One of the nation’s premier Division I-AA college football games will take place on the spongy soil of O’Brien Stadium Saturday at 1:30 p.m. when No. 13 ranked Tennessee State invades Charleston to take on No. 8 ranked Eastern.

The Tigers (6-0, 2-0) enters Saturday’s game undefeated looking to establish themselves as one of the nation’s top 10 teams and secure themselves as the lone team atop the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Panthers (5-1, 3-0) comes into the game with their lone loss coming to Division I-A San Diego State. A win would likely move Eastern up a spot or two in the national rankings and all but seal an OVC Championship and automatic playoff berth.

Panther head coach Bob Spoo has stressed the importance of this Family Weekend game to his team since their 49-21 blowout win over Southern Illinois (1-4) last weekend.

“Our guys know the importance of this game, and our Sunday was the best Sunday practice we’ve had here – ever,” Spoo said. “The enthusiasm is high and the team has been one in practice. I certainly don’t think anyone has to be worried about a let down.”

Many might say the Tigers enter Saturday’s game untested, playing a predominantly weak schedule. Spoo said regardless of their schedule, the Tigers, a preseason pick to finish fifth in the OVC, are for real.

“Florida A&M is the one team they’ve played with a winning record, but they are a good, solid football team that runs the ball well and has a wide open offense and stout defense,” Spoo said. The fact that they are holding opponents to less than seven points per game is a remarkable statistic, one we have to respect.

But all those things are on paper, and that’s why we play the games. (Schedules and statistics) don’t mean anything on the football field.”

Tennessee State head coach James Reese knows his team is up against one of the nation’s best.

“We have to play a fine football game in all three phases of the game,” Reese said. “They have a very good team and have run the ball very well. They play good defense and are very sound in what they do.”

The Tigers’ strengths are a pressure defense and a high-powered, athletic offense.

“They play a pressure coverage and if you guys can’t get off the line and protect the quarterback, you’re numbers are going to be low. They force you to block and beat them with the pass,” Spoo said. “They have a good offensive line and I like their quarterback a lot. In terms of total yards, he’s averaging 207 per game. He’s awfully good.”

Reese is convinced shutting down Eastern’s running game means shutting down junior quarterback Tony Romo and the passing game as well.

“Even their passing game comes off their running game. Romo is a good quarterback and is very good with play action. That’s why his passing percentage is as high as it is,” Reese said. “We go into every game expecting to put pressure on the quarterback. We’ve seen good quarterbacks this year and Romo’s just another one in that line.”

Reese said whoever controls the line of scrimmage in the trenches will come out on top. The field conditions may play a factor in the trench war, as the north end of O’Brien Stadium has been covered with the tarp from the baseball field for much of the week.

But wet or dry, rain or shine, Saturday’s game will likely be close to as exciting as I-AA football can get.

“It’s going to be a great college football game.Tennessee State will try to bring as big of a crowd as possible. They’ll probably fill the seats on the other side of the field,” Spoo said. “They’ll try to make it a neutralizer as much as possible.

“But there will be a lot of family here and a lot of people are coming to watch their sons play Saturday. I think that is part of the reason our guys will play hard and try to play as effective as ever.”