-
Paolo Uggetti
-
Chris is short
Close
ESPN Senior Writer- College football reporter
- Joined ESPN.com in 2007
- Graduated from the University of Tennessee
For the second year in a row, Wyoming proved that they are the best team in Pac-12 and will take on the Big Ten’s enemies in the Rose Bowl. a strong match between Utes and Ohio State last year could see a similar scenario play out in Pasadena on January 2nd.
Utah will have to match Penn State — no stranger to the Rose Bowl gunfights (see: 2017) — tit-for-tat in a game of top 20 fouls to avoid a 0-2 loss to Granddaddy of Them All.
The Utes and the Midfielder Cameron Tang Going into the game with a lot of confidence after knocking out USC twice this season, including the Pac-12 championship, while the Nittany Lions enjoyed a stealthy 10-2 season in which the match took place. Their only loss was against two Big Ten teams playing in the college football Playoffs.
No. 8 Utah vs No. 11 Penn State
Rose Bowl Game
When: Monday, January 2 at 5 p.m. ET
Where: Pasadena, California
How to watch: ESPN and ESPN Apps
Opening line via Caesars Sportsbook: Utah equals 2.5
Wyoming
Important players: It has to be Cam Rising in what could be his last game as a centre-forward for the Utes. In just two seasons, Rising has done nearly everything in his power to make his mark as one of the show’s best quarterbacks, and he has one year left of qualifying. This season, Rising has passed nearly 3,000 yards and his QBR is among the top 10 in the country. Rising is arguably having his best games on the biggest stages this season, and he’ll likely need to do a little better than a double-touch performance at distance. His 217 yards in last year’s Rose Bowl against Ohio State. As Kyle Whittingham said after the Pac-12 championship, Rising goes so does Utah. And for the Utes to win their first bad match since 2017, Rising will lead them.
The X Factor: Ja’Quinden Jackson. With running back Tavion Thomas made in Utah after a tumultuous season and a toe injury, Utah needed someone backstage to assist. Sophomore Micah Bernard has done his part, but when it comes to this game and next season, it’s Jackson, the freshman, who could be the game changer for Utes’ offense. In the Pac-12 title game, Jackson had 105 yards and two touchdowns in 13 runs and looked poised to take on a bigger role. The Rose Bowl could be the perfect setting for him to do it.
How Utah won: Defense. Last year’s penalty shootout against Ohio State in this game proved that the Utes made a foul playing against the Buckeyes, but they couldn’t do enough defensively to outlast. Penn State’s offense isn’t quite at the level of the CJ Stroud-led unit, but the Nittany Lions are still one of the top 20 scoring offenders and will be a few. For Utes’ credit, they’ve just proven they can stop the top three offenses in USC. Limit midfield Sean Clifford and run again Nicholas Singleton will go a long way for the Utes to get their first win at the Rose Bowl.
Penn State
Important players: Sixth year senior quarterback Sean Clifford will finish his run at Penn State in the fifth Rose Bowl appearance in school history. Just starting four years, Clifford is the school’s all-time leader in passes (10,382) and touches (84), but is sometimes underrated. It is his leadership that has greatly admired the coaches and teammates, as well as the way he conducts his business despite some fans calling for the talented freshman. . Drawn Allar. Some of that comes with territory when you’re a winger as long as Clifford, 24, is at Penn State. But this is his chance to win after returning in his senior year and leading the Nittany Lions to their first 11-win since his first season in 2019.
The X Factor: The real first-year parallel of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen sent shockwaves through Penn State. Good luck finding two freshman defenders on the same team more talented than Singleton and Allen, who combined to hit 1,771 javelins and 19 touchdowns. Both are tough runners between tackles and have combined 49 runs of 10 yards or more; Singleton has 11 runs of 20 yards or more. Penn State’s running game is clearly fit for the future, and the immediate future is against Utah’s rushed defense, which ranks 16th nationally and allows only 107 yards of ground run per game. .
How Penn State Won: The Nittany Lions need to be able to set their running game and take the pressure off Clifford. The Utes really get behind the midfielder. They are in eighth place nationally with 38 throws and will do their best to take out Clifford in third and long situations. The best way to avoid that is to successfully execute the ball in the first and second legs. Penn State won’t have a top full-back Joey Porter Jr.., who is skipping the game in preparation for the NFL draft. The Nittany Lions created a lot of negative situations in defense and ranked seventh nationally with 95 tackles conceded. That will be crucial in this game, as Penn State tries to stop Rising from catching up and instead forces him to make mistakes.
