Trust me, I get the old way of thinking. I was at the Rose Bowl game in '82...I have cheered for us to go to the Rose Bowl every year since (but ONLY because pre CFP, that would mean we won our conference title)....and were not in the BCS title game.
...it is clear to see then, these "trained" fans need to be retrained when the stakes are higher and your/our/their team is better than just a rose bowl (odd year out) competitor, and in the actual National Championship hunt.
If the fallback bowl for us is anything less than the playoffs (Cotton & Orange Bowls this year), then I understand fans preferring the Rose bid, over say the Fiesta Bowl (which "could" happen and is still a NewYears Day 6). But to hope we falter and go to the consolation prize bowl over the championship playoff bowls is bass ackward!