Florida State won the last championship of the BCS era, momentarily bringing back into my life the most execrable tradition in college sports: their obnoxious war whoop. I didn't miss 40,000 white people acting like drunken extras in a Lone Ranger movie.
Thanks for unseating the SEC. Now back to oblivion with you.
As I watched the game, I grew depressed. I am convinced my favorite sport has breathed its last. Next year, we get the college football playoff seemingly everybody but me wants.
"But we'll finally get a real national champion! Don't you want a real national champion?" someone will write.
I will allow that an NFL-style tournament is probably the best way to determine the best team, or at least the healthiest team hottest late in the season. But I'm not even convinced of that. The Giants beating the Patriots was one more dubious result than the 14 BCS title games ever produced. I think we're fixing an imaginary problem.
At what cost?
Well, my days of flying cross-country to see Ohio State play Texas or USC in September are over. What used to be a "Holy shit, who scheduled this? I have to be there. The whole season hinges on this game in September!" moment is now next to meaningless. It's a pre-season game, or a regular season college basketball game. Not entirely meaningless, but close enough where the notion of my attending is ludicrous and the notion of my getting on a plane is lunacy.
Meanwhile, Clemson beat Ohio State in the Orange Bowl. Tigers players and fans are rejoicing over their quality win and fine season. Next year, that's gone. They'll be on the outside of the post-season, looking in. Oh sure, they'll still play in some fringe bowl game, but they will clearly, vibrantly be one of the have-nots. Exactly one team will celebrate its fine season with a win. Bowl games, which used to be a reward for players and fans, will be a cheap facsimile in which they'd rather not participate. A reminder that they're not one of the elite. A win that once would have been celebrated will instead earn shame—and a participation trophy that they hide some back room, out of sight, next to the "NIT Final Four" plaque.
But at least we've finally turned college football into a less talented NFL. We desperately needed one of those.