Ron Prince has made it known how he feels about nationally televised games.
    "Really, it makes your program come alive," Prince said in a news conference earlier this month. "You're not just another name in a box score. That's the power of being a consistent performer on television ..."
    However, it's what the K-State coach said next that had me scratching my head.
    "... but you usually have to win and be pretty good to get that done," he said.
    During his tenure at K-State, Prince has shown what a no-fear attitude can do to a football program. He's shown his team can compete on the road, hang with top-notch opponents and contend for postseason appearances. Sure, the Wildcats didn't earn a bowl bid last season, but they were just one win shy. Prince's career record might not be anything to gawk at, but he's shown that his team is willing to take on any challenge.
    But when those challenges are presented in a national spotlight, Prince's team has a history of falling apart. If you include the two games shown on the Versus Network last season and the 2006 Texas Bowl - shown on the NFL Network - K-State has posted a 1-7 record in games shown across the country in Prince's career. Note that ABC aired K-State's wins over Texas in 2006 and 2007, but both games only received regional coverage.
    The team's lone victory came in a 47-20 romp of Colorado on ESPN2 last year. Take that game out of the equation, and the numbers are downright ugly.
    In the remaining seven contests, the Wildcats gave up 38.7 points per game and were outscored 271-138. Aside from the 23-13 loss against then-No. 18 Auburn in last season's opener, none of the losses were even remotely close.
    Prince has preached the importance of high-profile games and big-time opponents ever since he arrived in Manhattan, which explains why he inked contracts to play future series against UCLA, Miami and Virginia Tech. But how can a team help its reputation if it is getting crushed in front of the whole nation every time the cameras turn on?
    The Wildcats had their first national test of the season at Louisville, and by most accounts - including Prince's - they blew the opportunity in a 38-29 loss.
    "Obviously, with the outcome we failed miserably," Prince said in a postgame interview. "We need to do better, I need to coach better, and I need to make our team understand how these teams need to be played."
    He'll get the opportunity to back those words up, as ABC has elected to air K-State's matchup with No. 10 Texas Tech on Oct. 4.
    National TV or not, upending the Red Raiders will be far from easy, as they feature a high-octane offensive unit that is averaging more than 45 points per game this year. That's bad news for K-State's defensive unit, which featured its "Swiss cheese" package for much of the night against Louisville.
    Prince had his head in the right place when he said national exposure would help the program improve, but so far, the team only has managed to shoot itself in the foot. If the Wildcats can't start producing some wins when the nation is tuned in, then it would probably be a good idea to turn the cameras off.

Justin Nutter is a junior in print journalism. Please send comments to sports@spub.ksu.edu.

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