CSNbbs

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_...api_public

Sometimes you can do everything right and reach that six-win trigger point to become bowl eligible. But sometimes it’s not enough.

For nine teams this year, six wins (or more) didn’t get the job done. And while 70 other teams are preparing to play an extra game, snag some swag and -- most importantly -- getting extra practice time, these nine are on the outside looking in.

While a snub is a snub, it’s always fun to rank things. Here’s a snapshot of the “Jilted 9” from the most snubbed to the least snubbed.

Toledo (7-5, 5-3)
League: MAC
Bowl eligible teams: 7
Teams going bowling: 5
Notable: Seven wins feels like it should have been enough for the Rockets -- especially with victories over Navy, Bowling Green and Buffalo -- which are all going bowling. But a limping finish that included losses to Northern Illinois and a two-point loss to Akron snaps Toledo’s streak of three-straight bowl appearances.

San Jose State (6-6, 5-3)
League: Mountain West
Bowl eligible teams: 7
Teams going bowling: 6
Notable: A top 25-finish last year and a returning standout quarterback in David Fales wasn’t enough to get the Spartans -- who were looking for back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time since 1986-1987 -- into the postseason. Prior to their signature win over No. 16 Fresno State to close out the year, the Spartans dropped three straight to San Diego State, Nevada and Navy (3 OT).

Western Kentucky (8-4, 4-3)
League: Sun Belt
Bowl eligible teams: 7
Teams going bowling: 2
Notable: Despite closing the year with four wins and beating Arkansas State (which has a better conference record at 5-2, but a worse overall record at 7-5), Bobby Petrino and the Hilltoppers are left out. The Sun Belt has only two tie-ins (R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl and GoDaddy Bowl), so they were the league that took the brunt of the snubbing. Last year -- a loss in the Little Caesars Bowl -- was the school’s first bowl appearance. Their eight wins are the most since moving to FBS ball in 2009.

Central Michigan (6-6, 5-3)
League: MAC
Bowl eligible teams: 7
Teams going bowling: 5
Notable: The Chippewas closed the year strong with three wins after dropping six of their first nine. But they failed to beat a ranked team, dropping the season opener to No. 17 Michigan 59-9 and falling to No. 23 Northern Illinois 38-17. Central Michigan had gone to five bowl games the past eight years.

Florida Atlantic (6-6, 4-4)
League: Conference USA
Bowl eligible teams: 7
Teams going bowling: 6 (Note: UTSA, though 7-5, is still in transition to NCAA Division I and won't be eligible for bowl games until next year.)
Notable: After starting the year 2-6 (coach Carl Pelini was fired, but other factors contributed to his dismissal), the Owls closed out the year with four straight wins. Their last appearance was the 2008 Motor City Bowl.

Louisiana-Monroe (6-6, 4-3)
League: Sun Belt
Bowl eligible teams: 7
Teams going bowling: 2
Notable: One of five Sun Belt teams staying home for the holidays, the Warhawks made their only appearance in the postseason last year when they lost in the Independence Bowl to Ohio, 45-14. They dropped both games against ranked teams (Oklahoma, Baylor) and dropped two of their final three to close out the season. There was some hope that the season-finale win over Louisiana-Lafayette (headed to R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl) might have been enough of a statement for inclusion.

South Alabama (6-6, 4-3)
League: Sun Belt
Bowl eligible teams: 7
Teams going bowling: 2
Notable: This was the fifth season of football for the Jaguars, who were bowl eligible for the first time since moving up from FCS. Like Louisiana-Monroe, they closed out the year with a win over Louisiana-Lafayette. But despite finishing the season with three straight wins and no games against ranked opponents, there wasn’t enough on the resume.

Troy (6-6, 4-3)
League: Sun Belt
Bowl eligible teams: 7
Teams going bowling: 2
Notable: Another one of those three-conference loss Sun Belt teams on the outside, the Trojans were 5-3 at one point during the year, but closed out the season losing three of their last four. They played the Blue Devils tough at Duke, losing 38-31 in September, but didn’t have much of a resume. Their last postseason appearance was winning the New Orleans Bowl in 2010.

