We won a Natty by beating up on WAC teams year after year. Basically the same model we would need to possibly compete for a NY6 or NC in this day and age. We'd need to have 1-2 season being undefeated with 1-2 more seasons of having only 1 loss.
This is essentially what happened in the late 70s and early 80s. The "landscape" hasn't changed at all, same as it always was. We have a .0001% chance of a NC, we just hit on it in '84.