That doesn’t mean the “13th data point” is a myth. I don’t know why people won’t grasp this. The lack of a conference championship could cost ND in the future. The possibility isn’t debatable. The committee claims conference championships as a consideration. More importantly, I think, is the opportunity for a contending team to make a case on the field during the final weekend via a championship game while another contender sits idle. Look at it this way: if Pitt had pulled off the upset, ND would be locked in a battle with OSU and OU — with pretty comparable credentials— for spots behind Alabama and Clemson (assuming Bama and Clemson win), ND would be disadvantaged sitting at home while Urban and Kyler get to show off on a big stage.
With the exception of maybe one or two posters everyone here believes ND will be in this year. That doesn’t mean the 13th data point can’t be a back breaker down the road. It isn’t hard to imagine. Yes, you can get in with one loss and no conference championship. I get that. But it definitely could be a deciding factor among one loss teams too.