Beware: The turncoats are coming

It's that time of year again. Leaves begin falling from trees, turkeys begin fearing for their lives and Eastern students begin turning a traitorous leaf.

With the Eastern versus UK game coming up this weekend, I foresee the student body color slowly turning from maroon to blue.

Before we get into that nonsense, let me drop some knowledge on you (and yes, I did just use early 90's cool rap lingo).

Eastern took the Big Ten's Hoosiers to the wire earlier this season-the same Indiana team that took a then-ranked No. 23 Michigan to the last two minutes of the game before losing. The Hoosiers were also leading the No. 4 Iowa Hawkeye's last week heading into the fourth quarter. If it weren't for Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi turning into a god amongst men, the Hoosiers would likely have pulled off the upset.

Kentucky's Mike Hartline has matched his touchdowns to his interceptions with six, averaging more than a pick per game.

Eastern's defense ranks 10th in Division I football (amongst all FBS and FCS teams) for interceptions with 14.

While I'm obviously biased toward my beloved Colonels, don't take me for a fool. Kentucky is in the SEC and does play an incredibly tough schedule. This is a credit to the Wildcats, but it's also a hindrance. You can only lose so many games before losing morale when facing weaker competition. Also, playing the best players in the nation week in and week out has an effect on your stamina, and injuries will occur.

Eastern won't be getting too many votes of confidence from experts, and that's OK. It's an FCS team playing a SEC team. That makes it easier for those closet Wildcat fans to speak up about how much they don't want Eastern to beat UK.

I've heard all the arguments from these Benedict Arnold "true blue" fans, the most common being:

"I grew up a Kentucky fan," and "Kentucky can play in a BCS bowl."

You might as well be yelling "banana, banana, banana" because it makes about as much sense.

If you grew up a Kentucky fan, why didn't you go to the University of Kentucky?

You know what? Scratch that. It doesn't matter the reason you came to Eastern. Fact is you came, you thought Eastern was better for whatever reason: more affordable, fewer people, nice campus, etc.

You chose it, regardless of the reasoning, so why wouldn't you support it now?

Now you're here and plan to receive a degree of higher education in hopes it will better your life, but you don't support it during one of its biggest sporting events of the year?

Kentucky takes students, athletes, state funds and all kinds of things away from Eastern. If Eastern and UK had a grant to split for better computers in labs or to make campus cleaner, wouldn't you want Eastern to get as much of that money as possible?

It is true that Kentucky can play in a BCS bowl. The key word being "can." Most of you reading this weren't alive the last time UK played in a major bowl game, so what do you care if they "can," when clearly they never will.

Eastern is the pride of the OVC, while the Wildcats are a step-child in the SEC.

I understand that I'm not a UK fan; my team of choice is the Fighting Irish. But, for the record, if Eastern were to play Notre Dame Saturday, I would be standing proud with my maroon hat in hand.

Whether or not Eastern or Kentucky wins, we all know one thing: Western is sitting at 0-8 on the year. And when it's all said and done, that will still make me smile.