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Yes those teams are "conference champions", but that's because those championships are decided IN the playoffs, not before. The size of college athletics does not allow that. Conference title games are not a great way to decide a champion outside of the Big 12 since all of their teams play each other.

This is a poor example considering everyone within a conference in the NFL doesn't play each other either. Who's to say the 48ers win the NFC if they have to play everyone? The conferences are basically the equivalent of NFL divisions. You win your division, you get in. Each league gets wildcards, which would basically be the at-large bids in the FBS.

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His response was something like "16 games is a full time job, that's what the NFL is for, not college."

Another bad argument. Every year, there are multiple teams that play 15 to 16 games at the FBS and FCS level. Hell, some of the teams that make the state championship game in Louisiana high school football play 15 or 16 games. Should every team be playing that many games? No, but year in and year out, a handful of teams play that many games. Sure, get rid of the conference championship games and go to a full playoff just like the FCS. That would be awesome.

But it will never happen at the FBS level because of all of the money involved in bowl games and conference championship games. Dr. Pepper isn't going to sponsor a 2nd round playoff game in Norman like they do the conference championship games. And conferences won't want to give that money up.

ETA: As far as the Bama example, that's just an easy one to go to. I'm fully aware of Nebraska and Ohio State having also made the National Championship without winning their conference.

This post was edited on 8/1/20 at 3:28 pm