Mike Williams

As we go into week seven of the football season, Winston-Salem State, Livingstone, Johnson C. Smith and Saint Augustine’s have fewer wins combined than N.C. Central.

The Eagles defeated Saint Augustine’s last week and play WSSU, JCSU and LC in three out of their final five games.

What does this mean?

It means that statistically Rudy Abrams’ team has a good chance to play for the CIAA championship on Nov. 16.

All the team has to do is win the Western Division title and they will play for the CIAA crown.

I know. It’s easier said than done. Well, not in this case because anything can happen. For instance, last week Fayetteville State defeated Winston-Salem in a game that went into four overtimes.

FSU has a better record, but I don’t think that was expected.

Right now the Broncos, who the Eagles play in Fayetteville on Saturday, are in first place after their victory over the Rams. N.C. Central is second followed by WSSU.

The Fayetteville State game is the first of two huge games back-to-back for them.

Winning both contests would almost lock them into the CIAA championship, assuming they win two of their last three games.

The first of those games is against last year’s CIAA champions, Virginia Union.

If, by that time, the Eagles’ offense has their running and passing games working, they can defeat the Panthers.

One advantage for NCCU is that the game will be played at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. That means the home crowd will be a factor.

After the VUU game, the Eagles should win in the final two games against Livingstone and Johnson C. Smith.

Both are home games and the LC game is Homecoming.

The winning of the FSU and WSSU games is almost imperative for the Eagles to get their opportunity because they need the Broncos to lose at least two games and the Rams to lose at least one more game.

They can help themselves by winning against both of them. Even if they can’t win both games, they have to win at least one.

What helps is that Winston-Salem still has to play Virginia State, and FSU still has to play Bowie State, VSU and VUU, which will be in Richmond, VA.

If Fayetteville and Winston-Salem lose any of those games, it will help lock the Eagles into first place in the division.

They need the Broncos to lose more so than the Rams because the Eagles are a game behind them—that’s why they need to beat FSU themselves.

This week’s game is the start of a new season for N.C. Central.

The emotional win against N.C. A&T, the disappointing loss at Morehouse, the loss to Virginia State and the wins against Elizabeth City and Saint Augustine’s are all obsolete.

It’s time for the Eagles to play up to their potential. Their inconsistency has to stop, and the players on both sides of the ball must perform.

One thing they need to bring back from the win against A&T is their intensity.

If they play with the same vitality they had on Sept. 1, then they will play in Winston-Salem on Nov. 16.

Guaranteed.