One of the best games every year, even if it is simply off of aesthetics, the Rose Bowl features Penn State and Pac-12 champion Utah on Monday, Jan. 2 on ESPN at 5 p.m. ET. This game promises to be a great matchup between two programs who showed they were clearly at the top of the second tier of teams this season. It must be noted that this will be the final time the Rose Bowl will be a standalone game for the foreseeable future. Next year, this will be a College Football Playoff semifinal game, then in 2024 the playoff will expand to a field of 12. 

How We Got Here: 

After a disappointing end to the 2021 season, the Nittany Lions bounced back, finishing the regular season 10-2. Penn State rolled through its opponents, winning by an average of 25.1 points. But of course, like almost every James Franklin team, the Nittany Lions’ Achilles heel was playoff teams Michigan and Ohio State. They fell apart in the second half against Michigan and then in the fourth quarter at home against the Buckeyes. The Penn State defense was one of the best in the nation, allowing 18.0 points and 317.9 yards per game. The Lions have a very stingy secondary, a great front four, but the linebacker unit is lacking in some areas. The offense was once again led by Sean Clifford, but the key pieces were freshman running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Singleton and Allen combined for 1,771 yards on the ground and 21 total touchdowns. A win in the Rose Bowl would have this young team trending in the right direction and give them playoff aspirations for the 2023 season. 

After winning the Pac-12 last season, Utah began the season No. 7 in the AP poll and was a favorite to be a first-time participant in the College Football Playoff. However, in the opening game in the humid Florida swamp, the Utes fell 29-26 to the host Gators. That knocked them off the national stage, but they came roaring back. After ripping off four straight wins, the Utes lost another tough one on the road to UCLA. They would go on another four-game winning streak, including a thrilling 43-42 victory over No. 7 USC before a close loss at Oregon where quarterback Cameron Rising was hobbled, which showed as he was barely able to move and missed several easy throws. But they finished as the second-best Pac-12 team with help from others in the conference and qualified for the Pac-12 title game, where they became back-to-back Pac-12 champions as they beat USC in a rematch. A win in the Rose Bowl would give the Pac-12 a postseason boost, as the Pac-12 title winner is 1-5 in their last six New Year’s Six bowl games. As for Utah, its last bowl win was in the Heart of Dallas Bowl in 2017, and its last NY6/BCS bowl win was in the 2008 Sugar Bowl while the Utes were still in the Mountain West.

Keys to the Game:

To win this game, Penn State needs to stick with what it knows: play good defense and run the football. In the Nittany Lions’ four-game win streak to close the season, the defense allowed only 40 combined points and didn’t let any offense get going. The Nittany Lions need to force turnovers and fly to the football like they have been all season. Utah is missing some key pieces on offense while almost the entire Penn State defense is playing. It’s going to be important for edge rushers Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac to pressure Cameron Rising and not let him get comfortable in the pocket. Rising is a mobile quarterback, so linebackers Curtis Jacobs, Abdul Carter, Tyler Elsdon, and Dominic DeLuca need to get to him before he can get going. 

On offense, RUN THE BALL. Penn State has two of the premier backs in the country in Singleton and Allen and the ball needs to be in their hands. Sean Clifford needs to manage the game and not play hero ball. Utah has a very good defense, but pounding the rock opens up the entire offense for offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. Success comes from running the ball with this team. Stick with it. 

As for Utah, it is a fairly simple formula to victory. The Utes have to let Cameron Rising cook. Whether it was in victories over USC, their close loss to Ohio State in last year’s Rose Bowl, or the 9-1 record last year after he took over as the starter, time and again he has risen to the occasion. Use all the cliché words to describe him: gritty, hard nosed, etc. Rising is all that and more, and that could be the difference in this game. 

Players to Watch:

Penn State:

#14 QB Sean Clifford — The Sean Clifford era in Penn State comes to end after this game, and what a rollercoaster it’s been. Although Clifford may be the program’s leading passer, it didn’t come with much trial and tribulation. Clifford tends to shrink in big games and turn the ball over. It happened against Ohio State this season, and Penn State fans have to hope it doesn’t happen again here. Clifford needs to be confident, not get in his own head, and trust the guys around him. He’s surrounded by so much talent that if he manages the game effectively and makes plays when he needs to, Penn State will be in a good spot. 

#16 S Ji’Ayir Brown — Just like Clifford, this is also Ji’Ayir Brown’s last game in blue and white, and what a season he’s had. Brown led the Nittany Lions in tackles with 66 and interceptions with three. He’ll set up at top in the safety position, but then he’ll fly around and get his head to the football. Whenever Utah has the football, you’ll be sure to find #16 either making the play or being around the football. He’s going to make a difference in the game whether it be forcing a fumble or picking off a pass. 

#11 LB Abdul Carter — Abdul Carter is just another one of Penn State’s stud freshmen. Playing linebacker and wearing #11 on the Nittany Lions defense is a big deal, and Carter has proven that he’s deserving of it. Second on the team with 55 tackles, Carter can come off the edge or blitz up the middle to make a play. He’s going to be pivotal in shutting down the Utah run game and making sure Cameron Rising isn’t scrambling all over the place. Carter led the team with 6.5 sacks this season and I expect him to add to that total in this game. 

Utah: 

#7 QB Cameron Rising —  A former Texas quarterback, Rising has been one of the key Utes during his time in Salt Lake City. A dangerous dual-threat, he has been battling a knee injury that has limited his running ability down the stretch, but he didn’t need it as he passed for 310 yards and three touchdowns against USC in the Pac-12 title game. This game could decide not only his future, but the future for the program. With one season of eligibility left, he has until Jan. 16th to decide whether he will return or head off to the NFL draft. Another game much like last season’s Rose Bowl, where Rising had 306 total offensive yards and three total touchdowns, could spring him to go to the draft and Utah to victory.  

#3 RB Ja’Quinden Jackson — Another ex-Longhorns quarterback, the powerful 6-foot-2, 230-pound Ja’Quinden Jackson became a running back after injuries ate into the Utes’ depth. It took him a while to get going, but in three of their last four games, he rushed for at least 97 yards, including 105 yards and two touchdowns in the Pac-12 title game. He’s not just going to run over people, he has enough juice to break big runs when he gets past the first wave of the defense. 

#77 DT Simote Pepa — As mentioned above, Penn State’s running game will be the deciding aspect of its offensive success. Simote Pepa has the ability to blow all of that up, with his 345-pound frame and mobility. If the Nittany Lions have to devote their blocking to him or are reduced to just running outside, that will shrink their playbook. Pepa can also get to the quarterback with his four sacks. He could single-handedly win Utah this game. 

Score Predictions: 

Dave: This is going to be such a great game and I think it comes down to the last drive — a Sean Clifford legacy drive. Clifford to Singleton for a game-winning touchdown in a Penn State victory. Penn State 31, Utah 24.

Josh: Against my better judgment, I think that the Nittany Lions have slightly more in terms of overall high-end talent which makes them the better team on the field. However, Utah is such a good program with no clear holes, so this game will come down to the final moments. A final Utah drive comes up just short, and Penn State wins. However, it won’t be all bad news for Utah as Rising will return for one last ride next season. Penn State 34, Utah 31.