Martin, Tenn. – Eastern’s 56-16 rout of Tennessee-Martin here tonight secured the Panthers’ first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Championship, but it was really nothing more than a formality.

While they did jump out to an early 3-0 lead, it was obvious that everyone here at Graham Stadium knew the Skyhawks, who haven’t won a conference game in five years, didn’t have a chance to contend in, let alone win, this football game.

The Panthers weren’t as sharp as they have been in other games this season, but they still managed to rack up 503 yards of offense on just 60 plays from the line of scrimmage. And once the Eastern ‘D figured out a couple wrinkles UTM threw at them, it was smooth sailing.

The win was almost everything you wouldn’t picture a conference championship game to be. It was a dull, one-sided lashing, that left me reminded more of lopsided high school games of the past than a Division I-AA conference matchup. Then again, the Skyhawks may not have had much more talent than a high school squad.

The game certainly didn’t have the atmosphere you would picture a championship-clinching win would have. The official game attendance was listed at 2,466 fans. I’m doubtful there were even 466 fans here. Maybe the two in front was a typo or they mixed their figures up with the total population here in Weakley County.

Either way, it seemed UTM’s band made up half the attendance while a couple dozen Eastern fans were scattered behind the far side line. The only signal from the stands that indicated the Ohio Valley Conference had been sewn up was a banner that was draped behind the Panther sideline, proclaiming Eastern was the 2001 OVC Champion.

Conference comissioner Dan Bebe wasn’t even on hand to present the Panthers with the championship trophy. Technically, Eastern can still tie for the league title, but they would still receive a trophy wouldn’t they?

“A lot of people are wondering why there’s no trophy. It’s a minor thing, but we thought the comissioner would be here,” Eastern head coach Bob Spoo said.

“I guess technically we have one more game to win, and I would guess that’s why the comissioner isn’t here.”

Sounds like the Panthers were anxious to lift that trophy here tonight, but it looks as if they1ll have to wait a couple weeks before they can do that following their final home game against Murray State.

But the Panther players and coaching staff didn’t need an exciting game, a sellout crowd, or a shiny composite of brass and wood to celebrate school history. All they needed was each other.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, chants of “OVC! OVC!” broke out from Eastern’s sideline that would have drowned out any noise the scattered Martin fans produced throughout the game. The team then doused Spoo with the water cooler.

“You’d like to finish off winning the championship with an exciting game,” junior quarterback Tony Romo said. “But last week was a great win and that makes this week twice as sweet. All we’ve talked about since I’ve been here is winning the conference championship and we did that tonight. That’s what’s important.

After all, the Panthers didn’t need to a trophy to carry off the field to show they are champions. They carried Spoo off instead.