I have no idea why a game in Boise has the MAC as a primary tie-in. But that's how business gets done, and the very name of the bowl and its chive-loaded carby logo speaks to the spectacle and ridiculousness of this bowl season, and that's kind of why we love it. Enter Utah State, the team that lost to OHIO in this game last year on a series of flummoxing referee announcements. They might be even better this year, having played a perfect WAC season and enjoying a six-game winning streak.
Toledo has had their issues staying healthy defensively but they're still a sound offensive machine who are able to win using a multitude of methods (remember: no offensive TDs when they beat Cincinnati). And when the bowl game in Boise is routinely a blast, they picked an excellent tandem of teams to collide. They play on the first day of bowl games (December 15), ergo they need to set the standard for the rest of the nation.