Penn State To Face Utah In Rose Bowl

PASADENA, CA — Penn State will be the Big Ten representative in the Rose Bowl Jan. 2, facing Pac-12 champion Utah.

With Big Ten champion Michigan qualifying for the College Football Playoff, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association selected the Nittany Lions as the replacement from the conference Sunday.

The Utes (10-3) earned their second consecutive Rose Bowl berth with a 47-24 victory over USC in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game Friday. Utah lost to Ohio State, 48-45, on Jan. 1, 2022.

Penn State (10-2) will be playing in the Rose Bowl Game for the fifth time and first time since Jan. 2, 2017, when it lost to USC, 52-49.

The game will be the first meeting between Utah and Penn State.

Because New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game will be played one day later than usual because of the Tournament of Roses Association's ``Never on Sunday" rule.

—City News Service