As long as humans are the final arbiter, there will always be a built in bias in selecting ND over any otherwise "deserving" G5 program. That is not the point.
I think selecting UCF to the playoffs would have drawn fascinating story lines leading into the semi-finals, but after yesterday, I think the Selection Committee actually did UCF, the AAC, and the G5 conferences a favor in not selecting them. With McKenzie Milton, I have little doubt that UCF would have put up a better showing than Notre Dame, but they still probably would have lost...
So the drama would have been huge leading up to last Saturday, but it would struck midnight on Cinderella by 7:30. As it is played out, the fervor still buzzes.