re: Has college football just 'felt different' to anyone else?

Well, the worst of the NFL safety rules changes didn't go into effect until around 2010, and they didn't trickle down into college football until around 2012-2013. Also, conference realignment went into overdrive around that time resulting in the destruction of the Big 12 and break up of many traditional rivalry games that helped make College Football into what it is today.

Also, it seems as if the quality of coaching has declined, or it has just simply become more polarized. There has always been parity, but it seems like there is a clear seperation between the top 2 or 3 coaches and the rest of football. The rest of football has tons of parity where traditionally "bad" schools beat traditionally "good" schools constantly. But, the handful of elite coaches and programs run rough-shod over everyone else with little competition. Urben Meyer and Saban, and arguably Harbaugh, are simply in a class of their own, and everyone else is just what's leftover.

Also, at the same time, LSU instituted major parking and tailgating restrictions on campus which completely decimated the tailgating culture, starting in 2012. So, yeah, the game has changed, and not for the better in many respects.