Wouldn't these have been much more attractive matchups for the bowl games?

Yes follow the money and this is a business not a sport. Ratings go right out the window, Arkansas deserves the Sugar since they beat LSU but I can see people getting tired of Ohio State going to the Sugar Bowl. Nothing wrong with Michigan State going to the Sugar Bowl. But the BIg East is sending a 4-loss team to a BCS and that's inexcusable. So until Politics stop bowl selection Committees from picking who they want instead of whom deserves it, it will always be the same.