Georgia Tech, BYU set for showdown in Pop-Tarts Bowl
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Once again, BYU has found itself on the outside looking in at the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive season.
The Cougars have won 22 games over the past two seasons; only Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, Notre Dame and Georgia have won more games during that stretch. All those other teams have qualified for the playoffs.
With a playoff spot out of the picture, No. 12 BYU (11-2, 8-1 Big 12) must settle for the next best thing: a chance at a 12th win when the Cougars host No. 22 Georgia Tech (9-3, 6-2 ACC) in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, which kicks off at 3:30 p.m. (ABC) on Saturday at Camping World Stadium.
It’s been more than two decades (2001) since BYU last won 12 games in a season.
“Our guys were really excited about it,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said of the team’s appearance in the game. “This isn’t a consolation prize. When we went into the season, not a lot of people thought we would win even 11 games.”
“It just proves that we belong,” added BYU redshirt junior linebacker Isaiah Glasker. “I feel like we didn’t get the opportunity we wanted to play in the playoffs, and getting this 12th win hopefully can show what our team really can do.”
Georgia Tech, meanwhile, is seeking its 10th 10-win season in program history and its first since 2014. The Yellow Jackets briefly flirted with the chance at a spot in the ACC Championship Game, but losses to North Carolina State and Pittsburgh ended that shot.
“That 10-game threshold is big, just from an external perception, from going out on the road [recruiting] in January to show we’ve taken great steps over the last three years in the program,” GT coach Brent Key said. “What we’ve been able to do and accomplish, this is one of those glass ceilings that you’re always looking to get towards.”
A win by the Yellow Jackets on Saturday would also be the eighth win over a ranked opponent since coach Key took over the program in 2022.
“We’re not an outcome-based organization,” said Key. “We’re about being in the moment, being where your feet are, playing the play that you have when that plays over, it’s done. The same thing with the game. It’s important. It’s big for the program. But nine wins is big, too.”
Sitake is quick not to diminish the importance of the bowl game, particularly as it pertains to BYU’s future.
“No matter what, this is going to help us next year,” Sitake said. “The focus on the game and having it be such a difficult opponent will really help us. It’s made our team better already and I believe it will springboard us into 2026.”
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com.
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