I think "protected class" shifts from week to week. We get calls too sometimes that don't make much sense but we tend to gloss over them because they favor us. There are definitely narratives CFB is interested in upholding, but I saw FSU get all the calls in week one vs. Bama and then Bama get them on the road against Georgia.
That's why I said "Truly"...those are the ones that have always get positive manipulation from the Officials.
It always blows my mind that people..even people that really understand sports, don't seem to realize how much that manipulation effects the outcome.
For instance, by letting one teams OL get away with placing headlocks and arm bars on defenders, while calling holding on the other team a few times, especially on 3rd down, thus changing the aggressiveness that teams blockers can play with, they can vastly change the score.
Or by letting one teams defenders literally maul receivers all over the field, while calling ticky tack questionable PIs on the other team...especially on 3rd downs...that also really screws with the score.
You know all the rest of their other dirty sneaky tricks, either in calling or missing depending on which side is getting the favorable treatment...questionable personal fouls...questionable targeting...questionable ball spots...and questionable procedural penalties...etc...etc..etc..
The crews that are good at the corruption are really good at covering their tracks, like mixing in a few harmless calls at non-crucial moments so the tally looks respectable, but the bad ones, which it seems is most of them nowadays, don't even try to hide it anymore.