Big 12 Bowl Season Recap: Conference Goes 4-4 in Postseason Showdowns

Big 12 Games

There was a total of 8 teams in the bowl games this year for the Big 12, so how did we do?

Dec. 27, 2025

Pop-tart bowl

BYU and Georgia Tech played a great game. BYU came out on top.

BYU 25 GT 21

Texas Bowl

Featuring Houston and LSU.

Houston had the home-field advantage, and it showed.

Houston 38 and LSU 35.

Houston finishes 10-3 on the season.

Dec. 30, 2027

The Alamo Bowl

It is played in San Antonio, Texas, featuring TCU and USC.

This was a great game that went into overtime, and the Hornfrogs walked away the winners.

TCU 30 and USC 27

TCU finished 9-4.

Dec. 31, 2025, the Sunbowl

Arizona St. 39 and Duke 42

Arizona State fell to Duke in a high-scoring affair in El Paso, unable to hold on despite a strong offensive performance.

And finishing 8-5

The Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 31, 2025

Featuring Utah and Nebraska

Utah 44, Nebraska 22

Devon Dampier dominated with five total touchdowns (three rushing, two passing) as Utah scored 37 unanswered points after trailing 14-7 in the first quarter. This was the new head coach.

Morgan Scalley’s first game, and Utah finished 11-2.

The Utes’ previous coach declined to attend the game. Move about that in a different video.

Orange Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal), played on Jan. 1, 2026

Featuring Oregon and Texas Tech.

Oregon 23, Texas Tech 0

Texas Tech’s historic playoff run ended with a shutout loss to Oregon in the quarterfinals. The Red Raiders struggled to generate offense against the Ducks’ defense. Finishes 12-2

Liberty Bowl played on Jan. 2, 2026

Featuring Navy and Cincinnati

Navy 35, Cincinnati 13

Blake Horvath threw two touchdowns and ran for another as Navy dominated a short-handed Cincinnati team. Cincinnati finished 7-6

Holiday Bowl played on Jan. 2, 2026

Featuring SMU and Arizona

SMU 24, Arizona 19

SMU jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead and held off Arizona’s second-half rally, with the Mustangs snapping a five-game bowl losing streak. Arizona finished 9-4 despite the comeback attempt.

Big 12 record

The conference went 4-4 in bowl games (not counting Texas Tech’s CFP game in the overall bowl record calculation), with some teams like Iowa State and Kansas State opting out of their bowl invitations.