It took all of one year for the College Football Playoff Committee to decide their model needed fixing. In its first year of existence, first-round byes were given to the four highest ranked conference champions. In the inaugural 12-team playoff, that resulted in Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, and Arizona State getting the byes. Boise was ranked ninth by the committee and ASU was 12th, but by virtue of being the 3rd and 4th highest conference champs, respectively, they ended up seeded higher than teams the committee actually thought higher of.
That will change in the second edition of the new expanded playoff.