Top remains steady, shakeups at the bottom of BOXTOROW Polls

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As the college football season begins to wind down, games become more and more meaningful.

So there was bound to be shakeup in the BOXTOROW Coaches and Media Polls and most of the shakeup took place at the bottom.

The top four in the coaches poll remained the same as North Carolina A&T received all 19 first-place votes after its 45-14 victory over Delaware State.  North Carolina Central also won defeating Howard 30-21.  The victory by the Aggies and the Eagles sets up Saturday’s shows down in Durham between the two for the outright MEAC championship.

It will be the first time since 2012 that the MEAC championship will be decided outright.

Grambling and Southern is on a similar collision course in the SWAC Western Division.  Grambling defeated Alabama State 21-0 to retain the No. 2 spot while Southern defeated Prairie View A&M 44-34, causing the Panthers to drop one spot to No. 6.  SU remained at No. 4.

Regardless of Southern’s outcome in its game Saturday against Mississippi Valley State, the Jaguars and Tigers meeting in the Bayou Classic in New Orleans on November 26 will decide the West title.

With South Carolina State’s 13-10 loss to Norfolk State, the Bulldogs drop put of the poll for the first time ever.

In the media poll, the top four teams remained the same.  Winston-Salem State moved into the top five for the first time this year after defeating Bowie State 44-33 in the CIAA championship game, dropping the Bulldogs to No. 10.

Virginia State and Tuskegee played a bonus game on Saturday with the Trojans prevailing 45-35.  VSU made the most significant jump, four spots to No. 10.

Tuskegee and Winston-Salem State both received berths to the NCAA Division II national playoffs.

The BOXTOROW HBCU FCS coaches poll and the media poll are administered by FROM THE PRESS BOX TO PRESS ROW.  The coaches poll is voted on by the HBCU Football Championship Subdivision coaches and the media poll is voted on by media members around the country who cover HBCU football.

2016 BOXTOROW HBCU Football Coaches Top 10 Poll
Week 11
(Records through November 12, 2016)

No. Team W-L Pts Last Week
1 North Carolina A&T (19) 9-1 190 1
2 Grambling State 7-1 170 2
3 North Carolina Central 8-2 152 3
4 Southern 7-2 133 4
5 Hampton 5-4 96 7
6 Prairie View A&M 6-4 83 5
7 Tennessee State 6-4 74 6
8 Alcorn State 4-5 65 9
9 Bethune-Cookman 3-5 25 T-10
10 Florida A&M 4-6 17 NR

Other receiving votes: Alabama A&M (4-6) 11, South Carolina State (3-6) 7, Savannah State (3-5) 6, Texas Southern (4-6) 4, Morgan State (2-7) 3, Alabama State (3-7) 1.

(1st place votes in parentheses)

 

2016 BOXTOROW HBCU Media Top 10 Poll
Week 11
(Records through November 12, 2016)

No. Team W-L Pts. Last Week
1 North Carolina A&T (12) 9-1 138 1
2 Grambling (2) 7-1 127 2
3 North Carolina Central 8-2 109 3
4 Southern 7-2 104 4
5 Winston-Salem State 9-2 75 6
6 Virginia State 9-2 56 5
7 Prairie View A&M 6-4 48 7
8 Tuskegee 8-2 41 5
9 Tennessee State 6-4 33 6
10 Bowie  State 7-4 16 9

Other receiving votes: Hampton (5-4) 13, Alcorn State (4-5) 8, Fort Valley State (5-6) 1.

(1st place votes in parentheses)