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.