So, what color are you wearing to the Boise State game tonight? Hopefully white. Yes, the great minds that brought you the failed blackout of 2007 decided to give it another go with a slight tweak, this time it̢۪s a whiteout.

For those of you that don̢۪t remember the last match-up against the Broncos at home, let me paint the picture.

Everyone took their seats, looked around and gazed out on a mottled stadium of mostly red, flecked with black spots. Bulldog Stadium looked like half of a giant watermelon. Instead of a black hole of terror striking fear into the hearts of the Broncos, they walked into what they must have thought looked like a large picnic (they did treat the game like a walk in the park). Result — a disappointing night.

My first question to anyone who would even propose a whiteout would be, “Why would we take away one of the only traditions we have here?â€Â It is RED Wave, right? That’s what people know. I may be superstitious, but for a game like this I want to don my trusty red bulldog t-shirt, not some white shirt that the Bulldog Shop printed a week ago.

As much as I wish one of these matching shirt nights would work out for us, the fans and students just don̢۪t make it happen. Whether people don̢۪t want to buy a new shirt, didn̢۪t get the memo, or share my fondness for the school̢۪s most dominant color, in my humble opinion tonight̢۪s whiteout won̢۪t be much different than the effort two years ago.

When Penn State pulls off the greatest whiteout in the country they do it because they sincerely want their stadium to look like it̢۪s filled with the best fans in the world, and they ultimately succeed.

Of course, the main reason for the blackout in 2007 and tonight’s whiteout is the four magic letters, ESPN. We want to show the country we have what it takes to compete with the big boys, both on the field and off. If we can get a whiteout that is “Penn State worthyâ€Â it shows that we are engaged in our team, and as fans we do our part.

I have been a student at California State University, Fresno for the last four-and-a-half years, and from my experience the most disconcerting issue is the apathy and languor that students show when it comes to school pride. If the student body couldn̢۪t pull off the blackout, how would one expect the other 30,000 fans to get it right?

I often wonder if these impromptu black or white shirt nights are just a ploy to make the Bulldog Shop some quick cash. They never make enough of the shirts, so what̢۪s the point? If blackouts or whiteouts are ever going to work it̢۪s going to take more than the weak effort we have seen in the past.

I don̢۪t know about anyone else, but when I see Bulldog Stadium filled with 40,000-plus screaming Bulldog fans, all in that glorious cardinal red, I can̢۪t help but feeling like everything is right with the world. Let Penn State keep their precious whiteout. We are the Red Wave. That̢۪s what we are, and that̢۪s what we̢۪ve always been.