quote:
1. Football as we have known it was founded and based on tradition and merit/performance (wins/losses). 2. Conference championships were very important. 3. Bowls were fewer but important, and among them were the coveted Jan 1 bowls. These really mattered. 4. There was no BCS or playoff system, only the sometimes subjective AP and UPI (Coaches) polls, which determined the ultimate rankings. To end season #1 in both was the ultimate prize, but split championship years did happen (see 2003). 5. Among the conferences, there was a fluid and informal pecking order, that left plenty of room for friendly but sometimes heated argument as to which was best. 6. There was no such thing as players going to the NFL before end of eligibility. 7. Football was fun. 8. No it wasn’t a perfect system, there were annual and perennial “haves & have nots”. 9. Now we have the 4 team playoff system - allegedly more fair than BCS or older subjective poll system, but in fact obviously still imperfect (UGA, tOSU, and UCF all day “Hi!”). Oh, and Conference Championships, merit/performance, etc. take a seat in the back, please. Subjectivity is again in the driver’s seat. Football is big business. 10. Now left wondering how #9 is an improvement over what used to be mostly just fun and tradition

1. That’s not true. For most of college football history a national champ was selected through he AP Poll and not via competition with the best teams necessary.

2. Conference championship games have only been around since the 90’s. So unless you mean regular season championships I don’t know what you’re talking about.

3. Great point. With there being so many bowls, making a bow game is it as special as it used to be. Blame tv and the money it brings in via adds for this.

4. Sometimes subjective? It was always completely subjective. 2003 was not a split national title. The NCAA recognized the BCS and LSU won that.

5. I would still say it’s pretty fluid. Look at the SEC dominance and now look at people calling the Big ten and ACC the best conferences. That happened in a decades time.

6. Very old school approach. Football is such a violent sport I don’t mind eligible players leaving early. PP7, TM7, Jamal ADAMS and LF7 all left early and love LSU. Leaving early is not best for everyone and that is something that we need to remember and these young men need to understand.

7. Still is.

8. Will always be.

9. UGA won on the field. tOSU, don’t lose by 31 to an average team (same argument against USC in 2003 and Okie State in 2011, although this still pisses me off. Freakin Iowa State) UCF never had a shot under any championship format to date.

10. Nostalgia at its finest. More meaningful games are better. But I don’t want the playoff expanded past 6. I think that would dilute the regular season down too much