The number 1 seed is always going to play the lowest ranked team, it does not matter after they are ranked from that point on, whether that is in the semis or the finals, that is the point of being the highest ranked team. You have to reward teams that win their conference title over those that do not even make the championship game for their conference. If TCU has to play a tougher opponent in the early rounds, then they should have won their championship game.
Unless you are willing to say to Alabama, you did not qualify for your conference championship game, but we are going to make you a #2 or #3 seed because you are Alabama. You have to reward the conference champions and I believe that they will find a way to make sure that the #1 seed does not play a 1 loss Alabama or Ohio State team to get to the finals, and if they have too, then so be it.
Make sense?
Yes, I do understand what you are saying, but I still don't like the artificial prop of giving a bye to a Conference Champion only to FOUR teams, as winning a conference does not inherently make one team better than another.
IMO, the #5 seed easily can be a better team than the #4 seed and possibly the #3 seed in more years than not. Winning a Conference Championship with a couple of losses does not automatically make a team better than another team that lost one game but did not win their conference. For example, in 2021, Baylor (11-2) would have been the #4 seed (instead of their #7 CFP Ranking) and eventual National Champion Georgia (12-1) would have been the #5 seed (instead of their #3 CFP ranking). That's a big swing due to the artifical prop.
I am all for having Conference Champions automatically qualify for the Playoff (That is very good), I just don't think winning a Conference Championship should have anything to do with top four seeding and an automatic bye. Then, that rule goes away for the 5-12 seeding. For example, TCU would have been #5 last year while Big Xii Champion K-State would have been #9. It's pretzel logic.
Back to my example from two years ago, Georgia (12-1) which was the run away best team in CFB all year until they slipped up and lost in the SEC Championship would have been the #5 seed under this ridiculous seeding scenario and played #4 Baylor (11-2) in the quarters. Georgia would have been fine and probably still won the 12 team CFB Playoff, but the # 1 seed would have had to play Georgia in the semis while two lesser teams met in the other semi: #2 Michigan (12-1) which was stomped by UGA in the Orange vs. #3 Cincinnati (13-0) which was stomped by Alabama in the Cotton if seeds held.
So, I am all for having teams automatically qualify for the CFP by winning their conference (regardless of record), but let the seeding be done without an artifical prop for the four byes. I can live with the top two seeds being required as a Conference Champion, but the 3rd and 4th spots should be more fluid. I suppose what I am trying to say is that being the #2 seed will provide an easier path to get to the Championship Game than the #1 seed has, and that is not fair to the #1 seed. Still have to win games to be the best, but #1 shouldn't have a potentially tougher road due to an artifical prop.
Either way, the 12 team CFP will be better than the current 4 team CFP! Iowa State would have made the 2020 CFP and played Florida (IIRC). That would have been FANTASTIC!