So we agree, my original post was "Outside of only one or maybe two bowl games it was always that way." But if you include a 5th team then twice it did happen and there where three bowls contributing to the NC.
About a 50/50 split on whether one or two bowl games mattered and the rest were exhibition games just like it is now.
I enjoyed the Rose bowl this year just as much as any in the 80's or 90's if not more.
Really the only thing that truly matters is that the old system allowed for that rare moment when a minor bowl is the NC and the Holiday bowl gets the spotlight. For that reason the old system is the best.
C
My #1 gripe is the lack of teams that actually are in position to win a national title anymore.
Look at all of those different national champs between 1978 and 2005.
28 years -- 22 unique national champs (some split).
In that 1979-2005 span:
SEC: 7
Big 8/12: 7
Independents: 6
Pac-10: 4
ACC: 4
Big Ten: 2
Big East: 2
WAC: 1
Now, between 2006 and 2021 -- 8 unique national champs in 16 years.
Even worse:
SEC: 12
ACC: 3
Big Ten: 1
So, 12 of the past 16 national champs have been from the SEC -- three times as often as all other conferences combined.
I can give you Alabama, another SEC team, Clemson, and Ohio State -- and the odds are nearly 100% at least one of those teams will be in the next national championship game -- and at least 50% two of those teams will be in the championship game. I know that today. I rarely knew how the postseason and national title would set up between 1978 and 2005.
I'm totally done with the college football postseason. I'd rather watch Ball State vs Western Kentucky in a bowl game than any of the games involving P5 schools (unless Nebraska makes an appearance). There's no more predictable sport than college football.
