re: When, in your opinion, was the last time that CFB truly felt like CFB?

For me, 2019.

COVID was obviously a wash and the BLM stuff soured me for a bit. Right around the time that stench faded is when the NIL/Transfer stuff really took off. Now that coupled with ridiculous conferences, SEC isn't on CBS, regular season barely matters, rivalries washed away, people don't even play in bowl games. It's gone and it's not coming back which is truly sad.

While I overvalued its importance in my youth, it truly was something special.