Huh, that's interesting. I figured in some years mid and small caps would do better and then the total market would win out, but I guess since the index also carries the large caps, you're not only getting the winners. Which would mean in the years where large caps are the winners, it's significantly higher than the small to mids, and so total market just never is the better option.
Which is what I've seen the last decade or so. The ones at the top are carrying the weight of it, and as they go, so does the rest of the market. I'm not ballsy enough to just go QQQ, but I think SPY might be sufficient.