MARTIN, Tenn. – Eastern’s 29-26 loss to Tennessee Martin on Thursday might have sealed the Panthers’ postseason fate.

That fate: miss the playoffs for the first time in three years. Eastern’s record is now 2-4, and the Panthers are winless in the Ohio Valley Conference at 0-2. Even if Eastern wins its final six games – all in the OVC – the Panthers would finish the regular season with an 8-4 record.

Only one four-loss team – New Hampshire – made the 2007 Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Eastern was one of five teams with three losses to make the playoffs last season.

The Wildcats were the fifth team to make the 2007 playoffs out of the Colonial Athletic Association, so even though New Hampshire lost four games, three of those losses were against playoff teams.

The CAA can get five teams in the playoffs. It is one of the deepest conferences in the FCS and perennially has at least one team ranked in the top 10. The CAA currently has three teams ranked in the top 10 in the FCS Coaches’ poll and four in the top 11.

The OVC doesn’t have the luxury of multiple playoff berths. At the current level of play, the OVC has hit its playoff ceiling with two berths, and that might not change soon.

OVC teams schedule the majority of their non-conference games against either FBS teams or Division II or NAIA teams.

The better strategy would be to schedule more games against teams from the top FCS conferences like the CAA, the Missouri Valley Football Conference and the Southern Conference.

But that’s for future seasons. What does Eastern have to do now to secure a fourth-straight playoff berth?

Even with four losses, the expansion of the FCS schedule to 12 games might mean more four-loss teams making the playoffs, so that means Eastern still has a chance.

But three of the current top four teams in the OVC have to start losing.

The Panthers are a severe long shot to win the conference, but finishing second – like last year – could still get them a playoff spot. But to finish second, any combination of Tennessee State, Tennessee Martin, Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky have to start losing games.

Is that possible? With the parity of competition in the league, it is.

“There’s not an easy win in the conference,” Eastern red-shirt junior quarterback Bodie Reeder said.

Eastern red-shirt sophomore wide receiver Charles Graves agreed. He said the conference has a good balance with lots of competitive teams.

“We just can’t come in and expect to win when these teams are ready to play just like tonight,” Graves said following the Panthers’ loss to Tennessee Martin on Thursday. “Obviously it’s no pushover for us anymore.”

The OVC is stronger and deeper across the board than it has ever been. But the league still hasn’t reached the level where it can expect to get more than two playoff berths.

So through seven weeks this season, who is in line to get those 16 playoff berths?

Elon, Central Arkansas, James Madison and Tennessee State are all leading their respective conferences. Northern Arizona and Weber State are tied atop the Big Sky, and there is a four-way tie for first in the Missouri Valley so assume three of those teams will get a berth because of the strength of the league.

Hampton and South Carolina State are tied atop the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, but only one of those teams is likely to get a berth. There is also a four-way tie in the Patriot League, but again only one team is likely to get a playoff berth.

That leaves five more at-large berths.

Eastern will face competition for those remaining spots from teams like Wofford and Appalachian State from the Southern Conference and essentially any team from the CAA.

Can the Panthers make the playoffs this year? Yes.

Will the stars need to align and will several things need to go Eastern’s way for that to happen? Again, yes.

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