Eastern’s 23-10 loss to Jacksonville State on Saturday afternoon created more questions than answers for the Panthers.

What happened to the running game? Can Eastern contain and control a mobile quarterback with a good arm?

Will the team that came to play in the win against Illinois State return?

The answers: Who knows? Tennessee State’s Antonio Heffner and Southeast Missouri’s Houston Lillard are still on the schedule, so they better. And, if they want any chance to win they better.

But one thing is for certain. If Eastern hopes to make the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the fourth straight year, there is just one way to accomplish that goal.

It’s clear.

It’s simple.

And it is indeed the only way Eastern will make the playoffs.

The Panthers must win every single remaining game Ohio Valley Conference game on their schedule.

No ifs, ands or buts.

Eastern red-shirt sophomore cornerback put it just as simply.

He said the Panthers couldn’t lose another game this season.

“This was a must-win game, and we came up short,” Haynes said about the loss to Jacksonville State.

In all reality, Eastern’s record this season is 2-1.

The actual standings might read 2-3, but in the FCS world the losses to Central Michigan and Illinois will only matter when an at-large berth is being weighed.

So what does that one loss to an FCS opponent mean through five weeks of the 2008 season?

Eastern is essentially guaranteed to drop in both of the FCS polls.

The Panthers entered Saturday’s game ranked No. 20 (Coaches’ Poll) and No. 21 (The Sports Network Poll).

The FCS doesn’t expand its playoff system to 20 teams until the 2010 season.

Therefore, Eastern has to move back up the rankings. The only way to do that?

Win games.

And those games have to be won against OVC opponents.

Despite an 0-1 start, the Panthers can still win the OVC regular season title.

Jacksonville State will have to lose two of its next seven conference games.

And, in case it hasn’t been made clear enough, Eastern can’t afford to lose another conference game.

Eastern Kentucky won the OVC last year with an unblemished 8-0 record.

The Panthers finished second with one loss – to Eastern Kentucky.

“It’s the same scenario as last year,” Eastern red-shirt junior quarterback Bodie Reeder said. “We got beat at home by a preseason conference favorite and we ended up making the playoffs. It’s a long season.”

So it’s still possible to make the FCS playoffs by finishing second in the OVC.

The conference has improved to the point where one at-large school makes the playoffs in addition to the conference winner.

But the OVC is much stronger than in years past.

Ryan Perrilloux has given Jacksonville State the playmaker it needs to win the games it failed to in the past.

Tennessee Martin has put up ridiculous offensive numbers this season.

Sure, the Skyhawks’ 87 points two weeks ago came against a non-Division I opponent (Concordia College from Selma, Ala.), but they also scored 63 points against OVC rival Murray State on Saturday.

Then there’s Tennessee State’s explosive offense with a now fully healthy Heffner and an imposing running back in Javarris Williams.

Any team can win the OVC this season.

Eastern Kentucky has struggled to score points, averaging less than 14 points per game this season.

The reigning champion is having somewhat of a down year.

The conference race is wide open.

So Eastern still has a chance.

The Panthers can make the playoffs for the fourth straight year. But there’s only one way to do that.

Win games.

And win them all.

Scott Richey can be reached at 581-7944 or at srrichey@eiu.edu.