&M started the season poorly, but getting their first SWAC win against Southern helped ease that sting. One of their wins was against Lincoln (CA) whose program was only in its second year and plays exclusively away games.
Out of Conference: In 2023 Texas Southern plays Toledo, Rice, Lincoln (CA), in their out of conference schedule.
Rating - Sickos Warning - Texas Southern comes into the season under 5th year coach Clarence McKinney with both the OC and the DC with the same tenure. This team has cohesion and will be competitive in all their conference games.
This has been an excerpt from the Sickos Committee’s Weather, Travel & Football Master Almanac Notebook.
