Pac-12 has Opportunity to Earn National Respect in Marquee Matchups This Season

Although the Pac-12 very much finds itself as a continual Power-5 conference in college football, the level of national respect for the conference isn't on par with others.

Could it be the recent lack of a generational talent to fight for national championships (Clemson in the ACC), missing a dynasty in their own respective rights (Alabama in the SEC) or not possessing a group of nationally recognized brands (Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State in the Big Ten)?

Could it simply be the west coast being overlooked in favor of other matchups on national television? The hashtag #Pac12AfterDark trends on late Saturday nights for a reason. After a long day of watching football on the east coast, viewers aren't flocking to the living room at 10:30 p.m. to ingest another three hours of teams they don't have interest in.

For a conference that hasn't seen any representation in the College Football Playoffs since 2016, a great opportunity presents itself in the upcoming season. Teams throughout the ranks of the Pac-12 ready themselves for important matchups with out-of-conference teams.

The date everybody has circled? September 11, when the Oregon Ducks travel to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. A win for the Ducks not only bolsters their College Football Playoff resume' greatly, but would also propel the Pac-12 to the national spotlight in a big way.

That same day, Washington, another Pac-12 team expected to make noise this season, will be on the road to take on Michigan. Two prominent programs will drum up excellent excitement that day, and should the Huskies emerge victorious, a conference many overlook can indeed show they're capable of hanging in any time zone.

Is it too much to ask the Pac-12 to go 2-0 over that stretch of games? Probably. However, those aren't the only key meetings for the Pac-12. Five more opportunities await the rest of the conference:

Sept. 4: LSU Tigers at UCLA Bruins

Sept. 4: Stanford Cardinal at Kansas State Wildcats

Sept. 4: Oregon State at Purdue Boilermakers

Sept. 11: Texas A&M Aggies at Colorado Buffaloes

Sept. 11: California Golden Bears at TCU Horned Frogs

Within the first two weeks of the season, the Pac-12 conference will have played seven major games with nationally recognized opponents. Positive (and hopefully victorious) outings could earn the respect from national teams, fans and media across the board.

Winning every game is a daunting task, yet emerging with a winning record or even respectably competing with other conferences could help the Pac-12 conference regain respect on the national stage.

Donnie Druin is a Deputy Editor with AllSunDevils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin, and AllSunDevils @AllSunDevils. Like and follow AllSunDevils on Facebook, and for more ASU news visit /college/arizonastate/

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