They lost at home and it wasn't that close. At some point they need to be penalized for it especially with an undefeated power 5 team right there.To prepare you for the post season
To build your resume
Look at non-conference games in basketball. Big wins help you. Losses to great opponents don't kill you. Same with football.
A team should be rewarded for a strong schedule and as it expands to 12 they likely will be. Bama is the perfect example. I think 12-1 even with that loss is more impressive than 13-0 if you replace Texas with say Delaware or even Arizona State.
The committee was terrified of the stink Greg Stankey would have raised if the beloved SEC was shut out. A few stooges on that committee would have had their careers blackballed.