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PROVO — BYU's bowl destination will be revealed sometime Sunday, after the 12-team College Football Playoff is announced and remaining teams begin accepting bowl bids.
The Cougars are #BowlBound after missing the postseason last year with a 5-7 record, but they could see a Big 12 opponent in the bowl game. How is that possible?
The Alamo Bowl (officially, the Valero Alamo Bowl) announced it is down to four teams for its Saturday, Dec. 28 bowl game that is contracted to pair up a member of the Big 12 with a member of the current or former Pac-12.
The Pac-12, though, doesn't just refer to members of the two-team conference that includes Washington State (or Oregon State, which is not bowl-eligible). The entire "Pac-12/former Pac-12 pool" consists of the following: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, and Washington State, per Alamo Bowl representatives.
The Big 12 "pool," then would include the rest of the current conference assortment that did not come from the Pac-12.
That means that Alamo Bowl — which has the first pick from the Big 12 following CFP selection — and its pick from the Big 12 will be one of two teams: No. 16 Iowa State, which will play No. 15 Arizona State in the Big 12 championship at 10 a.m. MST Saturday; or No. 18 BYU, which finished with an equal 10-2 record and 7-2 mark in conference play.
"The biggest value of these extra practices, getting ready for a bowl game, is that we get to spend more time together and try to find more of a rhythm on offense, defense and special teams," BYU coach Kalani Sitake said after his team clinched its third double-digit win season in five years with a 39-18 win over Houston. "There's a lot for us to still learn defensively. We made a lot of mistakes.
"Obviously on offense we got chunk yardage, and we need to just create more momentum. So now we can get on the field, practice, see the film and actually go out and execute some plays."
If Matt Campbell's Cyclones win the Big 12 championship and go to the College Football Playoff, then the Alamo Bowl would select the Cougars — who have never played in the San Antonio-based bowl game.
The opponent would be one of two teams from the old Pac-12, both in the Big 12.
If ASU wins the Big 12 championship, the Sun Devils (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) would likely go to the CFP. With a loss Saturday, though, Arizona State would be eligible for selection to the Alamo Bowl as the home team in this year's game.
If the Sun Devils go to the Playoff, No. 23 Colorado would definitely be the "Pac-12" pick to go to the Alamo Bowl. The Buffs (9-3, 7-2 Big 12) are led by quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who leads the country in completions, ranks second in touchdown passes, and is third in passing yards) and likely Heisman Trophy finalist Travis Hunter, the two-way cornerback/wide receiver who leads the Big 12 with 92 receptions and 14 touchdown catches with 15 passes defended.
How would BYU fare against an ACC school in the Pop Tart Bowl? pic.twitter.com/t1IZXDnRpU
— BYUtv Sports Nation (@BYUSportsNation) December 5, 2024
If the Alamo Bowl selection doesn't include BYU — for example, if Iowa State and Colorado is the matchup — then the Cougars are all-but certain to go to the Pop-Tarts Bowl, which has the second non-CFP/New Year's Six bowl pick of the Big 12. Representatives from both bowl games have visited multiple BYU games this year.
Miami and Clemson are two projected opponents of BYU to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
The game is the former Blockbuster Bowl when it was founded in 1990 and plays at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. The game between a Big 12 and ACC opponent kicks off Dec. 28 at 1 p.m. MST on ABC.
The Alamo Bowl in San Antonio will be broadcast Saturday, Dec. 28 at 7:30 p.m. MST on ABC.
