It’s rare for teams from the same conference to cross paths in bowl games. In the recent past, such an incident even triggered a mini-scandal.

However, 2024 is an unprecedented season in many ways. The college football leagues are so big that such development is no longer forbidden, and so Big 12 opponents Colorado and BYU meet on Saturday in the Alamo Bowl for the first time since the 1988 Freedom Bowl.

But that doesn’t mean the game won’t be compelling – the Buffaloes and Cougars aren’t The far from each other (an eight-hour drive), and Colorado has two top-10 Heisman finishers in cornerback Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

As anticipation builds, here’s a look back at the Buffaloes and BYU’s respective postseason histories, with a focus on a few notable matchups.

One word to describe Colorado’s postseason life would be “money.” The Buffaloes were late to the Big Eight and its predecessors (they didn’t join until 1948) and it took them some time to win. Once they did, sustained success was difficult – Colorado went without a bowl victory from 1971 to 1990 despite several good seasons.

But what a victory the Buffaloes’ 1990 victory was – a thrilling, controversial 10-9 victory over Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl that secured Colorado’s share of the national championship (a Fighting Irish touchdown came through in the final minute). a clipping penalty is nullified). ). The ’90s were good for the Buffaloes, who won six straight bowl games from 1993 to 1999.

Currently, Colorado is in the midst of a fallow stretch, having lost four straight postseason games. The Buffaloes’ last bowl victory came in 2004, when they defeated a strong UTEP team 33-28 in the Houston Bowl.

The Cougars’ first bowl trip may have been the Fiesta Bowl, but if you ask fans of a certain age, they will forever tie BYU to one game: the Holiday Bowl.

A 20-year connection between the WAC and the game allowed the Cougars to virtually establish permanent residence in San Diego. BYU played one classic after another in this game: a thrilling loss to Indiana in 1979, a miracle comeback against SMU in 1980, a decisive victory over Missouri in 1983 and a victory over Michigan in 1984 that was the only The Cougars almost secured a national championship. The program has played in the game 11 times – six more times than any other team.

BYU has moved back and forth in the bowl since leaving the WAC. The Cougars became a frequent Las Vegas Bowl flyer in the 2000s, playing in the bowl game against a quintet of Pac-10 teams five consecutive years. BYU returned to play in 2015, losing to Utah 35-28 when the two rivals were in different conferences. The Cougars’ last bowl win came in 2022, when they defeated the Mustangs 24-23 in the New Mexico Bowl.

Here’s how the two teams’ bowl records compare.

Both programs have suffered extended bowl losses at various points and will look to reach another high point on Saturday in what should be an entertaining affair.