That’s why adding two quality non-conference games to each team’s schedule would go a long way towards clarifying things.
That would help, but defining “quality” non-conference teams would be hard to do months in advance. Look how much teams rise and fall in the rankings during the course of the season. Florida State was ranked #3 in the nation in the pre-season rankings, and they finished 6-6 this year. Were they a “quality team” when they lost to Alabama in their first game, but not when they limped into their eighth game with a 2-5 record?