It may not be the landing spot most had hoped, but all things considered, an appearance in the Pop-Tarts Bowl is not the worst way to finish one of the most successful seasons in BYU football history.
Kalani Sitake's team whiffed on the playoffs; argue over resume or metrics all you like, that's a done deal. But a fallback game against the 11th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish is a playoff-caliber matchup, and I, for one, cannot wait to see--
What was that? Notre Dame... they what? Our wires must be getting crossed, or I must be the victim of a poorly-timed April Fool's prank, because I'm being told that Notre Dame would rather just pack it up after getting snubbed from the 12-team playoff.
Notre Dame declined bid to play BYU in Pop-Tarts Bowl, sources told @On3sports https://t.co/2ucqdsmCfW
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 7, 2025
Oh.
Like I was saying, Georgia Tech is a very formidable foe out of the ACC. The Yellow Jackets are 9-3 this year, narrowly missing out on the ACC championship game due to a complete collapse at the end of the season. Any season that opens 8-0 should be viewed as a tremendous success for a non-blue blood program. But finishing the regular season with a 1-3 record is... well disappointing.
Behind veteran quarterback Haynes King, Georgia Tech was poised to potentially reach the College Football Playoff as an at-large bid, but crumbling down the stretch against the likes of Pitt and NC State is a tough pill to swallow. Even in the season-finale rivalry matchup with Georgia, the Jackets' valiant efforts fell short in a 16-7 final.
Despite all the spectacle and showmanship of the Pop-Tarts Bowl (which is reason number one why so many will be viewing, by the way), both of these teams will hope to solidify a tremendous season with a statement victory in bowl season. For BYU, can they prove they were a deserving playoff team by stomping this ACC titan, or will the Yellow Jackets show that their 8-0 start was much more than faith, trust, and pixie dust?
It's the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Of course you'll want to watch. Here's how:
How can I watch the Pop-Tarts Bowl? BYU vs Georgia Tech
Date: Saturday, December 27, 2025
Time: 1:30 PM MT
Location: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Channel: ABC
Odds: BYU -2.5