COWARDS: Notre Dame is SCARED of Playing BYU, Skipping Pop-Tarts Bowl, College Football Playoff Snub

The fallout from the 2025 College Football Playoff selection has taken a bitter turn as Notre Dame officially declined all bowl invitations, effectively "dodging" a highly anticipated matchup against No. 12 BYU. The move has sparked a national debate, with critics and BYU fans suggesting the Irish are more interested in protecting their brand than proving their worth on the field.The Matchup the World WantedBoth teams finished the season as the "First Two Out" of the 12-team playoff. With Notre Dame at No. 11 and BYU at No. 12, the logic for a bowl pairing was undeniable. It would have been the unofficial "13th vs. 14th" game to determine who truly deserved the final spot. However, rather than facing a gritty, 11-win BYU team that felt equally disrespected by the committee, Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua announced the program would skip the bowl season entirely to focus on the "changing landscape" of the transfer portal.The "Dodge" NarrativeThe optics of this decision are poor. Critics argue that Notre Dame feared the physical, high-flying Cougars. A loss to BYU in a bowl game would have retroactively justified the committee’s decision to leave the Irish out, proving that their 10-2 record—which lacked a conference championship opportunity—was inferior to the resumes of teams like Texas Tech or BYU. As noted by prominent sports commentators like Drake Toll, the Irish's exit looks less like a principled stand against the CFP and more like a tactical retreat to avoid a humiliating loss to a "Group of Five" style riser.A Legacy of "Pouting"By taking their ball and going home, Notre Dame has fueled the narrative that they believe they are "above" the traditional bowl system if it doesn't lead to a trophy. While BYU prepares for a high-stakes bowl game to prove they belonged, the Irish will watch from the sidelines, leaving fans wondering if they were simply afraid to put their No. 11 ranking to the ultimate test.Everydayer Club  If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub  Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Omaha SteaksSave big on unforgettable gifts with Omaha Steaks. Visit https://OmahaSteaks.com for 50% off site-wide and an extra 20% off select favorites during their Cyber Sale.And for an additional $35 off, use promo code COLLEGE at checkout. RugietIf you’ve been thinking about taking the next step, now’s the time.Head to https://Rugiet.com/LOCKEDONCOLLEGEto get 15% off your order for a limited time.Rugiet Ready. Feel present. Feel confident. Feel ready. Aura FramesFor a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting https://AuraFrames.com to get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames - named #1 by Wirecutter - by using promo code COLLEGE at checkout. GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.