The 33rd-annual Valero Alamo Bowl, pitting No. 17 BYU against No. 23 Colorado, is shaping up to be a showcase for three of the most recognizable figures in college football, CU coach Deion Sanders, probable Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
The Cougars, who have three first-team All-Big 12 players, but no superstars, are totally fine with that, a few of them said Monday during a teleconference that also included BYU head coach Kalani Sitake.
“We are just super excited, honestly. They are a great team. We are super excited to go play in the Alamo Bowl and to get to play them,” said one of BYU’s all-conference selections, defensive end Tyler Batty. “I don’t think there are any feelings of guys being bummed out. I think it is just excitement to go play a really good team and go compete with your brothers. It is another opportunity to go play football, so we are all about it.”
Some BYU and Colorado fans have expressed disappointment via social media that the game pits two Big 12 teams — a lot of folks on both sides wanted to play Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl — but BYU offensive lineman Connor Pay said seeing the Buffs (9-3) is fine with him because they haven’t faced off as Big 12 members and won’t until next season in Boulder.
“Obviously there is the unknown of going and playing someone in the ACC (that is intriguing), but no, we’re not disappointed,” Pay said. “The Alamo Bowl got first choice. So we were glad we got picked first.”
Iowa State, which fell to Arizona State in the Big 12 championship game after four teams tied for first with 7-2 records, will meet Miami in Orlando a few hours before the Cougars and Buffaloes collide in San Antonio. Most pundits are calling the BYU-CU matchup the best bowl game outside the College Football Playoffs.
“Obviously it is going to attract a lot of eyes, which is great,” Pay said. “A lot of people are going to be watching BYU football on the 28th (of December).”
The Cougars (10-2) are well aware that Colorado, the most celebrated coach in the sport (Coach Prime) and the aforementioned dynamic players will be the big draw — at least on television sets throughout the country — but that will only serve as extra motivation for them to prepare harder and more efficiently.
“They are great athletes. They have a great program. They are elite, right? You look at their guys and what (honors) they are in the running for,” Batty said. “It is a great opportunity for us. I am really excited to go compete against them.”
Batty agreed that the fact that BYU and Colorado haven’t met on the gridiron since the 1988 Freedom Bowl in Anaheim, California, a 20-17 BYU victory, makes the league-mates thing less of a big deal. Colorado leads the series 8-3-1, most of those games coming when they were in the Rocky Mountain Conference and the Mountain States Conference together before 1947.
“Historically we haven’t really played them. We weren’t in the (Pac-12) with them, so we just haven’t seen them much. So yeah, it is exciting to go play them,” Batty said.
“They are great athletes. They have a great program. They are elite, right? You look at their guys and what (honors) they are in the running for. It is a great opportunity for us. I am really excited to go compete against them.”
— BYU's Tyler Batty on playing Colorado in the Alamo Bowl
At the welcome news conference on Sunday, CU’s Sanders said that all of his “pro-bound” players are going to play against the Cougars.
Asked on Monday if any BYU players will opt out, Sitake said the topic has not come up yet in Provo and that he is expecting all the guys who have not entered the transfer portal to be available to play. As of Monday, the following players had announced they were entering the portal: receiver Kody Epps, tight end Jackson Bowers, safety Micah Harper, running back Miles Davis, long snapper Dalton Riggs, defensive lineman Dallin Havea, receiver Tyler West and safety Crew Wakley.
“I can’t speak for all of them, but I imagine all the guys are going to practice and play. They are all practicing (now),” Sitake said. “There are guys who have entered the portal. I think those guys are looking for different opportunities to play and get on the field, and things like that.
“We have had meetings, and none of them were super negative. They are looking for other opportunities, and that is fine,” the coach continued. “For the most part I haven’t heard anybody talk about opting out. They are practicing and doing all that stuff. I haven’t had that discussion. I imagine our guys are going to play.”
Pay and Batty, who are entering the NFL draft in April, said they will play.
Said Pay: “I’m playing. No doubt about it.”
Said Batty: “Yeah, absolutely. … Super excited for another opportunity to go out and play football with the guys and have fun and go compete.”
Where do the Cougars stand on the injury front?
Of the BYU players who have hit the transfer portal, only Wakley is a starter. A few other starters — offensive linemen Brayden Keim and Isaiah Jatta and running back Hinckley Ropati — missed BYU’s 30-18 win over Houston on Nov. 30 with injuries and are questionable for the bowl game.
“They are all kinda in the same boat. They are not ready this week. We are hoping for next week. And then the week after that is going to be game week,” Sitake said. “Hopefully next week we can see some more improvement and get them ready.”
Sitake said because Keim and Ropati are seniors, they have to consider whether coming back too soon puts them in danger of reinjury and not being ready to prepare for combines and pro days.
Jatta has another year of eligibility, but because he is a transfer from Colorado he has some extra incentive to play in the game against his former teammates.
“I know (Jatta) is interested in playing,” Sitake said.
