Mississippi State, Baylor, Michigan State, and TCU were the other four popular names mentioned in an 8-team playoff. I'm assuming TCU would have treated MSU the same way they did Ole Miss so our four semi-finalists would now be Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan State, and TCU.
All that work to try and get two SEC teams into the final four and what we would have wound up with was two BIG TEN teams in the final four. LOL!