Honestly, that was almost always the case, especially for programs with higher aspirations. I realize the Rose, and to a lesser degree, the Sugar and Orange may carry some prestige. But I was there the night we crushed WVU in early 1994. First the SEC, now we win the Sugar? Felt like we couldn't get any higher. Then they turned on the jumbotron and we watched the Nebraska kicker miss the FG, giving the noles the national title. Trust me, the next week in school, there was nothing cool about bragging on a Sugar Bowl Championship to fsu fans.
Of all the lame arguments against expanding the playoffs, the lamest is probably, "it'll make the Bowl games meaningless." AS IF.
I remember when the Rose Bowl was usually a matchup between the champs of the Big 10 and Pac 10, for bragging rights between those two conferences and two styles of football. But aside from that, the truth is, bowl games were never very "meaningful" to anyone other than fans of the teams playing in them. The only one that really mattered to the national audience was whichever one featured the national championship matchup.
Now, aside from the championship, we have two postseason games that matter and are meaningful, because they lead to championship berths. Soon it will six; four quarterfinal games and two semifinals before the championship.
Whoever is behind this push for expanding the playoff to twelve teams must have read the classic all-time bestselling #1 smash hit book,
The Art of the Deal. Brilliant strategy! Keep demanding twelve until eight looks like a reasonable compromise.
