For the 2007–08 season, NCAA bylaws stipulated that any team that finished with at least a 6-6 overall regular season record can only be selected to fill a conference tie-in bowl slot once all other available conference teams are chosen. The Big Ten had ten teams who finished with a 6-6 or better regular season record, but only were allocated six slots not including BCS-qualifying Ohio State and Illinois. As a result, Northwestern and Iowa who finished with a 6-6 record did not qualify for a bowl game. Other teams that were left out of the bowl games were Louisville of the Big East; and the SEC's South Carolina, despite the fact that their conference had two BCS-qualifying teams (LSU and Georgia). The MAC's Ohio and Sun Belt members Troy and Louisiana-Monroe also failed to receive invitations. The Troy Trojans (at 8-4) were the most notable absentee from the bowl games, losing their season finale to Florida Atlantic on the last day of the season.
In contrast, Mountain West members TCU was invited to the Texas Bowl as the Big 12 could not fill all of its slots, because not enough teams were left after Kansas was chosen as an at-large team to join conference champion Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, Miami (Ohio) went 6-7, losing the MAC Championship Game. Had the RedHawks won, they would have been eligible.As a result, the NCAA on April 30, 2008 later approved two new bowl games for the 2008–09 post season: The EagleBank Bowl (née Congressional Bowl), which will be played at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. will pit an ACC team against either Army or Navy, while the new St. Petersburg Bowl, to be played at Tropicana Field in the Florida City namesake will pit Conference USA and Big East schools against one another.
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