Famed Dallas Cowboys quarterback and former Panther Tony Romo returns to campus Saturday to have his number retired in front of what is expected to be a sold-out crowd at O’Brien Field.

Oh, yeah, and a football game is going to be played.

Lost in the shuffle in the midst of Romo’s much anticipated return to Eastern is the fact that Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. game between Eastern and Tennessee Tech is of critical importance.

The Panthers and Golden Eagles currently sit in a third-place tie in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Both teams are one-half game behind Eastern Kentucky for second place.

The Colonels handed both Eastern and Tennessee Tech their only losses of the season.

Tennessee State, the only team to beat Eastern Kentucky this season, sits alone in first place at 2-0.

So while the masses that attend Saturday’s game will do so with the idea of catching a glimpse of an Eastern icon, they need to keep the importance of the game in mind.

A win for the Panthers keeps them in the thick of the OVC Championship race, a loss means they will need a lot of help down the road to stand a chance.

A win is also important in building momentum. Next week the Panthers face what is likely their toughest non-FBS opponent of the season in Jacksonville State.

The Gamecocks are ineligible for postseason play and cannot win the OVC because of NCAA sanctions imposed because of a low Academic Progress Rate; however, they are likely the best team in the OVC.

Jacksonville State won its first two OVC games by a combined score of 93-14 over Tennessee-Martin and Murray State, and challenged FBS opponents Georgia Tech and Florida State earlier in the season, losing 37-17 to the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta, and 19-9 to Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla.

So it’s safe to say the Panthers will have their work cut out for them next week in Jacksonville, Ala., making this week even more important.

A loss to the Golden Eagles makes the prospects of a four-game losing streak likely, and while Jacksonville State can’t win the OVC, a loss to the Gamecocks would still count against their OVC record and dig them in a seemingly insurmountable hole.

But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. I know the Panthers aren’t looking past the Golden Eagles, and Jacksonville State won’t be on the players’ minds until after the clock hits zero Saturday.

Nevertheless, Saturday’s game is huge.

So while all the focus will be on Romo when he takes the field between the first and second quarters to have his No. 17 retired, it’s important to remember how big Saturday’s game really is for the players on the field.

Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu.