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Ohio State vs Utah: Rose Bowl prediction, game preview, how to watch

Ohio State vs Utah: Rose Bowl How To Watch

Date: Saturday, January 1
Game Time: 5:00 ET
Venue: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
How To Watch: ESPN, Live stream on ESPN+
Record: Ohio State (10-2), Utah (10-3)
CFN Predictions | Bowl Schedule

Ohio State vs Utah Rose Bowl Preview

It’s still the bowl game that matters. It’s New Year’s Day, it’s in Pasadena – at least it’s back this year after playing whatever that was last season playing a Rose Bowl in (ugh) Texas.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, if it was that big a deal then players shouldn’t be opting out of it, Ohio State fans would be more interested in showing up to a non-College Football Playoff bowl, and … it’s the Rose Bowl. It’s the game everyone watches.

Here comes the Utah Invasion. It’s going to be Rice-Eccles West as the Utes get to enjoy one of the most important moments in the program’s history. This is the culmination of years and years of battling for respect, for a footprint, and for chances to be on the big stage.

This is no ordinary bowl game for Utah. It went from moving from the WAC to the Mountain West in 1999, to the Pac-12 in 2011, to Pasadena.

This year, it got past a rough start to reel off six straight wins including a dominant Pac-12 Championship performance over Oregon to get here.

This is an ordinary bowl game for Ohio State. The program has been in two straight College Football Playoffs, and before that it was the Rose Bowl, and before that it was the Cotton Bowl, and …

Ohio State has played in New Year’s Six-level bowl games in every year but three since winning the 2002 national title. In 2004 it went to the Alamo, in 2011 it went to the Gator, and in 2012 it was out because of sanctions, but would’ve likely gone to the Rose.

By any normal standards this was a great season, but there was no Big Ten Championship, no national championship, no trip to the College Football Playoff, and no win over (hold nose) Michigan.

Winning the Rose Bowl, though, would certainly make things a whole lot better.

Why Ohio State, Utah Will Win
Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
Rose Bowl Top Players To Know

NEXT: Why Ohio State Will Win, Why Utah Will Win, Rose Bowl Prediction

Why Utah Will Win The Rose Bowl

Here comes the power.

How did Michigan beat Ohio State? It got pounded on.

The Wolverines were able to run for close to 300 yards as the offensive front mashed away on the Buckeye front four, and the other side of the ball was able to stuff the run and get to QB CJ Stroud.

There’s nothing subtle about what Utah will want to do.

It can throw, and it can balance things out with a few big plays, but it’s going to want to crank up the running game behind its huge and nasty offensive line, and it’s going to want to stuff everything on the defensive front around its huge and nasty defensive line.

Utah doesn’t allow a slew of sacks or plays in the backfield, the running game was the best in the Pac-12, and the defense led the league allowing just 315 yards per game.

CFN Predictions | 2021-2022 Bowl Schedule
Bowl Season Players To Watch & Know

Why Ohio State Will Win The Rose Bowl

Oh, poor, poor Ohio State. What’s the point of even showing up?

Utah is all fired up for this, the energy in the stands will be about the other side, there are a slew of opt-outs – more on that next – and this should be nothing more than a coronation for the Pac-12 champs …

Ohio State is still more talented than Utah.

Yup, it’s missing star receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the team’s most talented target – and there are more great prospects waiting in the wings to step up.

Yeah, it doesn’t help when going against the Utah lines to miss star OT Nicholas Petit-Free and DT Haskell Garrett, but again, it’s Ohio State. It has guys.

And it has CJ Stroud and TreyVeon Henderson.

Quick, name the high-powered offense Utah has faced this year?

Arizona State is close, and BYU had its moments, but Oregon is it. Of course, the Ducks beat Ohio State and Utah rolled the Ducks twice, but it’s not like the Buckeye offense was stopped in that early season defeat.

Stroud and the offense will get their yards. Now it’s up to Utah to keep up.

Ohio State vs Utah Preview
Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
Rose Bowl Top Players To Know

NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, Ohio State vs Utah Prediction, Rose Bowl History

Ohio State vs Utah: Rose Bowl, What’s Going To Happen

You know all of those big-time bowl games Ohio State has been in over the last few decades? Yeah, it wins them.

The Buckeyes are 6-3 in their last nine bowl games. The losses? Last year’s national championship and two CFP semifinals? The wins? CFP Sugar Bowl, national championship, Fiesta, Cotton, Rose, CFP Sugar.

You know all of those star Ohio State players who are sitting out? Yeah, there’s a flip side to that. It’s getting a slew of other parts back in the mix who were banged up late in the year.

Utah lost its last two bowl games – getting rolled by Texas last year in the Alamo and to Northwestern in the Holiday the season before that – but it was 11-1 under head coach Kyle Whittingham before that.

Is this Whittingham’s last game with the program? Is Utah going to be able to feed off the moment? Can it keep up the momentum it had through the strong run to close out the year?

Not sure, yet, and sort of.

It’s still Ohio State.

Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs Utah Prediction, Lines

Ohio State 37, Utah 30
Line: Ohio State -4.5, o/u: 64
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Expert Picks: CFP & NY6 | Dec 28-Jan 4

Must See Rating: 5

5: New Year’s Eve in a bar
1: New Year’s Eve watching a ball drop

CFN Predictions | 2021-2022 Bowl Schedule

Rose Bowl History

Jan. 1, 2021 Alabama 31, Notre Dame 14
Jan. 1, 2020 Oregon 28, Wisconsin 27
Jan. 1, 2019 Ohio State 28, Washington 23
Jan. 1, 2018 Georgia 54, Oklahoma 48 OT
Jan. 2, 2017 USC 52, Penn State 49
Jan. 1, 2016 Stanford 45 Iowa 16
Jan. 1, 2015 Oregon 59 Florida State 20
Jan. 1, 2014 Michigan State 24 Stanford 20
Jan. 1, 2013 Stanford 20 Wisconsin 14
Jan. 2, 2012 Oregon 45 Wisconsin 38
Jan. 1, 2011 TCU 21 Wisconsin 19
Jan. 1, 2010 Ohio State 26 Oregon 17
Jan. 1, 2009 USC 38 Penn State 24
Jan. 1, 2008 USC 49 Illinois 17
Jan. 1, 2007 USC 32 Michigan 18
Jan. 4, 2006 Texas 41 USC 38
Jan. 1, 2005 Texas 38 Michigan 37
Jan. 1, 2004 USC 28 Michigan 14
Jan. 1, 2003 Oklahoma 34 Washington State 14
Jan. 3, 2002 Miami 37 Nebraska 14
Jan. 1, 2001 Washington 34 Purdue 24
Jan. 1, 2000 Wisconsin 17 Stanford 9
Jan. 1, 1999 Wisconsin 38 UCLA 31
Jan. 1, 1998 Michigan 21 Washington State 16
Jan. 1, 1997 Ohio State 20 Arizona State 17
Jan. 1, 1996 USC 41 Northwestern 32
Jan. 2, 1995 Penn State 38 Oregon 20
Jan. 1, 1994 Wisconsin 21 UCLA 16
Jan. 1, 1993 Michigan 38 Washington 31
