i think a couple different things cause these situations.
your average fan these days spends about 30 hours/week playing fantasy football, Madden video games, and cruising sports forums on the internet. everybody you talk to is a football expert, and they're all over social media spouting their opinions as fact about coaches. any idiot with a keyboard can be a sports expert. "i'm so much cooler online".
since the change to the BCS and now the playoff, the only thing that matters to most fans is winning the championship. and just like college basketball, winning it all takes a lot of luck. but now that there is a legit champion crowned in college football, your average joe fan and booster wants one. winning 9 or 10 games and going to a good bowl game just ain't enough for people in this day and age. probably has something to do with participation trophies and 6 million/year coaching contracts.
people really don't have enough to do. used to, you worked so dang hard at your job, your garden, keeping your car running and raising your family, you just wanted a little diversion on saturday afternoons. pulling for State was good for that. you watched the game, had a beer, cheered them on. then when the game was over you went to church on sunday and went back to the grind on monday morning. now, people lay around all week watching the weeds grow and their cars rusting while they collect their disability check. so sports becomes a vacuum capturing all that free time they have.
i've got a buddy here at work, that i guarantee you reads or watches sports on tv 20-30 hours a week. college, pro, baseball, 5 or 6 fantasy leagues, recruiting websites, you name it.