Now I wanna tell you a story. I'm gonna ask ya'all to close your eyes while I tell you this story. I want you to listen to me. I want you to listen to yourselves.

This is a story about a college football team playing its heart out week after week. Win after win piles up.  I want you to picture this team.

Suddenly on senior night their dynamic quarterback is greviously injured. They were playing an overmatched opponent they could have beaten with no quarterback. But he was in the game, enjoying his last ride. On a simple running play the opponent hit him awkwardly and he went down.  He stayed there. 

The training staff rushed to the field and it was immediately evident that his college career was over.  His lower leg was shattered, his foot dangling at an unnatural angle.

Now comes the aftermath. The dynamic quarterback is lost but the season goes on. The team turns to the backup quarterback to protect its position in the four-team playoff rankings.  And the team continues to win.  It’s not as dominant as before but it continues to win.  Then comes the conference championship game. Suffering from a concussion the backup quarterback cannot to.  The team turns to an 18 year old freshman who hasn’t played a meaningful snap all season.  And it wins. The team was never seriously challenged all season as it battled to overcome horrendous injuries and the mental toll of losing key players.

The morning after the conference championship game win, the team awoke early to find out who it would play in the first round.  Instead it was supplanted by an Alabama team that struggled with South Florida and needed a cheating miracle to survive 6-win Auburn the week before.  There would be no playoffs.  No reward for an unbeaten season.

Can you see it? It’s broken quarterback hobbling on crutches. Can you see the broken hearted players and distraught fans? Can you see the head coach struggling through his own tears to console his players and the seniors go who will never have another chance?

Can you see it? I want you to picture that broken hearted team.

Now imagine it was Clemson.

SEC out of the playoffs

Michigan
Washington
FSU
Texas

Do it.  The howling from Tuscaloosa and Athens will be heard through the ages.  This committee bullshit is so subjective anyway, they don't even have to justify it.  That's what the talking heads are for.

Spank it.

Re: #3.

There is wisdom in not pulling the plug on that program when it (NCAA) had them dead to rights. Somewhere in the past I argued that to have a great story or rivalry you must have a great villain.
We share the same boundaries with ours. I can't imagine the world of  college football without Alabama. We need them to help kick the can along if we intend to enjoy football because as you stated, "... it would be hard to say they shouldn't be there."

The Heisman Trophy doesn't even enter my thoughts in connection to which team prevails in a four team playoff.
I'm still of the old school way of choosing the best player and for my money it's Jayden Daniels.

As far as qualifying for the playoffs though...

... be it a solo homer or a passed ball.
If you are ahead when the game ends that's all that should matter.

Fuck their eye test.