it's brand marketability. It's the ability to generate revenue. Nobody gives a rat's butt about Toledo outside Toledo unless they go undefeated and ESPN talking heads can make up stories about how the poor little guy is being mistreated, but they absolutely have no interest in them making the playoff because no one will watch after the first 5 mins when the David vs Goliath thing wears off. Only reason anyone ever cared about Cinci and UCF is that they each created good stories for one December, the underdog that has a claim to the title (despite the fact it was a fairy tale). That's good media for 15 mins, meanwhile, no one is turning on a game between an 8-1 Cinci and a 7-2 UCF in Oct, while a 4-4 Texas vs a 5-3 OK is going to draw a decent rating. In the end, coaches have to recruit and players have to play and when a big name school doesn't win and stay relevant they lose value, but there is a line of coaches ready to take over because they have the name and the media exposure it takes to attract the best players. Why are the same half dozen teams the only teams that ever win championships? They get the coaches and the players, those around them get the money for being in their conference. Money doesn't win championships, money comes from winning championships and more importantly, creating stories for the media that drive ad revenue.