Texas State (6-6, 2-5)
League: Sun Belt
Bowl eligible teams: 7
Teams going bowling: 2
Notable: In their first year of bowl eligibility after moving up from FCS, the Bobcats struggled in the Sun Belt and dropped three in a row to Arkansas State, Western Kentucky and Troy to close out the year. They lost their only game to a ranked team, Texas Tech, back in September, 33-7.

The lack of a game for our Sun Belt squads is going to be a major issue moving forward.

The Sun Belt leadership needs to make a move.

(01-07-2014 12:19 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote: [ -> ]The lack of a game for our Sun Belt squads is going to be a major issue moving forward.

The Sun Belt leadership needs to make a move.

Yep, like go away. That's the move I would like to see.

(01-07-2014 12:19 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote: [ -> ]The lack of a game for our Sun Belt squads is going to be a major issue moving forward.

The Sun Belt leadership needs to make a move.

Bowl allocation among the conferences is a huge factor in the all important national "perception" of the different conferences. When you have most of your bowl eligible teams sitting at home during bowl season, you're certainly not improving in that area. I'm not exactly sure what Benson, or anyone else, can do about it though.

(01-08-2014 07:39 AM)BRtransplant Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-07-2014 12:19 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote: [ -> ]The lack of a game for our Sun Belt squads is going to be a major issue moving forward.

The Sun Belt leadership needs to make a move.

Bowl allocation among the conferences is a huge factor in the all important national "perception" of the different conferences. When you have most of your bowl eligible teams sitting at home during bowl season, you're certainly not improving in that area. I'm not exactly sure what Benson, or anyone else, can do about it though.

The ONLY Belt team that got shafted was WKU because in my opinion, 6-6 squads should stay at home. If the Cajuns go 6-6 next year, is it possible they'd go to the New Orleans Bowl ahead of a more worthy team? Probably so, which is why those of you who scoff at the importance of attendance/fan support are dead wrong.

(01-08-2014 08:10 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 07:39 AM)BRtransplant Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-07-2014 12:19 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote: [ -> ]The lack of a game for our Sun Belt squads is going to be a major issue moving forward.

The Sun Belt leadership needs to make a move.

Bowl allocation among the conferences is a huge factor in the all important national "perception" of the different conferences. When you have most of your bowl eligible teams sitting at home during bowl season, you're certainly not improving in that area. I'm not exactly sure what Benson, or anyone else, can do about it though.

The ONLY Belt team that got shafted was WKU because in my opinion, 6-6 squads should stay at home. If the Cajuns go 6-6 next year, is it possible they'd go to the New Orleans Bowl ahead of a more worthy team? Probably so, which is why those of you who scoff at the importance of attendance/fan support are dead wrong.

No one scoffs at attendance/fan support. What people scoff about is that ULL has never shown they have any support outside a 2 hour drive from their home.

Granted, but we do a hell of a job in a two hour drive, way more than a lot of schools as proven during this bowl season. No we will not travel to Idaho Potato Bowl in huge numbers, but Houston, Memphis, Dallas, Shreveport, would get a lot of love.

WKU on the other hand travels for basketball.

6/6 should stay home

(01-08-2014 08:17 AM)WKUApollo Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 08:10 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 07:39 AM)BRtransplant Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-07-2014 12:19 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote: [ -> ]The lack of a game for our Sun Belt squads is going to be a major issue moving forward.

The Sun Belt leadership needs to make a move.

Bowl allocation among the conferences is a huge factor in the all important national "perception" of the different conferences. When you have most of your bowl eligible teams sitting at home during bowl season, you're certainly not improving in that area. I'm not exactly sure what Benson, or anyone else, can do about it though.

The ONLY Belt team that got shafted was WKU because in my opinion, 6-6 squads should stay at home. If the Cajuns go 6-6 next year, is it possible they'd go to the New Orleans Bowl ahead of a more worthy team? Probably so, which is why those of you who scoff at the importance of attendance/fan support are dead wrong.

No one scoffs at attendance/fan support. What people scoff about is that ULL has never shown they have any support outside a 2 hour drive from their home.

And that would be the fault of the Cajun fans or team? I guess we could have turned down the New Orleans Bowl game last year against ECU for a shot at Central Michigan in Detroit.

(01-08-2014 08:30 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 08:17 AM)WKUApollo Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 08:10 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 07:39 AM)BRtransplant Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-07-2014 12:19 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote: [ -> ]The lack of a game for our Sun Belt squads is going to be a major issue moving forward.

