College Football: HBCU Legendary Programs To Battle FBS & FCS Top Teams

Saturday's games will feature two storied HBCU football programs that will battle the top teams from the FCS and FBS.

HBCU FOOTBALL MEETS FBS FCS TEAMS | HBCU Legends

HOUSTON - After Week 1's thrilling exhibition of contests at season openers, classics, and rivalry showdowns, Week 2 will have a different flavor for fans. Saturday's slate of games will have storied HBCU programs battling No. 1 teams from the FBS and FCS - which may the first time ever happening in college football.

It's another David versus Goliath scenario in Week 2...while some in the HBCU landscape would call them "Check Games." Grambling State will receive a $1 million check from Ohio State.  

• Teams: No. 1 (FCS) North Dakota State Bison (1-0) vs. Tennessee State Tigers (1-0)
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 6
• Time: 1:30 PM CT
• Location: Nashville, Tennessee
• Venue: Nissan Stadium
• Broadcast: ESPN+ will televise the game at 1:30 PM CT from Music City. Dan Laing (pxp), Darren Arbet (analyst)
• Radio: WNSR — 560 AM, 95.9 FM (Nashville), 107.9 FM (Smyrna)
• Sirius XM: Ch. TBA / TBA (app)
• Stream: TSU Tigers App, WNSR.com, Alexa (Play WNSR), Greg Pogue (pxp), Dean Cokinos (analyst)
• Social: @TSU_Tigers | @TSUTigersFB
• Game Day Information:  Watch | Live Stats

TSU QB Palmer | TSU Athletics

"We have so much respect for NDSU. They have done it the right way for many years," TSU head coach Reggie Barlow said. He continued, " It is a game we are definitely excited about. I know our young men will be excited about it. You want to show that you are the best, then you have to play against the best and you to compete against the best."

Last season, NDSU defeated the Eddie George-led TSU team, 52-3, in the 2024 Trees Bowl during Week 2. Saturday will be the second time the Tigers and Bison have met on the gridiron.

Love thy white and blue 🤍💙 pic.twitter.com/mr21wMNYhd

— Tennessee State Football (@TSUTigersFB) September 4, 2025

PLAYERS TO WATCH

• Tennessee State starting quarterback Jonathan Palmer connected with DeVaughn Slaughter for an 82-yard touchdown strike on the Tigers' first offensive play of the game. FYI, Jonathan Palmer is the nephew of Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback Carson Palmer. His other uncle, Jordan Palmer, was Carson's backup signal-caller for three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
• Running back Kendric Rhymes may have finally found his groove with the Tennessee State Tigers. Last week the transfer from Southern rushed for 174 yards on 21 carries in his TSU debut. He had explosive touchdown runs of 60 and 51 yards that came in the second half vs. North Carolina A&T.
• Two defensive players led the way in Week 1. Defensive back Kaiki Baker with nine tackles and defensive end James Stewart, who racked up six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and a forced fumble for the Tiger defense.

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PREDICTION: NDSU 34, TENNESSEE STATE 24

The second battle promises to be monumental for HBCU fans! The Grambling State Tigers (1-0) will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face the 2024 FBS National Champions and current No. 1 team in the nation, the Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0). This matchup marks the first meeting between these legendary football programs.

• Teams: Grambling State Tigers (1-0) vs. No. 1 (FBS) Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0)
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 6
• Time: 3:30 PM CT
• Location: Columbus, Ohio
• Venue: Ohio Stadium - The Shoe
• Broadcast: Big 10 Network
• Radio: 97.1 The Fan
• Sirius XM: Ch. TBA / TBA (app)
• Odds: 55.5 points (Buckeyes)

Grambling State Tigers - 2025 | GSU Athletics

"First of all. They got a great band. We have a great band. And, we've going to compete as a band. I'm just jokin right now," Grambling State head coach Micky Joseph said at his GSU-OSU presser.   

He continued, "We understand what we’re getting into. We understand what’s going to happen. We understand it’s not balanced in the scholarships, not balanced in what they have resources-wise and what we have resources-wise. We all know why we’re playing the game...I spoke to the coaches and said, "The game better be clean...we play within the system and we swing.""

Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day reflected on the powerful legacy of Grambling State and the legendary Eddie Robinson. The team was inspired by a moving talk from assistant defensive coach Larry Johnson, who shared how Coach Robinson influenced his own coaching journey.

"Larry Johnson just spoke to the team and talked a little bit about the history at Grambling," Day stated. "[He] spoke about Eddie Robinson and talked about his experience of listening to Coach Robinson at a clinic. And after that, he realized he wanted to coach and the impact that he made on so many people, but also the game of football."

Grambling State takes on Langston at the Shreveport Kickoff Classic | Paul Karge/The Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He reminded us all, "There’s a lot of guys on our field that… the game wouldn’t be where it is right now without [Coach Robinson] and without Grambling...We talk a lot about tradition at Ohio State and Grambling has a great tradition as well."

We wonder if one of Coach Rob's potent Black College National Championship teams could have upset today's Buckeyes? It's a great possibility. Unfortunately for now, we have the Tigers under Mickey Joseph (6-7, 2nd season) facing an FBS national championship coach, Ryan Day (70-10, 7th season), in the hostile Ohio Stadium.

Grambling State takes on Langston at the Shreveport Kickoff Classic | Paul Karge/The Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

PLAYERS TO WATCH

• QB C'zavian Teasett completed 20-of-25 passing for 210 yards and three touchdowns.
• Defensive end Bryce Cage brings a menacing presence to the defensive line. Cage, who was named the Bayou Classic MVP for GSU last season, registered 49.0 tackles in 2024, with 11.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day leads his team onto the field prior to the NCAA football game against the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

GAME INFO & FYI

• Coach Eddie Robinson won 408 games and ranks third in college football history behind only John Gagliardi of St. John's (Minn.), with 489 wins, and Joe Paterno of Penn State (409).
• Ohio State has played just four games in the last 87 years against current FCS schools: two games vs. Youngstown State in 2007 and 2008, vs. Florida A&M in 2013, and this year vs. Grambling State.
• Ohio State is 11-3-2 all-time vs. schools currently playing FCS football. Ohio State's last loss to an FCS school: 21-7 at Cornell in 1940.
• GSU is coming off a season-opening 55-7 victory over Langston in the Shreveport Kickoff Classic. The Tigers held limited LU to 97 total yards of offense and six first downs. Offensively, the G-Men rolled up 474 yards of offense.
• Grambling State has played a total of four games in the state of Ohio. The Tigers are 3-1 all-time in the Buckeye State.
• GSU roster features 33 players who've transferred or had previous Division I FBS and FCS experience
• Grambling has: 27 Conference Titles | 15 HBCU National Titles | 15 Black College Football Hall of Famers | 5 College Football Hall of Famers | 4 Pro Football Hall of Famers

Grambling State takes on Langston at the Shreveport Kickoff Classic on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Shreveport, La. | Paul Karge/The Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Both teams are steeped in football tradition, but in tomorrow's game, the Buckeyes will be too much for the Tigers to handle.

The best chance for the G-Men to secure a victory is for the Grambling State "World Famed Tiger Marching Band" to perform during the halftime show against the Ohio State Marching Band. It would be great if there were also a pregame show where both bands meet on the field.

PREDICTION: OHIO STATE 52, GRAMBLING STATE 17

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