Everything the Bobcats want is there for the taking in Cheney

There have been a lot of big games in Montana State football history. But, in the last few years, none will have been bigger than Saturday's foray into "The Inferno."

And while games between Eastern Washington and MSU are always important, there hasn't been one like this, maybe ever.

First, the fact that MSU is ranked No. 4, and riding a seven-game winning streak, while EWU sits at No. 5 and is also 7-1, that alone makes this game huge.

But beyond that, there are the stakes. The winner will at least likely claim a share of the Big Sky Conference championship, and since not everyone plays each other every year in the crazy Big Sky, a share of the conference championship is pretty much all anyone can ask for.

Add to that, no matter what happens with the rest of the league, the winner of Saturday's game in Cheney, provided they win out, will likely be the No. 2 seed in the upcoming FCS playoffs, and home field advantage of course, is monstrous.

So again, games don't get any bigger than this one, and for Montana State, Saturday could be the culmination of a rebuilding process several years in the making - one started by Jeff Choate and finished by Brent Vigen.

Yes, for the Bobcats, everything they and their fan base could have ever dreamed of, well at least since the last national championship in 1984, is right there for the taking. All the Cats have to do is beat an Eastern Washington team that in all reality, they're better than.

It's true, MSU's defense allows just 10 points per game, with a healthy Troy Andersen now leading the way at middle linebacker. On the other side of the ball, Isaiah Ifanse leads the Big Sky in rushing, and may very well be the best running back in the FCS. Add to that a dynamic dual threat in Matt McKay at quarterback and easily the best offensive line in the league, and the Cats are equally as good on offense. So, it really shouldn't matter how scary good Eric Barriere is, or how prolific EWU's offense has been for years and years now, MSU is the better team and it's pretty easy to see.

And the better team should be able to win, even on the road, even on the famed red turf in Cheney.

And what will the Bobcats get if they win? Like I said, just about everything they could have ever hoped for.

First, they'll win their first Big Sky championship since 2012. No disrespect to Idaho, but if the Cats can beat Eastern, they're not going to turn around and lose to Idaho the next week at home. And then comes the Brawl of the Wild. I'm not going to get into that right now, but lets just say, MSU is likely going to be favored by double digits when Nov. 20 comes around and it seems from most Bobcat chatter I see these days, the Grizzlies are a mere afterthought.

So, if the Cats win in Cheney, they finish with a 10-game winning streak and win their first Big Sky chipper in nine years. And that's that.

But perhaps more importantly than hanging a Big Sky banner, the Cats will get their highest seed in the playoffs in decades. And when you have a team, a program and a fan base that truly believes this is the year to win the national championship, then having home field advantage throughout the playoffs is the best way to achieve that. Believe me, as a fan of the team that's now an afterthought to Bobcat Nation, I've seen first-hand what home field advantage in the playoffs in Montana can do, and it will do wonders for the Cats, just like it did all those years for the Griz.

So there you have it, Bobcat fans. MSU is on the verge. It's all right there - the Big Sky, owning the Griz, and making the road to Frisco have to go through Bozeman. All of it's real, all of it can happen. All the Cats have to do is beat Eastern Washington Saturday afternoon. All they have to do is get that one signature win against an Eagles team they should beat anyway.

It really is that simple. Beat Eastern Washington on "The Inferno" and the Bobcats will ascend to heights the program hasn't been to in a long, long time, and maybe ever when it comes to the modern FCS. Beat the Eagles and, honestly, the Cats instantly become the true FCS power in the west.

For MSU, it's all right there for the taking.

Editor's Note: The Bobcats and Eagles will kick off at 2 p.m. Saturday in Cheney. The game will be televised statewide on SWX Montana. The Montana Grizzlies travel to Northern Colorado Saturday. The game kicks off at Noon, and will be streamed live on ESPN+.