What you do doesn't matter as much as who you are. That's what "eye test" means.
College football is only a meritocracy for the same 15-20 teams.
Sure, it's "better" now they can't deny us IF we're undefeated, but there's nothing they'd love more than to have an excuse to rank the Big12 champ below a G6 champ, because what they really want is for any conference without a Royalty Program to get the G treatment. They won't share power.