Crystal Ballin': Forecasting in '06
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
Twice in a row Hampton has won the MEAC championship and twice in a row they've flamed out in the NCAA Div. I-AA playoffs.
What's that got to do with this year? Not much, except
to say that the Pirates are still very good - perhaps better
than any other black college team in the land.
And that's why they will enter the 2006 season on Sept. 2 against defending SWAC champion Grambling State as the Black College Sports Page preseason No. 1 team.
Sure, the Pirates' vaunted running game got bogged down in the playoffs against William & Mary (2004) and Richmond (2005). Sure, the Pirate defense gave up 251 rushing yards to Richmond last year and 298 rushing yards (592 total) to William & Mary the year before.
Curiously, the major move by Hampton head coach Joe Taylor, other than bringing in a few talented transfers, was to hire former high school guru Chris Beatty as his new offensive coordinator with a view to "opening up" the offense. Beatty's high school teams over the last four years broke Virginia High School League records for passing and receiving. It will be interesting to see if he can pry Taylor away from his ground-oriented attack. One of Beatty's wide receivers and one of his QBs is now in the fold.
Beatty's hire appears to indicate the Pirates intend to outscore their opponents. They certainly have the weapons to do it.
We should know quickly how good both Hampton and Grambling, the No. 2 preseason BCSP pick, are after their clash in Birmingham. It's the second annual SWAC/MEAC Challenge but the first time that the game will pit defending conference champions.
Grambling may have more weapons on offense than Hampton with a stable of receivers and a talented running attack. And outscoring opponents is nothing new to the G-Men. The Tigers success may hinge on whether former SWAC Freshman of the Year Brandon Landers, who redshirted last season while Bruce Eugene tore up the record books, can pick up where he left off after a solid rookie season.
South Carolina State has posted back-to-back 9-2 seasons and been left out of the NCAA I-AA playoffs both years. In each of the seasons, Buddy Pough's Bulldogs have lost to Hampton and one out-of-conference opponent. Eliminate one of those losses and the playoffs should be theirs. Until they get over that hurdle, they're destined to be behind Hampton. They're No. 3 in our preseason ranking.
Alabama A&M lost twice to Grambling last year by a combined score of 89-6. The Bulldogs also lost their homecoming game (17-7) to Texas Southern, a team that finished 1-10. Then why are they No. 4 in our preseason ranking? Anthony Jones only needs to improve the offense. Their defense is the best around.
North Carolina Central returned to the championship circle in its third year under Rod Broadway. Three assistant coaches and the incumbent quarterback (Adrian Warren) bolted over the summer. That puts a lot of pressure on Broadway and whoever succeeds Warren. The Eagles will be tested.
Delaware State, Albany State, Tuskegee, Bethune-Cookman, Bowie State and Mississippi Valley State (tie for tenth) round out the Top Ten.
© 2006 Azeez Communications, Inc.