In all honesty, I think Ohio State getting left out of the playoffs, in favor of Alabama, was partly the result of their getting waxed 31-0 by Clemson last year.
And while I don't like two SEC teams in the playoffs, Alabama has the cache, or history of success, to warrant a spot in the playoffs. And besides, there is historical precedent for putting a non-conference champion into the national title game (see the 2001 Nebraska squad). I realize that a playoff berth is not the same as directly getting into the national championship, but the principle is the same.