The Big 12 didn’t just show up to bowl season-they made a statement. With two comeback wins over Power 4 opponents, the conference opened its postseason slate with the kind of resilience and firepower that turns heads and shifts narratives.
BYU and Houston both found themselves trailing but dug deep, leaned on timely execution, and came out on top in the Pop-Tarts Bowl and Texas Bowl, respectively. For a league that’s often fighting for national respect in the postseason conversation, this was the kind of start that gets people talking.
BYU Rallies Late to Win the Pop-Tarts Bowl
Down 21-10 heading into the fourth quarter, BYU looked like a team running out of gas. The offense had stalled for nearly two full quarters, and Georgia Tech seemed to have the momentum. But then came the kind of drive that defines bowl season.
An 11-play, 80-yard march-quarterback Bear Bachmeier spreading the ball around, staying poised, and ultimately setting up a two-yard touchdown run by Enoch Nawahine. BYU didn’t stop there. Bachmeier completed the two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 21-18 and shifting the energy entirely.
From there, the Cougar defense stepped up in a big way. Back-to-back three-and-outs gave the offense another shot, and they made it count.
This time it was a 66-yard drive over nine plays, capped by a four-yard touchdown run from Javesa Damuni. Just like that, BYU had the lead.
Georgia Tech wasn’t done, though. They broke off a big play to get into the red zone, threatening to steal it back. But Evan Johnson had the final word, intercepting Haynes King in the end zone to seal the 25-21 win.
It was a gutsy, all-phases performance from a BYU team that was missing its top offensive weapon in LJ Martin and its defensive anchor in Jack Kelly. And yet, they found a way-marking the third straight Pop-Tarts Bowl win for the Big 12 and reinforcing the game’s growing reputation as one of the best non-CFP matchups on the calendar.
Houston Outlasts LSU in a Texas Shootout
If BYU’s win was about late-game heroics, Houston’s was about early resilience and finishing strong.
LSU came out swinging, scoring twice in the first 4:12. A 99-yard kickoff return by Barion Brown stunned the home crowd, and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Michael Van Buren Jr. to Trey’Dez Green made it 14-0 before Houston could even settle in.
But the Cougars didn’t flinch. In front of a largely pro-Houston crowd at NRG Stadium, they responded with 21 unanswered points in the first half.
Amare Thomas hauled in two touchdown passes-one from eight yards out, the other from four-finishing off a pair of methodical, 70-plus yard drives. And just before halftime, Houston engineered a 90-yard, lightning-quick drive that ended with Conner Weigman hitting Tanner Koziol for a seven-yard score to take a 21-14 lead into the break.
The second half was a back-and-forth affair. Both teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, and LSU tied it at 28 early in the fourth.
But Houston answered with a clutch field goal and then delivered the knockout punch: an 80-yard drive capped by a 20-yard Dean Connors touchdown run with just two minutes to go. That made it 38-28, giving Houston just enough cushion to withstand a late LSU score and walk away with a 38-35 victory.
Big 12 Reversing the Narrative in Key Bowl Matchups
These weren’t just isolated wins-they were part of a larger trend that suggests the Big 12 is turning the tide in marquee bowl games.
In the Pop-Tarts Bowl, the conference has now won three straight. It started in 2023 with Kansas State beating No.
19 NC State, followed by Iowa State edging out No. 15 Miami in a 42-41 thriller last year.
This season, BYU added to that streak, taking down Georgia Tech despite being without its top playmakers. That’s a sharp turnaround from the 2018-2022 stretch, when the Big 12 lost four of five in this bowl.
The lone bright spot during that run? Oklahoma State’s 37-34 win over No.
18 Miami in 2020.
The Texas Bowl tells a similar story. Since the 2020 edition was canceled due to COVID issues with TCU, the Big 12 has won four of the last five matchups against SEC teams.
Kansas State beat LSU, Texas Tech took down Ole Miss, and Oklahoma State knocked off Texas A&M. The only hiccup came last year when LSU beat Baylor-but Houston just returned the favor in a big way.
What It Means Moving Forward
For the Big 12, these early bowl wins are more than just good optics-they’re proof of depth, grit, and adaptability. BYU and Houston both showcased different paths to victory-one a late surge, the other a mid-game course correction-but the common thread was toughness and execution when it mattered most.
With more bowl games still to come, the Big 12 has already planted its flag this postseason. And if the rest of the conference follows suit, this could be the kind of bowl season that shifts the national perception of what the Big 12 brings to the table.