[qwerty49]

But the path for the likes of Bama and Clemson is always helped by their brands. 

It's also helped (immensely, IMO) by the fact that they only play 8 conference games in a 14-team conference. This is ridiculously unfair...no matter how good they actually are...and allows them to play a high school team in November when we, and others, are limping into of immense proportions, late-season conference games. 

Until that is remedied I will always call BS on any $EC or ACC team that gets into the playoff ahead of equally deserving teams from another conference. And last year....TWO teams from the $EC!?!

Excellent point. And the reverse of the “4-cupcake” effect is that the optics make it very hard for a (non SEC) 2-loss team.

[qwerty49]

But the path for the likes of Bama and Clemson is always helped by their brands. 

It's also helped (immensely, IMO) by the fact that they only play 8 conference games in a 14-team conference. This is ridiculously unfair...no matter how good they actually are...and allows them to play a high school team in November when we, and others, are limping into of immense proportions, late-season conference games. 

Until that is remedied I will always call BS on any $EC or ACC team that gets into the playoff ahead of equally deserving teams from another conference. And last year....TWO teams from the $EC!?!

Excellent point. And the reverse of the “4-cupcake” effect is that the optics make it very hard for a (non SEC) 2-loss team.