Future step(s) will be for the B1G/SEC to separate from the rest of CFB. That step happens after they annex the top ACC schools. This is a transition stage.
One important thing to accomplish during this transition is to cement in everyone's mind the inferiority of the B12, which will ultimately be the top conference remaining when the SEC/B1G separate.
The goal requires consistent underranking of B12 schools. B12 schools must be treated the same as G5s. That is why the rankings are what they are. We are experiencing WAC and MWC level rankings for top B12 schools. We know what this looks like. There was a hard ceiling on rankings of MWC teams. No matter what they did, the top four or five spots were off limits.