BYU’s playoff dream didn’t just wobble, but it crashed after a 7-34 loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game. But that collapse cracks the door open for Notre Dame to get a chance to enter the playoffs, as their late stumble helped them big time. Now, if the committee doesn’t send them in, then both teams might face each other in a bowl game.

“We’ll likely see Notre Dame vs. BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl if the Fighting Irish are not selected for the College Football Playoff,” CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford said on X.

Notre Dame’s playoff fate was squarely sitting on the outcome of the BYU game. If they had won, it would have put the Irish completely out of the race. But now that Texas Tech has beaten them, there are two possibilities: one, if BYU falls in rank between Miami and Notre Dame, it saves both of them from direct comparison, but if they drop below Miami, then a direct comparison can put Notre Dame out, as the Hurricanes have already beaten them before, so head-to-head competition gives them an edge.

The interesting thing is that in 2023, each team that entered the Pop-Tarts Bowl game received $6 million. So, both Kansas State and NC State got the hefty amount to play the bowl game. So, there’s a high chance that both BYU and Notre Dame earn more than the past two years’ numbers.

On top of it, Pop-Tarts Bowl is going much bigger this time, as they are featuring more edible mascots for Team Sprinkles and Team Swirls, and the brand has also responded by doubling the lineup from three to six. Now, these mascots aren’t just for the show; whoever wins gets to eat the opposite team’s mascot, which is called the “biggest sacrifice ever.” They are also launching their first-ever Mascot Cam, which is a live TikTok stream that will let fans watch every sideline moment in real time.

But even BYU holds a possibility of entering the playoffs. What makes Kalani Sitake’s team eligible for this is BYU’s resume, which holds every metric the committee claims to value. Their strength of schedule is better than Ole Miss, Notre Dame, and Miami, and their strength of record is top six nationally. Then they played and beat six teams with winning records. Other teams are still under consideration, despite a worse loss, such as Alabama, which lost to 5-7 FSU. BYU’s only loss came against Texas Tech, a strong team.

So, if that’s the possibility, then Notre Dame’s playoff hopes will be doomed, and the Pop-Tarts Bowl will need to find new contenders. But with this uncertainty, Kalani Sitake’s team saw a major blow.

Kalani Sitake’s team take a serious hit

The Big 12 championship didn’t end the way Kalani Sitake and his team thought it would. The win gives Texas Tech its first Big 12 title in school history and ends BYU’s playoff hopes, putting them out of the top 12.

But that’s not the only loss Kalani Sitake and his team faced in the title game. Their quarterback, Bear Bachmeier, appeared to roll his ankle on the Cougars’ opening drive, as per the ABC broadcast. And later, he was examined on the sidelines, and his ankle was seen wrapped extensively. But despite that, he stayed in the game and played for his team.

Bachmeier completed 16 of 27 passes for 115 yards with two interceptions, which is his first since he threw multiple picks in BYU’s game against Arizona. And the quarterback’s run game was almost dead, as he was limping on the ground for most of the time. Now, with a bowl game in line, let’s wait and see if Bachmeier returns for it in his full form or not!

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