team that was near the top of the remaining turdpile was taken out of necessity. As mentioned, it was only temporary, as they werent in "real" upgrade situations. Utah, W Virginia, Louisville had multiple BCS bowl wins, and significantly improved their position. TCU w 1 win in 2 BCS appearances. BSU was 1-AA and in Big Sky for 20+ yrs until going 1-A and slowly building into what they became, in FB only. Academically and historically there closer to Weber St and Montana Grizzlies, and their FB success is a more recent phenomenon. So of the more recent teams to really upgrade their position, Utah, TCU, Louisville, W.Virginia.

Utah: BCS wins over BEast champ Pitt in 04-05' season Fiesta Bowl
--Win vs. #4 Alabama in 08'-09' Sugar Bowl

TCU: Win vs. #5 Wisconsin in 10'-11' Rose Bowl
--Loss to #6 Boise St in 09'-10' Fiesta Bowl

Boise St: win vs. #10 Okla. 06-07' Fiesta Bowl
--win vs. #4 TCU 09-10' Fiesta Bowl

W. Virginia: Win vs. #7 Georgia in 05'-06' Sugar Bowl
--win vs. #4 Okla. in 07'-08' Fiesta Bowl
--Win vs. #15 Clemson in 11'-12' Orange Bowl

Louisville: Win vs. #14 Wake Forest(ACC Champ) in 06'-07' Orange Bowl
--Win vs. #3 Florida in 12'-13' Sugar Bowl

So, Utah, BSU, Louisville and W Virginia all batting .1000 in BCS in multiple BCS Bowl games, w/ TCU .500

CU could qualify as not winning their way in, they did win a Nat'l Championship in 90', and a BCS bowl loss in 02' Fiesta Bowl. They've stunk it up in 2000s, but have enough previous success, though it's a stretch, and fit well academically w P12.

I'm not sure I fully "got" your OP, but the teams that won their way in, for the most part, did it w BCS Bowl wins and significantly upgraded their futures by joining the P12, ACC, & B12. The programs who didn't, and only temporarily entered BCS conferences, that were hanging by their fingernails, ended up on the outside looking in the new landscape. Now Rutgers, that's a complete headscratcher and evidence that CFB really is selling its soul for $, and all the traditional rivalries and what made CFB great is sold to the highest bidder. My main point, BYU could've absolutely won their way in to a P5, and comparing the turds that were accepted out of desperation by the dying BCS conferences is an irrelevant comparison. In fact, it could be argued BYU did enough to win their way in, to the B12. There's always been debate re; that. But as more trickles out over the few years since, I'm even more convinced than before, BYU had one foot in the door, and it wasn't Sunday play that slammed it shut. TCU owes us lunch for that.