We’re spoiled.

Most weeks, Ohio State is pegged to obliterate its Big Ten adversary. Most weeks, OSU meets those expectations.

But in becoming accustomed to following the big fish in a somewhat shallow Big Ten pond, we lose sight of what makes sports so compelling.

When was the last time the Buckeyes pulled a true “upset”?

The last time OSU didn’t play the role of Goliath, scarlet-clad fans were celebrating a national championship in Tempe, Ariz., eight years ago.

Remember how magical the 2002 season was? Gut-wrenching wins against Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois and Michigan fueled anti-Buckeye sentiment leading up to the double-overtime thriller against Miami (Fla.).

Of course the crystal-football-clinching upset stands out the most. But none of that would have been possible without eking out so many close calls during an unforgettable season.

Buckeye Nation wasn’t used to championship aspirations in 2002, Jim Tressel’s second year at the helm.

Now, anything less than 12 wins and a BCS bowl game victory is considered a disappointment and attracts “Tressel can’t win big games” banter.

We seem to dispose of the moments along the way, only stashing the end results in our memory banks.

One loss at Wisconsin and this season is thrown by the wayside.

Barring a chaotic reshuffling atop the BCS standings, we’ll look back at the 2010 campaign and recall John Clay running all over the OSU defense.

We won’t remember that same unit picking off Miami quarterback Jacory Harris four times (and it could have been several more). We’ll forget about the offense racking up 73 points against Eastern Michigan, its highest output in 60 years.

We take these pieces for granted because of their limited contribution to the overall puzzle.

And that snobbish attitude is a direct consequence of being affiliated with the cream of the college football crop.

Look at teams that aren’t habitually in the hunt.

Regardless of Missouri’s performance between now and January, the Tigers won’t forget 71,004 fans in black and gold packing onto the field like sardines after upsetting No. 1 Oklahoma.

East Lansing, Mich., is in a green and white utopia. Michigan State is primed for an appearance in a BCS bowl game.

Should MSU falter, Sparty can grasp onto memories of a fake-punt-turned-game-winning-touchdown against Notre Dame, along with putting an end to Denard Robinson’s Heisman campaign and a comeback victory at Northwestern, for starters.

These teams cherish the position they’re in.

Schools such as OSU, Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma can’t relate.

Obviously, it’s a privilege to reside in the town of a team that competes for a championship year in and year out.

But recognize that it’s much more difficult to exceed expectations as the top dog and easier to lose sight of what matters.

We get so caught up in the end product that we don’t care if the ends justify the means.

Instead, we should covet the means along the way that produce the ends that stick with us forever.