Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen remembers Utah's undefeated, BCS-busting 2004 season that was punctuated with a win against Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.
How could he forget?
"We won every game by [nearly] 21 points, beat three different BCS schools, and didn't get the opportunity to play for the national title," said Mullen, who was the Utes' quarterbacks coach that season under Urban Meyer. "I thought we were deserving but didn't have that opportunity."
Has the opportunity to win a national title truly expanded with the four-team College Football Playoff? The answer lies within each individual committee member's stance on whether they should choose the four best teams or the four most deserving ones.