If we are operating from the assumption that the CFP is corrupt this website that shows viewership of the top games each week should help us figure out who gets left out.
https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/college-football-tv-ratings/If we are operating from the assumption that it is completely corrupt and the conferences are paying the members of the committee off under the table who knows. That's a scenario in which the ACC could easily get left out and it is Washington, Michigan, Texas, and Alabama.
I'm going with the assumption that a one loss sec champ gets in. Either Texas or FSU get left out.
So here we go:
Week 1: FSU vs LSU (Rating 4.7, Views 9.17M) beats Texas vs Rice (Rating 1.6, Views 3.21M)
Week 2: Texas vs Alabama (Rating 4.5, Views 8.76M), FSU (No Rating)
Week 3: No Rating
Week 4: FSU vs Clemson (Rating 3.7, Views 6.71M) beats Texas vs Baylor (Rating 1.4, Views 2.63M)
Week 5: Texas vs Kansas (Rating 1.8, Views 3.32M), FSU (No Rating)
Week 6: Texas vs Oklahoma (Rating 4.2, Views 7.87M), beats FSU vs Virginia Tech (Rating 1.7, Views 3.02M)
Week 7: FSU vs Syracuse (Rating 1.2, Views 2.09M), Texas (No Rating)
Week 8: FSU vs Duke (Rating 2.2, Views 4.08M) beats Texas vs Houston (Rating 1.6, Views 3.08M)
Week 9: Texas vs BYU (Rating 1.3, Views 2.38M) beats FSU vs Wake Forest (Rating 1.2, Views 2.09M)
Week 10: Texas vs K-State (Rating 1.6, Views 2.95M) beats FSU vs Pitt (Rating 1.0, Views 1.76M)
Week 11: FSU vs Miami (Rating 2.2, Views 4.14M) beats Texas vs TCU (Rating 1.5, Views 2.82M)
Week 12: Texas vs Iowa State (Rating 1.4, Views 2.47M) beats FSU vs North Alabama (Rating 0.7, Views 1.33M)
Week 13: FSU vs Florida (Rating 2.5, Views 5.07M) beats Texas vs Texas Tech (Rating 1.8, Views 3.77M)
Across the entire season, FSU averaged a rating of 2.11 and 3.95M viewers.
Across the entire season, Texas averaged a rating of 2.06 and 3.93M viewers.
Head to head, quite a few more people tuned in to watch FSU (ACC) vs LSU (SEC) in Week 1 than Texas (Big 12) vs Alabama (SEC) in Week 2. In weeks where both teams were on TV on the same weekend, FSU edges out Texas 5-4.
So if the decision is made based on viewership it will be Washington, Michigan, Alabama, and Florida State with Texas getting left out despite the head to head over Alabama.
If the decision is made based on on the field performance it will be Washington (undefeated, P5 champs), Michigan (undefeated, P5 champs), Texas (one loss P5 champs, head to head over the other one loss P5 champs), and Florida State (undefeated P5 champs).
Based on the information above, I don't really see how they exclude an undefeated Florida State team because the "we ran the table" argument is at least as valid as "early season head to head".
I miss the BCS. It was a better system.