The Sun Belt leadership needs to make a move.

Bowl allocation among the conferences is a huge factor in the all important national "perception" of the different conferences. When you have most of your bowl eligible teams sitting at home during bowl season, you're certainly not improving in that area. I'm not exactly sure what Benson, or anyone else, can do about it though.

The ONLY Belt team that got shafted was WKU because in my opinion, 6-6 squads should stay at home. If the Cajuns go 6-6 next year, is it possible they'd go to the New Orleans Bowl ahead of a more worthy team? Probably so, which is why those of you who scoff at the importance of attendance/fan support are dead wrong.

No one scoffs at attendance/fan support. What people scoff about is that ULL has never shown they have any support outside a 2 hour drive from their home.

And that would be the fault of the Cajun fans or team? I guess we could have turned down the New Orleans Bowl game last year against ECU for a shot at Central Michigan in Detroit.

Dude, you argue like my 10 year old son. No one said it's your fault. No one denies that ULL draws a great crowd to New Orleans. All anyone has ever said is that ULL has an advantage over the other SBC programs because of location and the league has done little to remedy that imbalance. We're all happy for ULL for the way they represented the SBC. There is a considerable amount of frustration by the constant tooting of your horn about doing something that we all don't have the chance to do. If the SBC had a Bowl in Louisville or Nashville, WKU or MTSU (when they were in the league) would have set attendance records. The same probably would be the case in Little Rock for ArkSt.

At least we proved we can travel... Somewhere. Everyone else with exception of ASU has proven they can't travel anywhere. Why was ULM not the Indy's choice this year? They went last year? They were bowl eligible. Did they not impress with their travel? Wku got left out at 8-4...did they not impress in Detroit? You keep talking about if you had a bowl close you would set records, well until you do it...it's just a thought. We have done it, 3 times. Outside of ASU...the rest of league has no proof whatsoever. We almost doubled the previous attendance record (before Cajuns first year) this year. Before anyone even says it... Tulane did help but they should have done a lot better. To only be 6k more than last year with a team from Carolina...sure sounds like we held up our end.

(01-08-2014 08:58 AM)Louisiana99 Wrote: [ -> ]At least we proved we can travel... Somewhere. Everyone else with exception of ASU has proven they can't travel anywhere. Why was ULM not the Indy's choice this year? They went last year? They were bowl eligible. Did they not impress with their travel? Wku got left out at 8-4...did they not impress in Detroit? You keep talking about if you had a bowl close you would set records, well until you do it...it's just a thought. We have done it, 3 times. Outside of ASU...the rest of league has no proof whatsoever. We almost doubled the previous attendance record (before Cajuns first year) this year. Before anyone even says it... Tulane did help but they should have done a lot better. To only be 6k more than last year with a team from Carolina...sure sounds like we held up our end.

Thanks for making my point. No one is disparaging ULL's obvious turnout or the fact you are the obvious choice for New Orleans. It's a no brainer. You keep mentioning that no one else has proven they can do it. WKU has been bowl eligible for 3 years straight, just like ArkSt and ULL, yet WKU has only been to one Bowl game...Detroit, during a Blizzard the day after Christmas. We've never had a legitimate opportunity to prove anything.

(01-08-2014 09:08 AM)WKUApollo Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 08:58 AM)Louisiana99 Wrote: [ -> ]At least we proved we can travel... Somewhere. Everyone else with exception of ASU has proven they can't travel anywhere. Why was ULM not the Indy's choice this year? They went last year? They were bowl eligible. Did they not impress with their travel? Wku got left out at 8-4...did they not impress in Detroit? You keep talking about if you had a bowl close you would set records, well until you do it...it's just a thought. We have done it, 3 times. Outside of ASU...the rest of league has no proof whatsoever. We almost doubled the previous attendance record (before Cajuns first year) this year. Before anyone even says it... Tulane did help but they should have done a lot better. To only be 6k more than last year with a team from Carolina...sure sounds like we held up our end.

Thanks for making my point. No one is disparaging ULL's obvious turnout or the fact you are the obvious choice for New Orleans. It's a no brainer. You keep mentioning that no one else has proven they can do it. WKU has been bowl eligible for 3 years straight, just like ArkSt and ULL, yet WKU has only been to one Bowl game...Detroit, during a Blizzard the day after Christmas. We've never had a legitimate opportunity to prove anything.

