is laudable, even if misplaced. Money does not buy brains, anybody can look at Texas and Texas A&M to see that, however, other things being equal or at least close, money is a significant differentiator. It buys facilities, coaches and staff, players and numerous other operating advantages. Making the playoffs is good publicity and a little more money but, that doesn't guarantee competitiveness and depending on performance can actually hurt rather than help relevance if a school becomes considered a perpetual doormat(see Michigan) rather than a legitimate threat to win it all and it takes more than catching lightning in a bottle once to alter that perception. The four schools you mention, along with the rest of the Big 12, the Big Ten(aside from Ohio State), the ACC(aside from possibly Clemson), and the bottom half of the SEC have all been little more than window dressing in recent times and that seems highly unlikely to change when the road goes from having to win 2 to 3,4 or more