The old rules of college football are disappearing, maybe that’s a good thing

For decades, college football operated under an unofficial understanding that a handful of programs would dominate recruiting and the same names would be at the top of the rankings, while everyone else hoped to catch lightning in a bottle. That hierarchy hasn’t disappeared, but it’s much less secure. Last weekend provided a stark reminder of this as the 2nd-ranked BYU Cougars fell to the UCF Knights in double overtime, the 6th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders lost to the Cincinnati Bearcats, and three other unranked teams defeated ranked opponents, marking the third consecutive week that a top-two team has lost to…