Wasn't the game in a dome? You had your chance and you blew it. ASU has traveled on a Sunday 3 years in a row after the holidays. You don't think it's difficult for people to take off after the holidays? People will always have a excuse of why they failed. You got invited to Detroit and failed. The Cajuns and ASU haven't. Ulm failed. Both f_u's failed when they went. Troy and MTSU have both done well when given the chance.

(01-08-2014 09:15 AM)Louisiana99 Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 09:08 AM)WKUApollo Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 08:58 AM)Louisiana99 Wrote: [ -> ]At least we proved we can travel... Somewhere. Everyone else with exception of ASU has proven they can't travel anywhere. Why was ULM not the Indy's choice this year? They went last year? They were bowl eligible. Did they not impress with their travel? Wku got left out at 8-4...did they not impress in Detroit? You keep talking about if you had a bowl close you would set records, well until you do it...it's just a thought. We have done it, 3 times. Outside of ASU...the rest of league has no proof whatsoever. We almost doubled the previous attendance record (before Cajuns first year) this year. Before anyone even says it... Tulane did help but they should have done a lot better. To only be 6k more than last year with a team from Carolina...sure sounds like we held up our end.

Thanks for making my point. No one is disparaging ULL's obvious turnout or the fact you are the obvious choice for New Orleans. It's a no brainer. You keep mentioning that no one else has proven they can do it. WKU has been bowl eligible for 3 years straight, just like ArkSt and ULL, yet WKU has only been to one Bowl game...Detroit, during a Blizzard the day after Christmas. We've never had a legitimate opportunity to prove anything.

Wasn't the game in a dome? You had your chance and you blew it. ASU has traveled on a Sunday 3 years in a row after the holidays. You don't think it's difficult for people to take off after the holidays? People will always have a excuse of why they failed. You got invited to Detroit and failed. The Cajuns and ASU haven't. Ulm failed. Both f_u's failed when they went. Troy and MTSU have both done well when given the chance.

LOL....Absolutely hilarious.

(01-08-2014 09:19 AM)WKUApollo Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 09:15 AM)Louisiana99 Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 09:08 AM)WKUApollo Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 08:58 AM)Louisiana99 Wrote: [ -> ]At least we proved we can travel... Somewhere. Everyone else with exception of ASU has proven they can't travel anywhere. Why was ULM not the Indy's choice this year? They went last year? They were bowl eligible. Did they not impress with their travel? Wku got left out at 8-4...did they not impress in Detroit? You keep talking about if you had a bowl close you would set records, well until you do it...it's just a thought. We have done it, 3 times. Outside of ASU...the rest of league has no proof whatsoever. We almost doubled the previous attendance record (before Cajuns first year) this year. Before anyone even says it... Tulane did help but they should have done a lot better. To only be 6k more than last year with a team from Carolina...sure sounds like we held up our end.

Thanks for making my point. No one is disparaging ULL's obvious turnout or the fact you are the obvious choice for New Orleans. It's a no brainer. You keep mentioning that no one else has proven they can do it. WKU has been bowl eligible for 3 years straight, just like ArkSt and ULL, yet WKU has only been to one Bowl game...Detroit, during a Blizzard the day after Christmas. We've never had a legitimate opportunity to prove anything.

Wasn't the game in a dome? You had your chance and you blew it. ASU has traveled on a Sunday 3 years in a row after the holidays. You don't think it's difficult for people to take off after the holidays? People will always have a excuse of why they failed. You got invited to Detroit and failed. The Cajuns and ASU haven't. Ulm failed. Both f_u's failed when they went. Troy and MTSU have both done well when given the chance.

LOL....Absolutely hilarious.

I agree... Your attendance in Detroit was hilarious

(01-08-2014 09:31 AM)Louisiana99 Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 09:19 AM)WKUApollo Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-08-2014 09:15 AM)Louisiana99 Wrote: [ -> ]Wasn't the game in a dome? You had your chance and you blew it. ASU has traveled on a Sunday 3 years in a row after the holidays. You don't think it's difficult for people to take off after the holidays? People will always have a excuse of why they failed. You got invited to Detroit and failed. The Cajuns and ASU haven't. Ulm failed. Both f_u's failed when they went. Troy and MTSU have both done well when given the chance.

