In 2011, when an 11-1 Oklahoma State team that captured the Big 12 in dominant fashion was left out of the BCS National Championship game by the narrowest margin in the history of the formula, it catalyzed a review of the title-inclusion process for the sport’s most prestigious game.
Sure, moving towards a playoff format made more sense for anyone with two eyes and a heart that had any remote interest in more college football. But the playoff also made more sense to prevent a 2011-like episode from happening again; screwing the Oklahoma State’s of the world out of playing in the biggest stage thanks to a computer metric was less than ideal, even if TV execs (probably) drooled over an SEC-on-SEC championship rematch.