Here's my little curve ball for the "conference winners only". Keep in mind, I 110% agree with you on this. But lets say BYU comes out, puts together a heck of a team one year, and just STEAM rolls everyone to the tune of 65-0. Plays a non conference team from a higher level, beats them, and that team ends up just outside the top 4 or 8, what ever amount the playoffs is. And BYU is left out, since they are independent. And that team they steam rolled, gets into the playoffs since BYU is left out, goes on and wins the national championship. Now you have a team that won via playoffs.... but lost to an undefeated BYU team that can’t participate in the playoffs.