Just as it did in January of 1991, the 2023 Orange Bowl will determine at least one (of at least two) national college football champions.

In 1991, the No. 1 ranked Colorado Buffaloes headed to Miami for a showdown – a rematch – with No. 5 Notre Dame. The winner (so long as it was Colorado) would likely be crowned the champ, the best team in all of college football.

The Buffs won, squeaking out a 10-9 victory over the Irish, a win that included a called-back punt return because of a nasty, nasty clip during Rocket Ismail’s would-have-been 92-yard touchdown.

Cheaters never prosper.

In the days that followed, the Buffs (11-1-1) were awarded the AP National Championship, while Georgia Tech (11-0-1) was crowned the UPI National Championship. Rumor has it, Nebraska coach Tom Osborne – aka, “Dr. Tom – cast an unreasonable ballot that essentially discredited Colorado and handed Georgia Tech a share of the national title.

Cheaters sometimes prosper.

If you detect a hint of sarcasm, cynicism or skepticism, then congratulations, you’re readin’ this writin’ properly.

How in the world is Florida State, the alma mater of current University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and an undefeated football squad, not in the College Football Playoff? The Seminoles play in a real conference, against real opponents and are really 13-0. They’re not invited to the “official” bracket that crowns college football’s newest champ; instead they’ll play Georgia, the former CFP’s former No. 1 that just so happened to lose to Alabama in a game that shouldn’t be played in the first place. Florida State has “earned” this matchup because they lost their quarterback to a broken leg, teaching kids everywhere that in the face of adversity, you should just quit.

I should love college football.

I hate college football

Why would a sports worth its weight in salt, dismiss such important matters as, oh, let’s say, wins and losses? Why bother to play? Let’s avoid a lot of injuries and just have a room full of suits crown the national champ in August.

“I am disgusted and infuriated with the committee’s decision today to have what was earned on the field taken away because a small group of people decided they knew better than the results of the games. What is the point of playing games?” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said following the CFP’s announcement of its top four – Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama. “What happened today goes against everything that is true and right in college football. A team that overcame tremendous adversity and found a way to win doing whatever it took on the field was cheated today. It’s a sad day for college football.”

True and right? C’mon, coach. What game do you think you’re playing?

At least in 1991, a difference of opinion could result in some kind of “shared” justice. Now, it results in (arguably) two of the best teams in the country duking it out in a bowl that will result in nothing other than cheap advertising for Capitol One and some cool and techy gifts for its participants.

But we’ll know the full story.

If Florida State were to win the Orange Bowl, who would dare suggest they’re not the best team in the country? What if Alabama, who just beat Georgia and climbed the rankings for No. 8 to No. 4, wins it all? They would have beaten the same Goliaths, but lost somewhere along they way. Florida State did not.

None of it (aka – “logic”) has never mattered anyway. The 1990 Colorado Buffs would have beaten the breaks off of Georgia Tech. But what I think doesn’t matter. What Dr. Tom thought, did.

Seems like it would be easier to just settle things on the field.

Luckily, this is the last time the College Football Playoffs will only include four teams. Next year it expands, allowing 12 teams into the bracket (thank goodness!). That’s certainly better, but it’s still imperfect. There will inevitably be a great one-loss team that gets left out, or perhaps an undefeated team that the committee deems unworthy.

Just think, what if Air Force would have run the table? In Week 9, it was included in the CFP’s top-25. Sure, the Falcons lost to Army, and then the wheels came off, but still, what if?

What if they won out, won the Mountain West and weren’t one of the six highest ranked conference champions?

If there’s a tweak to be made to the new and improved college football playoff system, it might be to have a “play-in” game (or tournament) for any teams that are undefeated at season’s end. It’s not a kid’s fault that some administrator or coach made a “winnable” schedule four years before they ever arrived. All a kid can do is beat the opponent in front of them. If they do that, and are consequently told to go home, what’s the point?

On Jan. 1, 1991, the Orange Bowl determined college football’s national champion. Colorado’s assignment on that day was simple: Win and you win… a national championship.

Colorado won and were appropriately handed the national title – until mankind and voting and nonsense got involved, and then that title was split. What would a now-86-year-old Tom Osborne do to solve the problem, the same one that exists in 2023?

This year, the Orange Bowl will once again determine a national champion – a split national champion – which is the exact thing the CFP and its band of bozos were trying to avoid in the first place.