I'm going to put some summary info here once it's compiled, so I'll save this initial post and edit it. Any comments re: the analysis, your thoughts on 12-team playoff, selection of teams, the alternative history, etc. belong in this thread.
EDIT: A correction . . . in 2012 I have OU listed twice. It would be Michigan State getting the 6th at-large.
**** SUMMARY ****
From 1998 through 2012:
* 61 different teams would have appeared in the playoffs at least once, including 5 teams that represented more than one conference (Miami, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Boise St, TCU).
* Most appearances by conference:
SEC 35
Big XII 33
Big Ten 30
PAC-12 26
ACC 17
Big East 16
MWC 7
WAC 7
Ind. 4
MAC 3
C-USA 2
* Most different teams representing conference:
Big XII 10
PAC-12 10
Big Ten 9
Big East 8
SEC 8
ACC 7
MWC 4
WAC 4
MAC 3
C-USA 2
Ind. 1
* Schools with most appearances (UT has 4):
Ohio State 9
Oklahoma 9
Florida 8
FSU 7
Kansas St 7
Oregon 7
Texas 7
USC 7
Virginia Tech 7
LSU 6
Wisconsin 6
Alabama 5
Georgia 5
Michigan 5
Stanford 5
Boise St 5
Miami 5
* Schools with most at-large appearances (UT has 3):
Florida 5
Kansas St 5
Texas 5
Boise St 5
Notre Dame 4
* Through 15 years, there would have been 90 at-large teams in the playoff. Of those, 19 (21%) would have been small-conference teams. In the reality of the BCS, not one of these teams got a shot at a championship and only 8 of them even got to play in a BCS bowl. They are 5-2 (with one win and one loss to another small conference school; N. Ill has yet to play) in such games.
