The college football postseason has shifted several times over the sport’s history. Before the College Football Playoff’s inaugural 2014-15 season, when Ohio State was crowned champion, there was discourse and chaos in other ways.

The Bowl Championship Series crowned the national champion from 1998-2013, using polls and several computer rankings to determine which teams went to which bowls, and which two teams would compete in the BCS National Championship Game. And before that, college football relied on the final AP and coaches polls to name a champion, resulting in numerous split titles.

The majority — 85 percent — of respondents said a Playoff is the right way to determine a national champion.

But some voters, like angry CFB fan Marla Zania, would prefer going back to the BCS system: “One national title game, no other playoffs. Humans are wildly biased and can’t accurately rank — bring back the BCS for some real, fair decision making.”

And then there are fans like John, who want a return to the polls, split champions and all: “I really don’t care if we have a real national champion. I liked the old days of knowing your conference champion would always go to a particular bowl to face the champion of the rival conference. The end-of-year debates were fun.”

 

Playoff. BCS. Polls. Pick one.

The constant throughout these changes: bowl games. But what does their future look like?