I really hate you guys for making me do this. I have to bathe in bleach after this post.
The committe has had FSU in the top 4 every week, until now. How does them winning a conference title all of a sudden make it clear to them they're no longer a top 4 team?
The answer is because the committee votes based on the results on the field, until the very last week, when they need to manipulate the rankings in order to get the matchups that they want.
No other program, but Alabama, would jump an undefeated P5 team with 1 loss on their resume. Texas is only a playoff team because the committee had no choice. In order to get Bama in they had to put Texas in. Had Georgia won on Saturday, Texas would not be in the playoffs.
It's not even about who they think the 4 best teams are either, because then Georgia would be in the playoffs. Throughout the entire history of college football, when it comes down to the final vote before the bowl games, it has never been about the results on the field or anyone's opinion on what the top 2 or 4 teams are. It's about what benefits the powers that be the most.
You're not far off but there is an easier explanation.
The committee simply ranks the teams each week on whatever criteria they choose and as long as a team keeps winning then nobody complains and their ranking is justified. Plus, all the committee has to do, to any naysayers, is to say, "just let the games play out and it'll prove itself out."
And then, when in the last week, when everything hasn't righted itself or proven itself out, THEN they actually have to argue amongst themselves, use data, cuss & discuss, talk about the "eye test", etc in order to come up with an accurate order of 6 teams that can be justified by the written standards.
And IMO, their latest order/ranking makes sense to me.
With 1 exception...UGA is one of the best 4 teams in the Nation and should, at least, be ranked 5 with Noles at 6.
So if there's any ruse going on, it's that they tried hard to keep 2 SEC teams out of it.
And if there's any validity to your point of them being capricious until they finally fall to the almighty dollar, it's proven by allowing TX into the mix over UGA.
Because the "4 best teams" are UGA, Bama, Wash & Mich.
But per their criteria (ie Conf. Champs, SOS, and availability of players...they nailed the final 4.