The CSN Way: Whew, 2007
Charles Burton, CSN Columnist

The 2007 season began -- and ended -- with historic achievements. Conference by conference, here’s a look back at the “year that was” in FCS football. The champions, the games of the year, the highest moments, the biggest disappointments, the best players and the unsung heroes, the "what if's" and the peeks forward. Whew, 2007!

Southwestern Athletic Conference
Champions: Jackson State Tigers
Game Of The Year: November 3rd, Jackson State 43, Alabama A&M 40.
Down 20-8 at halftime, the Tigers would put together an offensive explosion in the second half, culminating with quarterback Jimmy Oliver’s connection with wideout Rodney Gray with three ticks on the clock to tie the game at 37. In overtime, Bulldog kicker Jeremy Licea would give Alabama A&M a short-lived 40-27 lead, but the Tigers would respond with Edward Lee’s one yard touchdown run to win the game. The win would be vital for the Tigers, as it would allow them to hold a tiebreaker over the Bulldogs and gave them the chance to play for the SWAC championship.
Highest Moment: Comegy vs. Broadway.
Two Johnny-come-lately’s – second year Jackson State head coach Rick Comegy and first-year head coach Rod Broadway – faced off in a dream SWAC championship game. The 42-31 scorefest featured 478 yards of passing and 5 touchdown passes – three by Jackson State quarterback Jimmy Oliver and two by Grambling State quarterback Brandon Landers. The win would give Jackson State their first SWAC title since 1996 and their first-ever win in the SWAC championship game.
Biggest Disappointment: Grambling State.
What should have been a storybook season for the Tigers ended up with a three game skid. One was to FBS Louisiana-Monroe 28-14 (who schedules an FBS game that late in the year?), the second was to hated rival Southern in the “Bayou Classic” in an embarrassing 22-13 loss, and the third was to Jackson State in the SWAC championship game. As the slide was intensifying, head coach Rod Broadway’s name started popping up for FBS coaching vacancies – meaning that the end of the year was more soap opera when it should have been about a historic resurgence in the program.
Player Of The Year: Prairie View A&M linebacker Zach East.
In guiding the Panthers to their first winning season since 1976, East was the dominant force underneath with 127 tackles, 3 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles. Wins over eventual champion Jackson State and Alabama A&M at home were particular high points for East and the Panthers – one of the best stories in college football last year.
Unsung Player Of The Year: Southern quarterback Bryant Lee.
Lost in the shuffle with Brandon Landers and Jimmy Oliver’s performances were Lee’s, who were key to Southern battling for the SWAC championship as well. With 2,326 yards passing and 27 touchdowns, expect to hear his name called a lot in the years to come.
What If: Alabama A&M had beaten Prairie View?
At 8-2 going into the final week, some were saying that the Bulldogs might qualify for an at-large playoff bid if they finished at 9-2 and finished second in SWAC East. What if they were the team that won 30-20 on November 18th? Would they indeed have gotten a playoff berth?
A Peek Towards 2008:
With youth in key areas, it's hard to imagine Grambling State (quarterback Brandon Landers), Southern (quarterback Bryant Lee), and Alabama A&M (runningback Ulysses Banks) not being in the mix for the title once again.

READ MORE... http://www.collegesportingnews.com/a...rticleid=89669