Bleav in Georgia Tech: Previewing the Pop Tarts Bowl vs No. 12 BYU

Who will win the Pop Tarts Bowl between Georgia Tech and BYU?

Nov 22, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key runs on the field before a game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Game time is getting closer and closer for this year's Pop Tarts Bowl between No. 22 Georgia Tech and No. 12 BYU. One of the best bowl games of the season is going to be played in Orlando and both teams are looking to finish the season strong and get a marquee win.

So how do these teams matchup? Both teams pride themselves on being physical football teams, have very good mobile quarterbacks, and powerful run games, though BYU is going to be without star tailback LJ Martin for this game. I expect this to be a close and hard fought game that will come down to the wire.

On the latest episode of Bleav in Georgia Tech, we talk about the game, how the two teams matchup, and predict a winner.

If you like the show, like and subscribe on YouTube and follow us wherever you get your podcasts!

Big Matchup

Nov 15, 2025; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Eric Rivers (3) runs with the ball while Boston College Eagles defensive back Max Tucker (3) defends during the second half at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The bowl appearance is Georgia Tech’s third-straight and 48th all-time. The Yellow Jackets’ 48 bowl appearances are the 14th-most in college football history. Tech is making its third-consecutive bowl appearance for the first time since 2012-14. The Jackets are also tied for 13th all-time with 26 bowl/playoff victories and are 12th in NCAA Division I FBS history with a .553 postseason winning percentage (26-21).

Georgia Tech (9-3, 6-2 ACC) brings its best regular-season record since 2014 into the Pop-Tarts Bowl. The nine-win regular season is only the 16th in Tech’s 133-year football history.

BYU is 11-2 overall, with both of its defeats coming at the hands of No. 4 Texas Tech (once in the regular season and once in Saturday’s Big XII championship game).

The matchup is Georgia Tech’s first ranked-vs.-ranked bowl showdown since the No. 10/9 Yellow Jackets defeated No. 8 Mississippi State, 49-34, in the 2014 Orange Bowl.

Georgia Tech is making its third appearance in the game now known as the Pop-Tarts Bowl. The Yellow Jackets are 2-0 in the bowl, having defeated West Virginia, 35-30, in 1997 when it was known as the Carquest Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla., and routed Syracuse, 51-14, when it was known as the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando.

It will be the Jackets’ third all-time bowl appearance in the stadium now known as Camping World Stadium, as they topped Nebraska, 45-21, in the Florida Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 1991, to clinch the 1990 national championship, when the stadium was called the Florida Citrus Bowl.

This is going to be a great matchup of two teams that have similar identities when it comes to wanting to be physical on the lines of scrimmage and running the football. Expect a great matchup next Saturday in one of the year's premier bowl games.