We haven’t played Colorado in over 35 years, and they only landed in this game because they inherited the PAC-12’s bowl tie-ins after joining the Big 12. "Well why Colorado instead of the other former PAC teams that were eligible?" Let’s break it down:

Arizona: Already played them this year, and they weren’t great.
ASU: Made the CFP. No chance (and already played)
Cal: They weren’t good. Colorado is both better and way more interesting.
Oregon: Also made the CFP. Out of the running.
Oregon State: Not bowl-eligible.
Stanford: Not bowl-eligible.
UCLA: Not bowl-eligible.
USC: Sure, maybe intriguing, but Colorado’s a bigger draw.
Utah: Already beat them this year, and they didn’t make a bowl (lol)
Washington: Same situation as USC.
Washington State: Same as USC and Washington, but even less interesting.

So, of the realistic options, Colorado is a great pick! They’re competitive, interesting, and bring a ton of attention to this game.

Would I have loved to play Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl? Sure—who wouldn’t want Pop-Tarts in the mix? But the Alamo Bowl is a fantastic game, and we’ve got a compelling opponent in Colorado.

Now, if we’d just played Colorado recently in a conference game, I’d understand the frustration. But we didn’t even face them this year, and it’s been forever since we’ve played them. This matchup feels fresh, exciting, and honestly, it’s a win for us in terms of national interest.