With nothing left to lose, the football team can now prove to the Panther faithful they hold one essential quality beyond the football field.

They will attempt to gain more pride than the football program has ever obtained.

Believe it or not, the Panthers still have a say on how the Ohio Valley Conference will be won. This is because a pair of title contenders will be forced to go through head coach Bob Spoo and company in the final two weeks of the Ohio Valley Conference regular season.

I am willing to stand alone and proclaim it is certainly not out of the realm of possibilities for Eastern to upset one, if not both, Jacksonville State and Samford to throw a wrench in the conference standings.

The fact of the matter is the mentality of Eastern’s coaching staff will not allow its team to fold the tents up and pack up for next season. Spoo will not allow the attitude of, “Well, there’s nothing to play for so it doesn’t matter anymore.” He’s simply been in the business too long and built up way too much of a solid reputation to give up on a season with so many underclassmen continuing to learn from his teachings.

“We are going to try and win our last three games and somehow effect the Ohio Valley Conference race,” Spoo said.

With responses similar to that, Eastern should feel like this is an opportunity at a type of playoff atmosphere before its season comes to a close.

“Our goal is to finish at .500 and make it difficult on our conference leaders,” Spoo said.

To accomplish this task, the Panthers will have to pull off its first three-game winning streak.

What Panther fans need to realize is even though this squad was predicted to win the conference in many publications, a 6-6 record would be an instant silver lining to a cloudy and otherwise painful season.

A 6-6 record would give Spoo a .500 record in nine of his last 10 seasons in Charleston, and could arguably deserve some votes for 2003 coach of the year. Sure, the Panthers had talent on both sides of the ball, but everyone in O’Brien Stadium could witness how inept our offense and special teams have been all year long. This put a top-ten quality defense in poor situations which led to a five-game losing streak.

How many times have fans seen teams whether professional, college or high school phone a season in because all they want to do now is wait till next year?

If Panther fans think this season means nothing to the players, ask senior inside linebacker Fred Miller. Miller has suffered a severely sprained knee and has been rehabbing the knee nonstop in the attempt to suit up for his final home game at O’Brien Stadium versus Samford.

Don’t tell him the season doesn’t matter because if Miller is able to suit up in the blue and white again, nobody will remember the record of the 2003 Panthers twenty years from now. However, I’m sure coach Spoo won’t be afraid to mention how one his captains came back from a season-long injury in less than two months.

When broken down to last degree, that’s what collegiate sports is all about. Disregarding what athletic directors believe, it’s not about winning and losing, it’s about athletes understanding they represent something bigger than themselves.