The BIG10 and SEC control it and they want their money. Nothing more.

To be more clear, ESPN controls it.

Just like ESPN did with the MLB with its incessant promotion of Yankees/Red Sox, ESPN is desperate for the playoff to be dominated by the brand programs. Two things will continue to block the Big12 from the Playoff:

(1) ESPN has scant monetary relationship with the Big12 so it’ll be really hard for Big12 teams to breakthrough ESPN’s iron curtain.

(2) Disparate scheduling will continue to elevate the SEC. Because the SEC plays only 8 conference games, the SEC will have fewer loses distributed amongst its teams. The difference between 10-2 and 9-3 is the difference between being ranked #5 and #15. The SEC has benefited from its years of stacking wins (and refusing the play true OOC road games outside its footprint) such that more SEC teams will be ranked higher. This has created the perception—which has now taken root—that the SEC is just better which has helped the SEC recruit and has now convinced pundits that SEC 9-3 is a lot better than Big12 10-2.

As long as Disney is at the CFB helm, nothing will change. Disney has a penchant for ruining a lot of things and is in the process of ruining CFB for the 80 million people who live in the West.