As the bowl picture begins to take shape with the announcement of the Citrus Bowl, among others, there is undoubtedly plenty of whining and complaining among fans.

And while some schools might feel slighted -- see Northwestern, which beat Michigan but still watched the Citrus Bowl select the Wolverines over the Wildcats despite identical 8-3 records -- there are many factors involved in the bowl selection process.

Yes, it is about the team, but it's also about the fans. It is about best story but it's also about the television contract. It is about the rankings, but it's also about the home attendance. Why did they pick them over your team? Here are 10 factors that came into play:

Potential for draw
How many fans will show up given the team's yearly attendance and momentum heading into the bowl game? Florida losing two games in a row before its bowl game last year surely didn't help. Momentum is the biggest factor when considering a team for the Citrus Bowl, said Doug Gerber, communications director for the New Year's Day bowl. And there was clearly nothing better for the maize and blue than an annual victory over Ohio State.

Location, location, location

	Ken Simonton has rushed for 211 yards and three touchdowns.

Location of school in relation to location of the bowl game. This might come into play for a Fiesta Bowl bid. This could work in Oregon State's favor over, say, Virginia Tech, because of three weeks notice on travel and the whole country to span for Hokies fans. Bowl games always like to have a local interest base that they can depend on, said Joyce Feinberg, executive director of the Sun Bowl.

Television
Although television execs are not sitting in the room when picks are being made, there is no question that the desire of the network is a huge factor.

Matchup
Bowls don't usually get to pick the opponents together because they either want to wrap up a team quickly or they are waiting for conference championships to be decided. Reason for rivalry or an intriguing matchup like Michigan and Tennessee is always good, but teams that have played already during the season is usually a negative.

Feinberg said that an Oregon-Wisconsin matchup in a bowl would be a stinker because the two already played each other this year. Team strengths and weaknesses also are talked about in the matchup. "A new an exciting offense or a great story is an added bonus," said Gerber.

Fan base
Big schools obviously have advantages over smaller ones since they have more alumni. But a disproportionate amount of alumni for a smaller school in a bowl location could always help out.

Standings
Unlike the Big Ten teams, the Pac-10 teams are placed in bowl games based on their finishing order. That's not as cut-and-dry as it seems right now, as much hinges on whether or not Oregon State will come through on its long shot hopes of earning a BCS bid.

Big Ten teams can be selected earlier this year because the automatic Rose Bowl provided its only BCS bowl. "Announcing the Big Ten team sooner will allow their fans more time to make travel arrangements," said Mike Schultze, communications director for the Outback Bowl

Past precedence
What is the history of this team in bowl games? Has it done well at the box office at this particular bowl? Is the team's fans spoiled by previous success or have they played in only a couple bowls?

The Citrus Bowl has sold out their team allotment of tickets (currently 15,000) in 16 out of the last 22 years. Teams that didn't sell out in recent years have been Florida, Michigan and Tennessee. "Are some school fans going to be negative about going to so-and-so bowl again and be complacent and not show up?," asked Gerber. "We have to ask those kinds of questions."

Scouting reports
What is the impression of the athletic director and the media relations staff? Did the scouts learn anything from speaking to the fans or the local journalists in the press box? A good buzz about a team always makes bowl execs look twice.

Unique considerations
Ohio State fans throwing stuff at their own coach, John Cooper, after their loss to Michigan this week didn't bode well for their bowl plans, said Feinberg. Schultze said the Outback Bowl's ability to have the option to take a conference champ (which will fell into the bowl's hands as a result of the three-way split in the Big Ten) also factors in to their final decision.

Board alumni base
Where the selection committee or board members went to school. Remember it's these guys that are playing golf with head coaches and athletic directors. Influential alumni pull could make the difference if all other factors are relatively close.

Darren Rovell is a staff writer at ESPN.com.