Though the game usually matches up the Big Ten against the Pac-12, this season’s game is a College Football Playoff semifinal.
Rose Bowl 2018: Date, time
The 2018 Rose Bowl will kick off at 5:10 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 1 between Oklahoma and Georgia.
Rose Bowl 2018 location
Continuing one of college football’s best traditions, the Rose Bowl will be played at the iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
Rose Bowl 2018 TV channel
The Rose Bowl Game will be televised nationally by ESPN. It can also be watched online with WatchESPN.
Rose Bowl history
The 2018 Rose Bowl will be the 104th game in the historic bowl’s history. The bowl game was first played in 1902, making it the oldest bowl game in the country. That distinction gave it the name “The Granddaddy of Them All.” The Rose Bowl Game has also been played every year since 1916.
For much of its history, the Rose Bowl Game has been known for matching up conference champions from the Big Ten and the Pac-12. But with the College Football Playoff format, the Rose Bowl will serve as host to a semifinal every three years. In 2015, No. 3 Oregon beat No. 2 Florida State, 59-20, in a semifinal. The 2018 Rose Bowl Game will also be a national semifinal.
It’s not known if the 2018 Rose Bowl game will feature No. 1 vs. No. 4 or the No. 2 vs. No. 3 teams. The bowl announcements will be made on Sunday, Dec. 3.
In the 2017 game, USC beat Penn State, 52-49, in a thriller. USC rallied from a 49-35 deficit to win as Matt Boermeester kicked a 46-yard field goal on the last play of the game. QB Sam Darnold passed for 453 yards and 5 touchdowns in the win. RB Saquon Barkley had a big game with 194 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, 55 receiving yards and a touchdowns and 57 kick return yards.
“Obviously a lot of raw emotion in the locker room right now,” Penn State coach James Franklin said after the game. “That is natural. Players should have their chins high because of what they accomplished through the whole season. That is the story of this team. This game doesn’t define them.”
Any loss hurts, whether it is Week 1 or Week 17,” Nittany Lions RB Saquon Barkley said. “Why it hurts the most is for the seniors. Coach Franklin and the seniors have done such a great job for this program. We wanted to send the seniors off with a win.”
USC has the most appearances in Rose Bowl Game history, playing 34 times (25 wins, 9 losses). Michigan is No. 2 with 20 appearances and an 8-12 record.