Actually... Rice and UTEP are still very much in the running for the West Division... 3 losses, just like La Tech.
But, indeed, you have to think that these guys for the most part are just trying to get through a list of 20-something bowls expeditiously, and not really studying any given bowl or school's situation (beyond the NY6) to reach their conclusions. But otoh, it is intriguing that Northwestern shows up as the Big 10 rep as often as they do.