SAN ANTONIO – As far as rival quarterbacks go, BYU’s Jake Retzlaff probably won’t be getting many Christmas cards from Tempe, Arizona or Ames, Iowa.

So his tongue-in-cheek nod about the Cougars’ bowl game against No. 23 Colorado – an Alamo Bowl that will see the two teams tied at the top of the Big 12 with conference champion Arizona State and championship game opponent Iowa State – was as …thought to be joking, but it won’t win him many more friends.

“I personally think it’s people’s Big 12 Championship,” Retzlaff quipped during the 17th-ranked Cougars’ official press conference Thursday afternoon ahead of Saturday’s Alamo Bowl (5:30 p.m. MST, ABC).

Jokes aside, perhaps the best BYU bowl game in more than 20 years has a different feel.

Maybe it’s because the Cougars are facing a power conference opponent on par, a Buffaloes team that, like BYU, finished 7-2 in Big 12 play and had an overall record of 9-3. Or maybe it’s because the Big 12’s four-way regular-season co-champions (if there is such a thing – which there isn’t) are something of a game for third just over four hours south of AT&T Stadium Have prepared space in Arlington, Texas.

Maybe it’s simply because nearly every key contributor on both teams, from Retzlaff to wide receivers Chase Roberts and Darius Lassiter (for one half) to Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, are all in favor of it Bowl game decided.

Either way, there’s a reason why this year’s Alamo Bowl has been declared by most to be either the best bowl game outside of the College Football Playoff or must-see television.

“It definitely feels bigger,” admitted senior cornerback Jakob Robinson. “My motivation is that we’re playing the Heisman Trophy winner… He’s fast, he’s athletic, and I would say that’s my motivation for me, just making plays. I know it’s the same for my teammates; everyone wants to go out there and make as many plays as possible.

There’s also a reason the Cougars (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) are 3.5 point underdogs to Sanders, the presumptive first-round NFL draft pick with 3,926 yards and 35 touchdowns to just eight interceptions, and the buffs are.

“We expect it,” Roberts said. “We’ll just go play. If we win it won’t matter. We’re just excited to go play and do what we do on the field.”

Senior center Connor Pay expected it and in some ways appreciated it, he added.

“Being the underdog, or perhaps underrated in some ways, we feel comfortable there,” Pay said. “We feel comfortable where we are. We don’t need all the media attention or all that other stuff. Our motivation comes from different places. Of course you appreciate it when you get recognition for things you do well. “You are grateful.” for that. But it’s not a necessity.”

So Retzlaff’s flippant comment about the “people’s championship” wasn’t a humiliation toward the Sun Devils or Cyclones; If anything, it was an acknowledgment of where the Cougars came from — they were picked to finish 13th in the Big 12 in the league’s preseason media poll — and have made a stunning one-year turnaround after last season’s 5-7 finish.

“If you know my story as a junior college player, walking into a stadium like this (at the Alamodome) is a lot different than any stadium we’ve walked in before,” Retzlaff said. “We are very excited to be here. Obviously the stage is as big as it is, prime time and we’re playing against a good team that’s getting a lot of media attention and we’re looking forward to showing what we’ve got.”

“We were the underdogs all year long and we were ready to make our statements all year long. So we’ll be excited. We’ll dance in the end zone and have fun on the field the entire game. “I’ll see when we play best, I know we’ll all have a lot of smiles on our faces.”

BYU’s motivation isn’t based on favoritism, media opinions or postseason accolades. The Cougars say they’re playing for more, seniors like Pay, Robinson and defensive end Tyler Batty, and that they want to build on next season, when Retzlaff and Roberts will try to capture a Big 12 title – with one Series of younger players who will help them get there?

“It was almost like we spent the spring preparing for this game,” offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said. “We have some young guys who will be key players in the future and we will see more of them in this game.”

“When you finish strong you feel a momentum when you come back in January and work towards next season. If you finish really strong it can affect how your team is viewed next season, whether it’s in the media or style.” That’s more important now than any of us would like to admit.