[CTcard]

That may be true, but you also have to beat teams like Michigan State and Iowa in the Rose Bowl and not lose to Utah and Northwestern in the regular season. 

Maybe only the latter - at least this year.
If Stanford had beaten Northwestern this year, we'd be in the playoff.
If Stanford had beaten Utah in 2013 ... maybe.
If Stanford had beaten UW in 2012 probably not, if und probably so.

ECBB is hard at work.

I don't see any particular bias or lack of respect for Stanford or the west here.

In almost every one of these recent years, the teams that got into the playoffs/championship game had fewer losses than did Stanford. In some cases that may be a poor way to rank teams, but it's the way college football does it for the most part.

The one possible exception was 2011. Stanford had one loss after the regular season, as did our Fiesta Bowl opponent Oklahoma State and championship game participant Alabama. So, I suppose you could claim lack of respect for Stanford and Ok State versus Alabama kept those teams (one of those teams) out of the championship game. But, as far as I can remember the only controversy of the topic was with respect to Oklahoma State.

In 2010 we had the same number of losses as championship game participant Oregon, but we lost badly to them head to head, so hard to complain about their selection over us - and that certainly wasn't anti-west coast bias.

I'm pretty sure we have kept each other out of the National Championship picture every year in that period, except for last year where we didn't hold serve.

I'm pretty sure "we" = Stanford and Oregon here.

Most years it was the winner of the Oregon/Stanford game that won the conference championship, therefore the one in consideration for the national championship was not knocked off by the other. And, in 2010 (and last year as you note) nothing kept Oregon out - they were in the game/playoff.

The exceptions were this year and 2009.

In 2009 Oregon won the conference but had two losses overall (pre-bowl, where they lost the Rose Bowl to Ohio State). The championship game had undefeated Texas vs undefeated Alabama. Oregon would not have gone even had they beaten us.

This year is different. If we had beaten Oregon then it seems overwhelmingly likely that we would be in the playoff.

[CTcard]

That may be true, but you also have to beat teams like Michigan State and Iowa in the Rose Bowl and not lose to Utah and Northwestern in the regular season. 

Maybe only the latter - at least this year.
If Stanford had beaten Northwestern this year, we'd be in the playoff.
If Stanford had beaten Utah in 2013 ... maybe.
If Stanford had beaten UW in 2012 probably not, if und probably so.

ECBB is hard at work.

I don't see any particular bias or lack of respect for Stanford or the west here.

In almost every one of these recent years, the teams that got into the playoffs/championship game had fewer losses than did Stanford. In some cases that may be a poor way to rank teams, but it's the way college football does it for the most part.

The one possible exception was 2011. Stanford had one loss after the regular season, as did our Fiesta Bowl opponent Oklahoma State and championship game participant Alabama. So, I suppose you could claim lack of respect for Stanford and Ok State versus Alabama kept those teams (one of those teams) out of the championship game. But, as far as I can remember the only controversy of the topic was with respect to Oklahoma State.

In 2010 we had the same number of losses as championship game participant Oregon, but we lost badly to them head to head, so hard to complain about their selection over us - and that certainly wasn't anti-west coast bias.

I'm pretty sure we have kept each other out of the National Championship picture every year in that period, except for last year where we didn't hold serve.

I'm pretty sure "we" = Stanford and Oregon here.

Most years it was the winner of the Oregon/Stanford game that won the conference championship, therefore the one in consideration for the national championship was not knocked off by the other. And, in 2010 (and last year as you note) nothing kept Oregon out - they were in the game/playoff.

The exceptions were this year and 2009.

In 2009 Oregon won the conference but had two losses overall (pre-bowl, where they lost the Rose Bowl to Ohio State). The championship game had undefeated Texas vs undefeated Alabama. Oregon would not have gone even had they beaten us.

This year is different. If we had beaten Oregon then it seems overwhelmingly likely that we would be in the playoff.