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Assuming TCU or USC loses the powers that be will stick Alabama 10-2 in the top 4.  And it won't be at #4 if Georgia is still #1. 

yup, Bama would jump in at #3 and play Michigan

and here we see the stupidity of the Big 12 having a CCG when they play a round robin

if no CCG TCU is in the playoffs if TCU doesnt win they are out

It is a double-edged sword.  If they needed another quality win then having the CG would be a humongous bonus.  For example, if TCU had dropped their 2OT win over OkSU and they were sitting at 11-1 right now they'd be in significant danger of getting passed over for 11-1 tOSU or 10-2 Bama and the chance to play a borderline top-10 KSU team while tOSU and Bama are sitting at home would be beneficial.  

Of course this year they are 12-0 so instead of having a "chance" to play a borderline top-10 KSU team they are forced into a no-win situation against a borderline KSU team.  

If they wanted to avoid the perception problem of ranking a 2-loss Alabama at #3 ahead of 13-0 conference champ TCU at #4, they could always drop Georgia to #2 and put Michigan at #1.  

this is true, but

ESPN would rather project that the SEC SEC SEC is superior and #1 and #3 projects better

Fine, but then this week happened.

It's process vs outcomes.

OSU blows people out.  Until last week, TCU didn't. 
It's about looking at more than the score.
How dare he.

Fine, but then this week happened.  And when it’s all said and done outcomes > process.  At least it should anyway.

Fine, but then this week happened.Fine, but then this week happened.  And when it’s all said and done outcomes > process.  At least it should anyway.

Right but CFB is notoriously difficult to rank because there are so few high-level games and there is a massive difference in SoS along with the fact that there is an underlying debate as to whether it is tougher for a NC Contender to play three pretty good teams or one really good team.

You look at scores and so on because most of us don't believe that TCU has played anyone as good as Michigan. They also may not have played anyone as good as LSU or TN either. That leaves open the argument that while tOSU and Bama aren't undefeated they might be on TCU's schedule and while TCU is undefeated they might not be if they had to play Michigan, go to Baton Rouge, or go to Knoxville. 

Consider the games the Frogs played that resulted in 2OT at home against OkSU or a 7 point win over Kansas or an 8 point win over SMU or a one point win over Baylor. Would those efforts have beaten Michigan, LSU, or Tennessee?

no reason

Right but CFB is notoriously difficult to rank because there are so few high-level games and there is a massive difference in SoS along with the fact that there is an underlying debate as to whether it is tougher for a NC Contender to play three pretty good teams or one really good team.

You look at scores and so on because most of us don't believe that TCU has played anyone as good as Michigan. They also may not have played anyone as good as LSU or TN either. That leaves open the argument that while tOSU and Bama aren't undefeated they might be on TCU's schedule and while TCU is undefeated they might not be if they had to play Michigan, go to Baton Rouge, or go to Knoxville.

Consider the games the Frogs played that resulted in 2OT at home against OkSU or a 7 point win over Kansas or an 8 point win over SMU or a one point win over Baylor. Would those efforts have beaten Michigan, LSU, or Tennessee?

My problem is simply this.  By Sagarin’s own metrics TCU has a better record against tougher schedules than either Ohio St or Bama played, yet he still has TCU ranked behind them.

Now, would I take take Bama or Ohio St over TCU on a neutral field?  Yes.  But I also would have taken Ohio St to win at home against Michigan.  They got beat by 19. Sagarin still has Michigan behind Ohio St.  At some point the results have to trump what we think.