it's both a data point and a trump card. but you have to get close enough to use that card for it to matter. both teams with 1 loss, team a beat team b, doesn't matter if team b is beating others by more than team a does and "looks" better, it was settled on field. might have even been a fluke, but too bad no mulligans. but if team a has 3 losses while team b has only the 1, then it doesn't matter. jmo
also, for original poll i picked field cause what bama has done the last decade is unprecedented and i doubt anyone, including bama, can or will replicate it.