The argument was that it would be nice to be in a conference so that we could have goals like playing for a conference championship, or still be relevant after a loss. That we could get guaranteed/better bowl tie-ins and that how we perform is relevant.
The response was that being in the Top 25 matters more than that. So great, once a decade we can get to that level, but the other 9 years it'd still be nice to be in a conference.