Personally, I am against an 8 Team Playoff at all costs for very reasons. However, I have always been a proponent for "+1" or 4 Team Playoff since 2003 when the Polls split the NT between LSU and USC.
After this seasons debacle mixed with what happened to TCU in 2014, the current CFPC needs to come out and state which factors (SOS, Winning CCG, head to head, what teams you lost to, is margin of victory a factor, etc) are the most important factors, and keep these factors each season . In 2014 they stated non conference scheduling was more important than winning your conference, hence OSU over TCU. However, this season by putting Washington in over Penn St they are stating winning your conference is more important than who you play in the non conference.
As for leaving Bama out of the scenario I gave, I respect your opinion but disagree with it. I would like to hear a reasonable argument against leaving them out this season other than their only loss coming in the CCG.
Can we both agree that OSU would be 1 of the 3 At Large bids? That leaves 2 spots between Bama, Michigan, and Southern Cal.
Before I make my case for Bama, I want to state that I am a CFB FIRST before my teams (dad played football at Wake, and I went to Grad School at both Alabama and South Carolina), and when it comes to deciding if they belong in the CFP or any other outside decision, I try to be as objective as possible.
First, Bama would have only 1 loss to a team ranked 15th, whereas Michigan and USC have 2 and 3 losses, each of one to an unranked team. Bama smoked USC 56-3, and beat a total of 8 ranked teams at the time the games were played along with WKU who won CUSA. Also, they didn't just beat teams, they dismantled them taking away their will to finish the game. Their closest game was against Ole Miss, when they were still healthy, were down by 21 points and then outscored them 48-6. Almost forgot, they didn't allow a TD for 4 straight games, which included 2 ranked teams (LSU and Auburn).