Its Week 8, and we are far enough into the season to really start thinking about the playoffs. This is where every game becomes more and more important.Here are my thoughts on the contenders:

Mountain East:

PSAC: The hottest team in SR1 has to be California (PA), who has largely been destroying teams. Cal would be the likely team to get the top seed if it runs the table.Cal does have to get through Edinboro (6-1) though. Edinboro has to play Slippery Rock (5-2) too.IUP (5-1) has the easiest path, really only facing a mediocre Bloomsburg. Slippery Rock and Shippensburg (5-2) are outside chances to get in, but Ship would have to win the PSAC to get an invite. Most likely, the PSAC will get two in, and both will come from the PSAC West.

If you remember, Post beat Virginia Union by two to start the season. Assumption (6-1) has a potential roadblock in New Haven (4-3), one that they should clear without too much difficulty. Post and Assumption would face each other in the NE-10 title game, and anything could happen given that the final score the first time around was 19-18.

As for the CIAA, you have four teams vying for one slot. Virginia Union is primed to play spoiler, as they have to play Bowie and VSU in their last three games. WSSU has the head to head over VSU, but both have very weak schedules.

One thing the CIAA needs to consider is having an 11-game schedule if they are serious about the playoffs. This is an instance where the champion may not make the playoffs but a non-championship participant could. It happened to the SIAC's Tuskegee a couple years prior and the did cause some damage in the field. Let all teams play a 3rd crossover game on championship weekend like the PSAC does.

SIDs
They are the face of the school, at least in the digital world. I have to say that my favorite twitter accounts have to be Shaw, Fayetteville State, and JCSU, all of who are active and know how to take a joke and dish them. So when you have two schools, Lincoln (PA) and ECSU that are without SIDs, you have to wonder how much that is hurting the overall brand.


Game of the Week: Bowie State @ Virginia Union - You have to think that VUU is pissed at how last week went and that they plan to come out better. Bowie seems to allow the upper echelon teams hang in games and I do wonder if that will catch up to them this week. I like Bowie in this game, moreso because I think Bowie will put VUU in another hole, and the Panthers do not play well from behind (i.e. going exclusively to the Pass game).

Chowan @ Elizabeth City State: Chowan has to keep pace with Bowie and Virginia State if they want to make a run at the crown. I think they can do it against an ECSU team that has a productive offense but a defense that struggles against the pass. Chowan has too many weapons in the pass game plus RB Tyree Lee as a great compliment for rushing.

Livingstone @ Winston-Salem State: The Rams will pass just enough to keep Livingstone honest in this game and Livingstone will struggle with ball control against an opportunistic Ram defense.

The Falcons have a better passing game, while FSU controls teams with their run game. FSU RB Stevie Green has been running through teams like invincible, glowing Super Mario.If the game gets close, then Kicker David Lamb could put this game away for the Broncos whereas I wonder if St. Aug Kicker Sean Smith is okay after being injured last week.
Johnson C. Smith @ Shaw: I keep wondering whether Shaw will get a win this season. The team keeps fighting week after week, and yet, a win keeps eluding them.JCSU simply ran out of gas the last two weeks, losing games in the fourth quarter.JCSU should have an easier time with Shaw. Sorry, Bears.

Lincoln @ Virginia State: Lincoln continues to try to put together a complete game, but they just lack the talent to put everything together offensively. One thing is that teams have keyed in on RB Stephen Scott. Happy Homecoming!