Who will BYU play next? How loss to Texas Tech killed Cougars’ College Football Playoff chances originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
BYU football had one of the best regular seasons in program history in 2025, finishing 11-1 in only its second year in the Big 12. With freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier, Kalani Sitake’s squad reached the Big 12 championship for the first time. Though, the Cougars suffered a blowout loss to No. 4 Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon, 34-7.
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Currently, the Cougars sit at No. 11 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Though, with the loss it will be difficult to earn an at-large bid.
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College Football Playoff bracket
This section will be updated when the bracket is revealed.
Who will BYU play next?
BYU’s next opponent has yet to be revealed, but it’s safe to say it will not be in the 12-team Playoff field. The Cougars’ exact opponent will be announced on Sunday when bowl games are announced.
A BYU win would have caused some chaos in the first round, with Texas Tech — ranked No. 4 — falling in the rankings; but the Red Raiders essentially clinched a bye with the win, capping off a 12-1 season.
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With a loss, the Cougars almost certainly will miss the College Football Playoff with an 11-2 record.
MORE: Kalani Sitake agrees to long-term extension to remain BYU head coach
When does BYU play again?
After the tough loss in the Big 12 Championship game, BYU’s College Football Playoff hopes are unfortunately finished, but their strong 11-2 record still positions them for a highly desirable non-CFP bowl bid.
As the highest-ranked Big 12 team not heading to the Playoff, the Cougars are projected to land in one of the top two bowls affiliated with the conference. The most frequent and top-tier projection for BYU is a trip to the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, on December 30th, where they would likely face a top team from the Pac-12 (or former Pac-12), with projections mentioning opponents like the USC Trojans. Another significant possibility being cited by analysts is the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Florida, on December 27th, which traditionally pits a Big 12 team against a top ACC school, often with a projected matchup against a team like Georgia Tech or Miami.
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Official bowl selections will be released on Selection Sunday, confirming which New Year’s-adjacent bowl game the Cougars will play in.
MORE: What’s with BY QB Bear Bachmeier wearing No. 47?
College Football Playoff 2025 schedule
|
Date |
Round |
Matchup |
Time |
TV Channel |
|
Dec. 19 |
First Round |
8:00 p.m. ET |
ABC/ESPN |
|
|
Dec. 20 |
First Round |
12:00 p.m. ET |
ABC/ESPN |
|
|
Dec. 20 |
First Round |
3:30 p.m. ET |
TNT/truTV/HBO Max |
|
|
Dec. 20 |
First Round |
7:30 p.m. ET |
TNT/truTV/HBO Max |
|
|
Dec. 31 |
Quarterfinal (Cotton Bowl) |
7:30 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
|
|
Jan. 1 |
Quarterfinal (Orange Bowl) |
12:00 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
|
|
Jan. 1 |
Quarterfinal (Rose Bowl) |
4:00 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
|
|
Jan. 1 |
Quarterfinal (Sugar Bowl) |
8:00 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
|
|
Jan. 8 |
Semifinal (Fiesta Bowl) |
7:30 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
|
|
Jan. 9 |
Semifinal (Peach Bowl) |
7:30 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
|
|
Jan. 19 |
National Championship |
7:30 p.m. ET |
ESPN |
