DeKALB | I hated that the White Sox won the World Series last year.

Not only because I am a Cubs fan, but because every White Sox fan I knew started singing “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey.

What once was a great song about hope now makes me think of how I loath Ozzie Guillen and his huge mouth.

I hate that song.

But for the good of NIU, I propose that we replace the songs that are played at noon every day from the Holmes Student Center this week with that over-played, over-hyped, poppy Journey tune.

Not because I’m rooting for the White Sox to make a playoff run, but because I think NIU football fans need to be reminded to not stop believing.

Yes, NIU is now 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the MAC.

No, NIU is not out of the MAC champion race.

There is no reason for fans to throw in the towel when NIU has only gone through two rounds of a 12-round fight.

NIU can still realistically go 9-3 with an 8-1 conference record — if they shape up now.

At the same time, there’s no reason to expect that the other MAC West teams will go undefeated in conference.

If Ohio was able to beat NIU, who’s saying that the two other top competitors in the west, Toledo or Western Michigan, won’t suffer conference losses, too?

Wait, news flash: Toledo has already lost in conference.

Not only did the Rockets lose to a MAC school, but to a MAC West opponent as WMU showed that Toledo is not the same power house as years past with a 31-10 win.

Also, Toledo and WMU have to face Akron later this season, something that NIU doesn’t have to deal with.

Plus, there’s pesky Ball State, whose kicker Chris Miller is the “Big Man on Campus” according to Sports Illustrated. Even though the Cardinals are not playing the lead role in the west, they always prove to play the part of the spoiler quite well.

NIU still controls its destiny. There’s still light at the end of the path.

While things may not have looked that bright on Saturday, as fans began to flow out of Huskie Stadium like water draining from an unplugged sink, it’s true.

The Huskies have dug themselves into a hole early this season, but there’s still a ladder out of the hole.

There’s still hope, so don’t stop believing yet, Huskie fans.