I tend to be impersonal when I reply to people on the forum, sometimes that's good, when there is strong disagreement, but it can be a bad thing when it's just opinions being exchanged. I tend to argue with statements and sentiments, and that can lead to me sounding like I'm taking exception to an individual or their opinion.
My position was that of not being in favor of a playoff because I felt the BCS put the top two teams in there a vast majority of the time (although the bowl selection was horrible). I was wary of a playoff, for some of the reasons you specified, and I became even more wary once the committee was announced.
Having said that, I just don't think capitulation is the proper response. I can hold out hope, that the committee actually puts the top 4 teams in there. I don't think that will happen, but it should. As long as that is even a remote possibility, then I would like to see focus and emphasis go on who are the most deserving teams, and the best teams, vs. who happened to meet some arbitrary criteria.
In order for playoff supporters to be right, in order for the playoff to actually improve on what the BCS did, then there's no question whatsoever that the top four teams, regardless of conference, should be in that playoff. Otherwise, what was the point of all of this? Create a playoff because sometimes #2 was left out, and then go ahead and leave #2 out, and may be #3 while they're at it?
I hope the SEC acts in good faith until that premise is proven entirely wrong. Let's see a #2 non-conference champion SEC team again, and let's see if the committee is really going to keep them out or not. Test the integrity of the process, and I hope that it does the right thing.