There was this popularity contest and after the season, before the bowl games, a team would be named as National Champion. Notre Dame, USC (So Cal), Bama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas benefited heavily from this. Then one year (1964), the Champ Bama lost in the bowl game. So they changed naming the champ after the bowl game (1965). Few years roll, then they come up with two best teams (1 and 2) duking it up to be named as the National Champion. It was called BCS Champions.
Well in 2012, #1 Undefeated LSU was the best team and #2 Bama was the one loss team (lost to LSU 6-9 in the season). They were from the same conference SEC. A rematch in the final game. Bama won 24-0. That had put the entire college Football a bitter taste. Other conference was furious because all the big money game belonged to SEC and they took it all. 7 years in a row SEC won titles and got the pot of money.
Furious college Football conferences were ready for a change. They wanted to put the SEC dominance a stop. They came up with a committee who would select 4 BEST TEAMS in college and would name it as a 4 team playoffs. They signed a contract for 10 years in testing this.
For the past 3 years, 4 teams were selected. Ohio State (B1G) won the first, then Bama (SEC), then Clemson (ACC). In the past, 4 teams from different conference represented the four teams.
Last year, instead of Penn State (B1G Champ) Ohio State (ranked #4) played in the playoffs. That set the precedent.
This year, with PAC12 doing miserable, B1G (all 2+ loss teams) were shut out by the committee. They selected a second SEC team #4 Bama (11-1) along side ACC Champ #1 Clemson (12-1, SEC Champ #2 Georgia (12-1), and Big12 Champ #3 Oklahoma (12-1). Well Bama beat Clemson (24-6), and Georgia out lasted Oklahoma (54-48) in 2OT game.
We are back with a National Championship game with two teams from SEC.