I sometimes wonder how folks like you miss the FACT that, for instance, the SEC has a playoff which then sends the best SEC team to the bowl schedules (along with two or three of the top SEC teams who didn’t win the playoff).
Unfortunately the SEC can only send two teams to BCS games, in reality, they could have sent six if there were no limits (Bama, UF, UGA, LSU, SCar and A&M)
And I would dare say even Vandy is better than a few of the teams.
I could care less what the SEC does it is all the others. Point being, had Kent State won they would have possibly gone to a bowl over a much better range of teams. NIU really? If every conference would do it and forward their best 2-4 teams, ok. That will do away with a lot of out of conference rivalries but too bad. Until then I watch the games I watch for enjoyment and put no stock in a number 1 ranking. It is meaningless.
It would also prevent stacking from one conference. Would pro football be ok if all the team in the play-off be from one division example NFC east of AFC north? You either win or runner up in your conference or don’t go. If you don’t like it or you have too many teams go to another conference or independent. Allow only 4 or less independent teams into bracket (dependent on bracket size).