LOL....Absolutely hilarious.

I agree... Your attendance in Detroit was hilarious

Let me tell you a story about two students in a high school senior class.

At the beginning of the year the teacher tells her students if they all work hard and reach a certain grade in the class that they'll be eligible to take a college scholarship test at the end of the semester.

Both students work hard and reach their goal. The teacher is ecstatic that two of her students have reached this level, because it makes her look good as a teacher. On the day of the test she says to her favorite boy, Laffy, "Now Laffy, sweetheart, here's the answers to the test. You sit right here and take that test and take as long as you need. If you need any help, just give me a shout" To the other student she says "Now Toppah, here's the test, you'l need to go to the outhouse in the lightning storm and take the test." Toppah says "do I get the answers too?" No, the teacher says.

Both students work hard and complete their test. Miraculously Laffy receives a 100% on the test. Poor Toppah gets a 70%. Laffy is elated and proceeds to run around the room professing to everyone how smart he is because he received a 100% on the scholarship test. Toppah congratulates Laffy but says, well, it really wasn't quite the same. Laffy says....hey, you had your chance and you failed. Toppah says, but I didn't have the answers to the test and I had to go through a lightning storm and take the test in the outhouse. Laffy says, excuses, excuses....you had your chance. The outhouse has a roof over it. Quit crying. You have to prove yourself. I did.

End of story.

Most idiotic analogy I have ever heard. Did our fans get free tickets? Did our fans have a free ride to and from the game? Did our fans get free hotel vouchers? Poor wku, you are closer to Detroit than ASU is to mobile and it was in a dome. 2 major airports. Stop making excuses, you had an chance and you flopped. Maybe if you wouldn't have flopped a bowl would have invited you at 8-4 with a big name coach.

(01-08-2014 10:22 AM)Louisiana99 Wrote: [ -> ]Most idiotic analogy I have ever heard. Did our fans get free tickets? Did our fans have a free ride to and from the game? Did our fans get free hotel vouchers? Poor wku, you are closer to Detroit than ASU is to mobile and it was in a dome. 2 major airports. Stop making excuses, you had an chance and you flopped. Maybe if you wouldn't have flopped a bowl would have invited you at 8-4 with a big name coach.

Still laughing here. You do realize that a blizzard wasn't just over the dome in Detroit don't you?

I'm sure you would have had 50,000 at the New Orleans Bowl had Hurricane Katrina hit on the day of the Bowl game. It's in a dome for God's sake.

WKU sold lots of tickets to the Bowl game in Detroit but like me, many bought tickets but chose not to go at the last minute because for some reason, that blizzard didn't just hit the dome in Detroit. It was an unusual Blizzard. It extended through Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. Must be global warming because for some reason, this blizzard was more than a few hundred feet wide. I bought 4 tickets and they are sitting in my office as I type this because I chose not to drive my wife and two small kids through a blizzard.

And no, of course your fans didn't get free tickets, hotels, etc. but many of your fans didn't have to have a hotel, an airplane ticket, half a day of driving through a blizzard. Most drove across town or at most, a couple hours through nice weather.

The biggest expense most had was buying something red to wear because their LSU Tiger colors wouldn't have looked too good.

How can you claim ULM failed in the Independence Bowl? Using the same criteria that the New Orleans Bowl uses to gauge attendance, they drew 41,853 against a MAC school. If Ohio drew a similar 12,000 that ULL fans claim, then they would have a similar, though not as high as, attendance mark as this years NOB. For comparison, this years Indy with Arizona and Boston College, two P5's, drew 36,917 using the same counting method.

Add in that last years weather was terrible while this years was temperate and it makes the disparity even greater.

Take the chip off your shoulder. No one is saying what the Cajuns did wasn't impressive. But the are legitimate questions as to whether they could do it if they went elsewhere but NO. Since there is no precedent, it heresay one way or the other.

I suspect UL would travel well to another bowl. ASU and UL have both had the best fan support, (see attendance figures) for the last 3 years. It's easy to for fans to support winning teams and when you are winning, your fans want more and go to bowl games.

I suspect Troy, Tx. St. WKU and others would have good home attendance and good bowl game attendance if they were winning every year too. WKU is still building their program on a BCS level. There is nothing appealing about a bowl game in Detroit and no Sun Belt team would represent as well in the Pizza Bowl.