Bowl Selection

A significant factor in the bowl selection process is the expectation that a team's fan base will travel well.

Other bowl games were able to select other teams because of a rule that allows a team to be picked as long as it is not more than one conference game behind another available team

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/05/AR2010120504469.html