The Cougars are set to square off versus the Yellowjackets on December 27 in Orlando after both teams accepted an invitation to do as much on Sunday, a few hours after the final 12-team field was set for the College Football Playoff. The matchup was announced later than most bowl announcements and it was entirely due to a reported hour meeting between Notre Dame officials where they opted to refuse any bowl invitation on the heels of being snubbed by the CFP committee.

“As a team, we’ve decided to withdraw our name from consideration for a bowl game following the 2025 season,” Notre Dame stated in a released statement on Sunday. “We appreciate all the support from our families and fans, and we’re hoping to bring the 12th national title to South Bend in 2026.”

So Notre Dame is out, and Georgia Tech is in, and although a matchup with the Yellowjackets doesn’t hold as much appeal as one with the Fighting Irish, it still should hold at least some intrigue.

“I’m really excited to play in this bowl game,” said BYU Coach Kalani Sitake during Sunday’s zoom press conference. “…We have a lot of respect for (Georgia Tech), and I have a lot of respect for (Georgia Tech Coach) Brent Key.”

Key echoed Sitake’s sentiments, stating, “”We are really, really excited to play BYU. What a great team, and a great coach. He’s done an unbelievable job. I’ve only had the pleasure of meeting him once or twice, but I just can’t say enough great things about him and that program. … They’ve had an outstanding (year).”

So what’s there to know about Georgia Tech?

For starters it’s a team that shot off to eight straight wins to start the season, and was subsequently thought to be a likely ACC Conference representative in the College Football Playoff, before taking a surprising 48-36 loss to North Carolina State. The Yellowjackets then struggled to finish out the regular season, dropping games to both Pittsburgh and Georgia while narrowly defeating Boston College 36-34 to finish 9-3 on the season.

Georgia Tech features a high-octane offensive attack capable of putting a lot of points on the scoreboard, led by quarterback Haynes King who threw for 2,697 yards and 12 touchdowns while leading the team in rushing with 922 yards and another 15 touchdowns.

“I see a lot of things in their program that is similar to ours,” Sitake observed. “I know that they’re tough and they play really hard, and that they’re not afraid to run their quarterback…They’re a well-balanced team and well-coached. I think what they do fundamentally well is everything. So I’m looking forward to the matchup and we know that it’s going to require us being at our best.”

The location of the game is also one that Sitake and his wife, Timberly are looking forward to.

“I know Orlando really well. It’s the home of my in-laws,” Sitake said. “My wife is from the Orlando area, and she’s a ‘Polk County girl,’ as they say down there…So I have a lot of connections there and a lot of family there, too.”

Part of the advantage of playing in a bowl game is the added practice time allotted to a team which can prove beneficial to any program in a variety of ways.

“Part of the bowl prep is to develop our young guys and develop our depth,” Sitake said. “So we’re going to utilize all the extra practices to get our team ready, and then just make sure that we’re ready to go, because Georgia Tech’s not an easy team to play,”

One big question with regards to players preparing to play is the availability and health status of BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier. While Bachmeier finished Saturday’s Big 12 Championship game on Saturday, he was clearly hobbled and has since been wearing a boot to aide in the healing process.

“He’s a fast healer. He’ll be fine,” Sitake offered with regards to Bachmeier’s injury.

The Pop-Tarts Bowl will be played on December 27 at 1:30 MST and will take place at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.