DIV. I

1. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (7-5) – Buddy Pough’s Bulldogs opened the season losing four of their first five games before winning six of their next seven. Those wins included going 5-0 to win the MEAC championship and his team’s first trip to the Celebration Bowl. In a stunning defensive and offensive effort, SCSU pulled off a 31- 10 upset win over consensus No. 1 and SWAC champion Jackson State in the bowl game to earn the BCSP national champion designation. Lost on the road at Alabama A&M 42-41, Clemson 49-3, New Mexico State 43-35, and Florida A&M 30-7 and at home to NC A&T 27-17.
2. JACKSON STATE (11-2) – Led by a ball-hawking relentless defense and superb play by an offense led by freshman QB Shedeur Sanders, the Tigers captured the HBCU world’s attention during a scintillating 7-0 run through the SWAC that earned Deion Sanders’ Tigers the East Division title. It was capped by a 27-10 win in the SWAC Championship Game over West Division champ Prairie View A&M. But JSU ran into a SC State team that outworked them in a 31-10 loss in the Celebration Bowl. The only other loss was to FBS member Louisiana-Monroe, 12-7.
3. FLORIDA A&M (9-3) – The only FCS HBCU squad Willie Simmons’ Rattlers lost to was Jackson State in a 7-6 decision that opened the season. FAMU defeated all others including a decisive 30-7 win over MEAC and Celebration Bowl champ SC State. With a second-place finish in the SWAC East behind JSU, the Rattlers earned the first FCS playoff berth for a SWAC team in 22 years. They fell to SE Louisiana 38-14 in the first round. The other loss was to FBS South Florida, 38-17.
4. PRAIRIE VIEW A&M (7-5) – Eric Dooley’s Panthers won seven of their first eight games riding a stingy defense and the arm of new QB Jawan Pass getting big wins over 14perennial SWAC West powers Grambling State (24-10) and Southern (48-21) to win the division and earn a shot at East champion Jackson State in the SWAC title game. They were game in a 27-10 loss to JSU. After clinching the West title, they dropped three straight games to end the regular season to Alcorn State (31-29), FBS Texas A&M (52-3) and Miss. Valley State (24-19). The other loss was to FCS playoff team Incarnate Word, 40-9.
5. ALABAMA A&M (7-3) – A string of three straight losses in the middle of the season to Grambling State (37-28), Jackson State (61-15) and Florida A&M (35-31) were the only blemishes on Connell Maynor’s Bulldogs’ record. They rode the arm and big passing numbers of senior QB Aqeel Glass to seven wins.