…the Old Days in college football would have given us this in 2013:
SUGAR BOWL: Auburn vs Florida State (SEC Champ, plus FSU since the ACC wasn’t locked to the Orange)
ORANGE BOWL: Missouri vs Ohio State (7-8 BCS) (best original Big 8 team)
COTTON BOWL: Alabama vs Baylor (3-6 BCS) (best original SWC team)
ROSE BOWL: Stanford vs Michigan State (4-5 BCS) (Big Ten-Pac 12)
FIESTA BOWL: Oregon vs South Carolina (9-10 BCS)
CITRUS BOWL: Clemson vs Oklahoma (11-12 BCS)
HOLIDAY BOWL: Arizona State vs Oklahoma State (13-14 BCS)
Guess what? You can pair up the top 14 teams rat-a-tat-tat and get great matchups all the way down. And no need whatsoever to go through any ridiculous gyrations to get the matchup.
As the BCS lurches to the grave, the final proof: it was largely unnecessary. The playoff risks the same.