The Pac hadn't disintegrated yet.

But, to avoid legal problems, they couldn't name the P5 conference champions individually as the ones who would get automatic entry. It was justifiable to say the AAC or MWC champ could reasonably finish higher than one of the P5 champs, especially based on CCG upsets and recent results in the Pac. But, the plan was to rely on the committee thought tank to come up with word salad justifications for putting the power conferences champions above everyone else. Then, the $$$ brands from the Pac and Big 12 got poached, so the SEC and B1G don't really have any incentive now to protect good will with the ACC and Big 12. They need more conference schools in the playoff, and have zero interest where the Big 12 and ACC champs fall in the order of conference champs (3, 4, or 5).