A lot of people thought the same thing when Alabama got a rematch with LSU several years ago.
I gave up on college football and basketball years ago. The powers that be in both sports sold out to television, prostituted their games to chase the big bucks, and have by now turned themselves into embarrassments. If it were up to me, I'd abolish athletic scholarships, restore real academic standards, return all college sports to a club status, pay coaches like ordinary faculty members, and tell tv to take a hike. The alums could still tailgate and get drunk, and after they got over the cultural shift, they'd probably be happier watching real students battle for the glory of Olde Whatever, as opposed to watching semi-literate, work-release felons audition to become a millionaire contestant in the televised gladiatorial contests.
Burn it all down and start over.
That said, in football there is simply no way to balance strength of schedule. The power conferences all have their own cheering sections. The press acts like a bunch of groupies. Things run in cycles. But in the end, the national championship should be settled on the field, not by the polls. And a four team playoff is simply too small to include all the worthy contenders. Every year, two or three teams, conference champions with outstanding records, will be left out, with a legitimate beef. That stinks.
(What's the difference, poll- and bowl-wise, between a 12-1 Oklahoma, probably in the playoff, and a 12-1 Ohio State? Answer: Oklahoma took its loss on Oct. 6; Ohio State, in a tougher league, on Oct. 20. Reverse the dates, and Ohio State would have jumped up over Oklahoma. Ain't the polls "scientific?" But how can you justify leaving either of them out in favor of a two loss team that couldn't even win its league?)
In a four team playoff, given that worthy teams will necessarily be left out regardless of who is chosen, there should be NO conference runners-up. Win your league or stay home. The mega conferences now have conference playoffs, which are an abomination, but these are now effectively the first round of the national playoff. No losers should advance.
An eight team playoff is the obvious solution. But again, conference champs only. Win your league or stay home.