Colorado State University)
The matchup wasn't one the Mountain West wanted.
The pairings for bowl games weren't announced until Sunday, but the wheels were already spinning by last Tuesday. As the days peeled off the calender, it was becoming more and more apparent to the Mountain West it was looking at a game between two conference members in the Arizona Bowl.
Some of it was beyond their control.
With not enough bowl-eligible teams available to fill the 80 required spots, the NCAA ruled that 5-7 teams would be eligible, but they would be ranked based off their APR rates.