ESPN, CFB Playoff Committee, SEC, and B1G et al is not a question of the tail wagging the dog or vice versa.
They are all essentially the SAME entity. They are ALL the dog. It's not a question of who is just on the outside making observations. They are actually creating what they say they've been creating for decades.
ESPN is not just some media outlets reporting on what's happening. They are creating and making it happen.