Come late Sunday afternoon, all questions regarding the College Football Playoff field and bowl matchups will be answered.
By then, the 12-team CFP field, as well as all bowl matchups, will be announced.
Between now and then, though, is conference championship weekend, which could change the postseason destinations for many teams.
That includes the leaders from the Big 12 in Texas Tech, BYU and Utah.
If the Cougars beat the Red Raiders in Saturday’s Big 12 championship game (10 a.m. MST, ABC), BYU will earn an automatic spot in the playoff. Otherwise, it’s looking unlikely that the 11-1 Cougars will have enough of a case to make the CFP.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, is currently ranked No. 5 in the CFP committee rankings and is viewed as a virtual lock to make the playoff, even if the favored Red Raiders lose in the Big 12 title game.
Before all this happens, national experts have shared their predictions of how the bowl situation will play out. The Deseret News looked at seven different bowl projections following Week 14 of the 2025 season — it helped give a picture of what might lie ahead in the postseason for the 10 bowl-eligible Big 12 teams.
Here’s a look at the latest bowl projections for every Big 12 team, as well as for Utah State, which is bowl eligible after missing the postseason last season.
What are the latest bowl projections for BYU, Utah and the Big 12?
ESPN, Kyle Bonagura
- BYU’s bowl projection: Alamo Bowl, vs. USC
- Utah’s bowl projection: Las Vegas Bowl, vs. Iowa
- Texas Tech’s bowl projection: CFP quarterfinals, Orange Bowl — No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed Texas A&M
Other Big 12 bowl projections
- Arizona: Holiday Bowl, vs. Pittsburgh
- Arizona State: LA Bowl, vs. UNLV
- Cincinnati: Rate Bowl, vs. Northwestern
- Houston: Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. Miami
- Iowa State: Texas Bowl, vs. Tulane
- Kansas State: Armed Forces Bowl, vs. East Carolina
- TCU: Liberty Bowl, vs. California
ESPN, Mark Schlabach
- BYU’s bowl projection: Alamo Bowl, vs. USC
- Utah’s bowl projection: Las Vegas Bowl, vs. Illinois
- Texas Tech’s bowl projection: CFP quarterfinals, Cotton Bowl — No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed Oregon
Note: Both Bonagura and Schlabach have Texas Tech advancing to the CFP semifinals before losing.
Other Big 12 bowl projections
- Arizona: Holiday Bowl, vs. SMU
- Arizona State: Sun Bowl, vs. Clemson
- Cincinnati: Rate Bowl, vs. Penn State
- Houston: Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. Georgia Tech
- Iowa State: Liberty Bowl, vs. Memphis
- Kansas State: First Responder Bowl, vs. Texas State
- TCU: Texas Bowl, vs. North Texas
CBS Sports, Brad Crawford
- BYU’s bowl projection: Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. SMU
- Utah’s bowl projection: Las Vegas Bowl, vs. Iowa
- Texas Tech’s bowl projection: CFP quarterfinals, Cotton Bowl — No. 4 seed
Note: Crawford does not designate winners in each of his CFP matchups; he has Texas Tech facing the winner of No. 5 Texas A&M and No. 12 North Texas in the Cotton Bowl.
Other Big 12 bowl projections
- Arizona: LA Bowl, vs. San Diego State
- Arizona State: Sun Bowl, vs. Wake Forest
- Cincinnati: Rate Bowl, vs. Northwestern
- Houston: Alamo Bowl, vs. USC
- Iowa State: Texas Bowl, vs. Missouri
- Kansas State: Armed Forces Bowl, vs. Navy
- TCU: Liberty Bowl, vs. Tulane
Action Network, Brett McMurphy
- BYU’s bowl projection: Alamo Bowl, vs. USC
- Utah’s bowl projection: Las Vegas Bowl, vs. Nebraska
- Texas Tech’s bowl projection: CFP quarterfinals, Cotton Bowl — No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed Oklahoma
Note: McMurphy has Texas Tech advancing to the CFP semifinals before losing.
Other Big 12 bowl projections
- Arizona: Holiday Bowl, vs. SMU
- Arizona State: Sun Bowl, vs. Clemson
- Cincinnati: Armed Forces Bowl, vs. Army
- Houston: Texas Bowl, vs. UTSA
- Iowa State: Liberty Bowl, vs. Tulane
- Kansas State: Rate Bowl, vs. Minnesota
- TCU: Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. Georgia Tech
College Football News, Pete Fiutak
- BYU’s bowl projection: Alamo Bowl, vs. USC
- Utah’s bowl projection: Las Vegas Bowl, vs. Illinois
- Texas Tech’s bowl projection: CFP quarterfinals, Cotton Bowl — No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed Oregon
Note: Fiutak has Texas Tech advancing to the CFP semifinals before losing.
Other Big 12 bowl projections
- Arizona: Holiday Bowl, vs. SMU
- Arizona State: Sun Bowl, vs. Louisville
- Cincinnati: Rate Bowl, vs. Penn State
- Houston: Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. Georgia Tech
- Iowa State: Liberty Bowl, vs. Memphis
- Kansas State: Armed Forces Bowl, vs. Army
- TCU: Texas Bowl, vs. UNLV
Athlon Sports, Steve Lassan
- BYU’s bowl projection: Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. Georgia Tech
- Utah’s bowl projection: Las Vegas Bowl, vs. Nebraska
- Texas Tech’s bowl projection: CFP quarterfinals, Cotton Bowl — No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed Oregon
Other Big 12 bowl projections
- Arizona: Holiday Bowl, vs. Pittsburgh
- Arizona State: Sun Bowl, vs. SMU
- Cincinnati: Liberty Bowl, vs. East Carolina
- Houston: Alamo Bowl, vs. USC
- Iowa State: Texas Bowl, vs. UNLV
- Kansas State: Independence Bowl, vs. Louisiana Tech
- TCU: Rate Bowl, vs. Northwestern
The Sporting News, Bill Bender
- BYU’s bowl projection: Alamo Bowl, vs. USC
- Utah’s bowl projection: Sun Bowl, vs. Louisville
- Texas Tech’s bowl projection: CFP quarterfinals, Cotton Bowl — No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed Texas A&M
Note: Bender has Texas Tech advancing to the CFP semifinals before losing.
Other Big 12 bowl projections
- Arizona: Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. Clemson
- Arizona State: Rate Bowl, vs. Nebraska
- Cincinnati: Texas Bowl, vs. SMU
- Houston: Liberty Bowl, vs. Tennessee
- Iowa State: Independence Bowl, vs. Wake Forest
- Kansas State: Salute to Veterans Bowl, vs. USF
- TCU: First Responder Bowl, vs. UTSA
What are the latest bowl projections for Utah State?
- ESPN, Kyle Bonagura: First Responder Bowl, vs. Texas State
- ESPN, Mark Schlabach: Bowl TBD (former Bahamas Bowl), vs. Missouri State
- CBS Sports, Brad Crawford: Independence Bowl, vs. Kennesaw State
- Action Network, Brett McMurphy: First Responder Bowl, vs. Washington State
- College Football News, Pete Fiutak: Independence Bowl, vs. Louisiana
- Athlon Sports, Steve Lassan: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, vs. Western Michigan
- The Sporting News, Bill Bender: Cure Bowl, vs. Miami, Ohio
