Fighting for Pride: How Ohio State Must Regain National Respect

Much has been made of Ohio State's failures in big games and with it, the lack of national respect given to the Buckeyes.

Sure Ohio State does not have a flashy style and it makes the team seem slow in comparison to the top programs in the country.

But the truth is that Ohio State has only lost to BCS teams since 2005's loss to Texas. And in those losses, their opponents have played at a very high level.

Losses in the National Championship Game to Florida and LSU brought criticism that Ohio State was too slow to compete. A blowout loss to USC just added to that stigma.

However, some respect did come back to the Buckeyes following a hard-fought battle against a Texas team that many felt belonged in the National Championship Game.

While many have the Buckeyes ranked in the top 10 heading into 2009, some pundits still don't feel they can compete with teams from the SEC.

With a new mindset heading into 2009, Ohio State has a goal to earn back some of the respect and admiration they had in previous years. How they get it back will be a very difficult challenge.

One way to do so is to play USC at home very tight for 60 minutes or even win the game.

The Trojans are always considered one of the top three teams in the country and they are coming into the Horseshoe this September.

After the 35-3 loss the Buckeyes suffered in Los Angeles last season, they should be out for some revenge.

With all the blowout wins USC has put up against the Big Ten this decade, Ohio State will have to represent at home and play a very close game to earn some respect back for the midwest.

A game where Ohio State either beats USC or stays competitive with them to the end would help the image of the team and bring some national respect back to Columbus.

Having a more exciting offense would draw more attention from a national perspective. But that doesn't necessarily mean going to a flashy spread offense.

It just means that the unit needs to execute better and be more balanced. Having one of the best young playmakers in Terrelle Pryor means nothing if he has no supporting cast.

This season's unit has a lot of potential although it is devoid of tremendous in-game experience. How it comes together—with a hopefully improved passing game—will generate more attention to an Ohio State program not renown for offensive flair.

And lastly, the Buckeyes will have to find a way to end their three-year bowl losing streak.

Early predictions have the Buckeyes looking at a BCS berth, most likely the Rose Bowl against either USC or an at-large, who might be a mid-major team.

The best way to exorcise the bowl demons is for Ohio State to be matched up against an SEC squad and then win that matchup.

Ohio State is winless against the SEC in bowl games, and they desperately need to turn that number around because OSU has become a punchline in SEC country.

Scoring a win over a Southern school would bring a measure of respect to the Buckeyes and subsequently, the Big Ten, which has also taken a hit in recent years.

But if college football has taught us nothing else, everything is cyclical. The Big Ten was great at the start of the decade, and the SEC is now top dog along with the Big XII.

2009 could be a return to prominence for the Big Ten, but more specifically, the Buckeyes, because the respect of this conference is tied to its best team.

Respect might not fully return after just one season, but 2009 is as good a time as ever for this turnaround to begin.