As it stands, the 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl will be remembered as the reason the Fighting Irish were left out of the College Football Playoff on Sunday and Notre Dame canceled its bowl game.
No. 12 schools Georgia Tech and BYU look to change that narrative when they play Dec. 27 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. That’s especially true for the No. 22 Yellow Jackets, who got the call after Notre Dame “wasn’t on (the) roster at the time of selection,” Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan said Sunday night.
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“As soon as they gave us the talent pool (of qualified teams from the ACC), we jumped at the chance to take Georgia Tech,” Hogan said. “The fact that we have the opportunity to have BYU come here and go with them is a special treat.”
While Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and athletic director Pete Bevacqua were angry about the snub, BYU coach Kalani Sitake wasn’t in the same boat, at least on the surface. Arguably, BYU deserves a more favorable ranking even after the Cougars were defeated 34-7 by Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament.
“I can’t really say anything other than they (the committee) tried their best and I’m looking forward to seeing how the playoffs go,” said Sitake, who already noted Saturday that Texas Tech is the best team in the country. “I think there are some great teams out there. Unfortunately, there are a lot of teams that can compete and that’s what makes it very difficult.”
For much of the season, BYU and Georgia Tech seemed poised to make the 12-team playoff until the Cougars ran into the buzzsaws of Texas Tech twice and the Jackets had lost three of their past four games, including a 16-9 loss to No. 3 Georgia the Friday after Thanksgiving.
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“We pitted one of the top two teams in the playoffs against the other top team,” Hogan said. “Georgia Tech quarterback “Haynes” King and coach (Brent) Key, those guys put on a show this year.
They had a tough game against Georgia. This is probably one of the top games in the country outside of the CFP behind the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl (Texas and Michigan). “
Kickoff at Camping World Stadium is 1:30 pm CST, and the fifth game between BYU and Georgia Tech will be televised by ABC.
“We’re very happy with Georgia Tech,” Hogan said after acknowledging Notre Dame’s “tough situation the last few hours.” “Georgia Tech’s game against BYU was a game we had our eye on (a few weeks ago). … (Georgia Tech) got a chance to play those guys, BYU, the guys in the (CFP) bubble, and it’s going to be intense as we get closer. Two great performances. Two really good football teams. There are stars all over the field. We feel blessed.”
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One of the storylines in the bowl game, dubbed the “People’s National Championship,” will be the quarterback battle between Tech’s 24-year-old King and 19-year-old BYU freshman Bear Bachmeier. Of course, that’s assuming King (an NFL draft prospect) doesn’t opt out and Bachmeier stays healthy after injuring his left ankle in the first quarter against Texas Tech.
“He’s a quick healer,” Sitake said of Bachmeier. “He’ll be fine.”
When Key was asked about the possibility of his players opting out, he shrugged as if he would be surprised if that happened.
“No matter what, we’re going to have 11 guys on both sides of the court. We’re going to go out and compete,” Key said. “One of the four pillars of our program is commitment. When you commit to something, you commit yourself to it, and that’s what I believe in. That’s how I feel, that’s how I am.”
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After BYU’s loss at Arlington on Saturday, seniors Chase Roberts and Tanner Wall said they expect everyone on the team to finish the season regardless of whether they make the playoffs.
“We all love each other so much. We’ve built such a great culture, the team we have, we’re going to go out and we’re going to give it our all. We’re going to prepare the right way,” Roberts said. “The guys that are leaving are going to want to show a better performance. At least for me, I want to finish with a bang and be able to show (my) skills. And then for the younger guys, they’re going to want to build next season and create momentum, like we did last year in the Alamo Bowl.”
Last year, BYU defeated Colorado 36-14 in the Alamo Bowl. Georgia Tech lost to Vanderbilt 35-27 in the 2024 Birmingham Bowl.
The game against Orlando will mark BYU’s 43rd bowl appearance, while the Cougars will face their 36th different bowl opponent.
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Both teams have a common opponent. Georgia Tech defeated Colorado 27-20 in Week 1 in Boulder, and four weeks later the Cougars beat the Buffs 24-21 at Folsom Field. Georgia Tech beat Syracuse 41-16 on Oct. 25 to move to 8-0, but lost to North Carolina State 48-36 the following week and never really recovered.
“Georgia Tech is not an easy team to play against,” Sitake said. “They do a lot of things that are going to be difficult for us and I know they’re going to be in top shape. … So there’s a sense of urgency to get (bowl preparation) going and knowing that can help us going into next year. … We’re honored to play Georgia Tech.”
Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King (10) plays against Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson (5) during a game on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Atlanta. | Mike Stewart, The Associated Press
