For all the flaws of the Bowl Championship Series, the erstwhile postseason format succeeded more often than not in creating matchups for the national championship that piqued the interest of an audience well beyond the sport’s traditional fan base.
There was Texas and Southern California in 2005, which still holds the highest television rating and largest viewership of any postseason game since the advent of the BCS in 1998. There was Florida and Ohio State in 2006. Alabama and Texas in 2009.
If not always competitive — seven of the final nine BCS games were decided by double digits — the matchups accurately portrayed college football as a national sport, even as the Southeastern Conference began a run of seven consecutive championships in 2006.