Greg Sankey told ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday that the idea of the SEC being left out of the College Football Playoff isn’t “the real world of college football.”

The league’s commissioner was adamant that the SEC stands above all others. He also stressed the outcome of the SEC Championship Game between No. 1 Georgia and No. 8 Alabama could – perhaps should – represent two of the four participants in the CFP.

“Let’s go back to Sesame Street,” he explained. “It’s really basic. One of these things is not like the other, and that’s the Southeastern Conference. We have 5 of the top 15 (teams). We actually don’t send signs to other people’s events, but that’s cool, too.

“We have five of the top 15, so a third. Our teams are playing everyone in the conference. They are all attached. They have to overcome adversity, intense environments. There are going to be close games, but the reality is there has been no one that’s experienced the success in the postseason – the college football playoff – that we have, so when you actually put us up against the teams rather than committee rooms, we stand alone. And we stand along regardless of today’s outcome.

“I think the opportunity in front of the committee to acknowledge, depending on the outcome, there could be two of the best four teams from the SEC.”

With undefeated Florida State playing in the ACC Championship Game later Saturday night, the topic of deserving vs. best was a hot one during the broadcast.

“What do those terms really mean?” Sankey asked. “I’m asked about fairness all the time. Try to define those. The committee has done that over time. It’s not a year-to-year analysis, so four best teams.

“The criteria isn’t to put the undefeated teams in the 4-team playoffs. If we did that, we’d have FCS teams in.

“You have to look deeply. I think the committee has to consider big-picture issues like the Texas and Alabama game. That was a huge night. … Should that game be scheduled? Take that game off Alabama’s schedule and what does this look like right now? You have to reward people for wining those games absolutely. But you can’t penalize them. It’s not a one-week analysis. It’s a full season analysis.

“That starts the best vs deserving.”

Sankey also said this year’s committee has been a little different in evaluating the teams for the CFP.

“The committee has shown over time they are willing to look at things on a week-to-week basis,” he said. “It strikes me there’s been less of that this year. But that’s in the committee room. That’s based on results. That’s based on a number of undefeated teams, which creates this stress point unlike any others. … Go back to the basics of what we are trying to do. Go back to those criteria. Again, I would make the case one of these cases is not like the other, from a standpoint of competitiveness and intensity, the level of football that has been played. That has shown itself year over year over year over year. That’s unique to this year.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.