In 2008, Ball State football went a perfect 12-0 in the regular season, launching itself into the conversation for a spot in one of the most coveted bowl games in college football: the Bowl Championship Series.
At the time, no Mid-American Conference school had ever played in a BCS game, and Ball State was riding high at No. 12 in the country, entering the conference championship game against a 7-5 Buffalo team.
While Ball State was the favorite entering the game, a single 42-24 loss dropped the Cardinals down 10 spots in the NCAA rankings and landed them a spot in the GMAC Bowl, where it lost to Tulsa by 32 points.