Penn State to play Utah in Rose Bowl
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After falling three spots in the new College Football Playoff rankings, No. 11 Penn State emerged from Selection Sunday with its second Rose Bowl berth in the past six seasons.
The Nittany Lions will play Pac-12 champion and No. 8-ranked Utah at 5 p.m. Jan. 2 on ESPN.
It will be the first meeting between the schools. Penn State has played all current Pac-12 schools except Utah, compiling a 25-14 record. Penn State defeated Washington, 35-28, in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl.
“We are thrilled our storied Penn State football program will participate in the 109th Rose Bowl,” Penn State athletic director Patrick Kraft said in a statement. “I am so proud of our student-athletes, coaches and staff for the hard work they have put in this season to earn the reward of a trip to The Granddaddy of Them All.
“The Rose Bowl has such a rich history, and I can’t think of a better way to cap a terrific season and send our seniors off with a special memory. I know Nittany Nation will be excited to head to Pasadena to start the New Year.”
Said Penn State coach James Franklin: “I want to thank the Rose Bowl Committee for the invitation to one of college football’s most prestigious and historic bowl games. Playing in the Rose Bowl is truly a special way to close out this season with a team, staff and fan base that has stuck together and trusted the process all year.
“I look forward to ringing in the New Year in Pasadena with our passionate fans filling the Rose Bowl stadium January 2.”
This is Penn State’s fifth trip to the Rose Bowl and first since 2016, a 52-49 loss to USC. Penn State is 1-3 all-time in the Rose Bowl. The Nittany Lions made their first bowl appearance in the Rose Bowl against USC in 1923, a 14-3 loss.
Penn State did not return to the Rose Bowl again until 1995, when Ki-Jana Carter led the Nittany Lions to a 38-20 win against Oregon.
The Utes (10-3) are making their second consecutive appearance in the Rose Bowl after their 47-24 victory over Southern Cal in the Pac-12 championship game Friday. Utah’s hopes of defending its conference title appeared to be over after a Nov. 19 loss to Oregon, but it made it to Las Vegas after the Ducks lost at Oregon State and Washington defeated Washington State.
It will be Utah’s fourth appearance in a New Year’s Six Bowl. The Utes lost to Ohio State, 48-45, in the third-highest-scoring Rose Bowl in history Jan. 1. They defeated Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl to conclude the 2004 season and beat Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.
Utah is led by quarterback Cam Rising. The junior was named MVP of the Pac-12 championship game after passing for 310 yards and three touchdowns.
Penn State (10-2) was picked for the Rose Bowl after Big Ten champion Michigan and Ohio State were selected for the College Football Playoff. Even if the Buckeyes had not qualified for the CFP, the Tournament of Roses committee appeared set to take the Nittany Lions so that Ohio State would not appear for the third time in five years.
Penn State has won four straight by an average of 31.3 points after a 44-31 loss to Ohio State on Oct. 29. It is led by sixth-year quarterback Sean Clifford, who has passed for 22 touchdowns.
This could be the final Rose Bowl to feature the traditional Big Ten vs. Pac-12 format. The game will be one of the CFP semifinals on Jan. 1, 2024, and will be a quarterfinal game for the 2024 season after it agreed to amend its contract in order for the playoff field to expand to 12 teams.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.