In the past 30 or so years an air raid style of offense has helped evolve the college football landscape. The Run and Shoot, spread option, versatile tight end/receiver hybrids and video game style output made the games more intense shootouts than smash mouth slugfests.
That's not to say a good running game and big hogs in the trenches is not a popular thing. But the air attacks have done for football what the home run spikes of the late 90’s and early 2000’s did for baseball— put a shot in the ass of an already cherished pastime.