I refuse to take the point of view that "saving CFB" is the course less favorable to the preservation and advancement of the Big 12. It is the USC/UCLA departure that has forever eliminated the persona of the PAC conference. It's identity is already gone.
The best way to preserve conference power outside the SEC and B1G is to consolidate some of the best PAC teams in the Big 12 so that the resulting conference gains some competitive traction and a new identity. A seriously weakened PAC adding Boise and Fresno does nothing to save CFB.