Split national titles tore college football apart in the 1990s. Were they really so bad?

Key Points:

• In the 1990s, college football often ended with split national champions due to separate AP and coaches polls, exemplified by Miami and Washington sharing the 1991 title after undefeated seasons and no head-to-head matchup.
• The Bowl Championship Series (BCS), introduced in 1998, aimed to resolve this by matching the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in a major bowl game, but controversies persisted, including split titles like USC in 2003.
• The College Football Playoff (CFP), starting in 2014 and expanding to 12 teams in 2024, has not eliminated debate over selections, with recent snubs of strong teams like Florida State in 2023 and Notre Dame in 2025 fueling ongoing criticism.
• Some argue that the earlier system of split championships reflected an honest acknowledgment of subjective rankings and differing schedules, contrasting with modern systems that generate continuous angst despite attempts at definitive champions.
• The article reflects on the enduring challenges in crowning a clear national champion in college football, suggesting that all systems have flaws and fans must choose their preferred form of controversy.