Jan. 1, 1992 Washington 34 Michigan 14
Jan. 1, 1991 Washington 46 Iowa 34
Jan. 1, 1990 USC 17 Michigan 10
Jan. 2, 1989 Michigan 22 USC 14
Jan. 1, 1988 Michigan State 20 USC 17
Jan. 1, 1987 Arizona State 22 Michigan 15
Jan. 1, 1986 UCLA 45 Iowa 28
Jan. 1, 1985 USC 20 Ohio State 17
Jan. 2, 1984 UCLA 45 Illinois 9
Jan. 1, 1983 UCLA 24 Michigan 14
Jan. 1, 1982 Washington 28 Iowa 0
Jan. 1, 1981 Michigan 23 Washington 6
Jan. 1, 1980 USC 17 Ohio State 16
Jan. 1, 1979 USC 17 Michigan 10
Jan. 2, 1978 Washington 27 Michigan 20
Jan. 1, 1977 USC 14 Michigan 6
Jan. 1, 1976 UCLA 23 Ohio State 10
Jan. 1, 1975 USC 18 Ohio State 17
Jan. 1, 1974 Ohio State 42 USC 21
Jan. 1, 1973 USC 42 Ohio State 17
Jan. 1, 1972 Stanford 13 Michigan 12
Jan. 1, 1971 Stanford 27 Ohio State 17
Jan. 1, 1970 USC 10 Michigan 3
Jan. 1, 1969 Ohio State 27 USC 16
Jan. 1, 1968 USC 14 Indiana 3
Jan. 2, 1967 Purdue 14 USC 13
Jan. 1, 1966 UCLA 14 Michigan State 12
Jan. 1, 1965 Michigan 34 Oregon State 7
Jan. 1, 1964 Illinois 17 Washington 7
Jan. 1, 1963 USC 42 Wisconsin 37
Jan. 2, 1962 Minnesota 21 UCLA 3
Jan. 2, 1961 Washington 17 Minnesota 7
Jan. 1, 1960 Washington 44 Wisconsin 8
Jan. 1, 1959 Iowa 38 California 12
Jan. 1, 1958 Ohio State 10 Oregon 7
Jan. 1, 1957 Iowa 35 Oregon State 19
Jan. 2, 1956 Michigan State 17 UCLA 14
Jan. 1, 1955 Ohio State 20 USC 7
Jan. 1, 1954 Michigan State 28 UCLA 20
Jan. 1, 1953 USC 7 Wisconsin 0
Jan. 1, 1952 Illinois 40 Stanford 7
Jan. 1, 1951 Michigan 14 California 6
Jan. 2, 1950 Ohio State 17 California 14
Jan. 1, 1949 Northwestern 20 California 14
Jan. 1, 1948 Michigan 49 USC 0
Jan. 1, 1947 Illinois 45 UCLA 14
Jan. 1, 1946 Alabama 34 USC 14
Jan. 1, 1945 USC 25 Tennessee 0
Jan. 1, 1944 USC 29 Washington 0
Jan. 1, 1943 Georgia 9 UCLA 0
Jan. 1, 1942 Oregon State 20 Duke 16
Jan. 1, 1941 Stanford 21 Nebraska 13
Jan. 1, 1940 USC 14 Tennessee 0
Jan. 2, 1939 USC 7 Duke 3
Jan. 1, 1938 California 13 Alabama 0
Jan. 1, 1937 Pittsburgh 21 Washington 0
Jan. 1, 1936 Stanford 7 SMU 0
Jan. 1, 1935 Alabama 29 Stanford 13
Jan. 1, 1934 Columbia 7 Stanford 0
Jan. 2, 1933 USC 35 Pittsburgh 0
Jan. 1, 1932 USC 21 Tulane 12
Jan. 1, 1931 Alabama 24 Washington State 0
Jan. 1, 1930 USC 47 Pittsburgh 14
Jan. 1, 1929 Georgia Tech 8 California 7
Jan. 2, 1928 Stanford 7 Pittsburgh 6
Jan. 1, 1927 Stanford 7 Alabama 7
Jan. 1, 1926 Alabama 20 Washington 19
Jan. 1, 1925 Notre Dame 27 Stanford 10
Jan. 1, 1924 Washington 14 Navy 14
Jan. 1, 1923 USC 14 Penn State 3
Jan. 2, 1922 California 0 Wash. & Jeff. 0
Jan. 1, 1921 California 28 Ohio State 0
Jan. 1, 1920 Harvard 7 Oregon 6
Jan. 1, 1919 Great Lakes-US Navy 17 Mare Island 0
Jan. 1, 1918 Mare Island-USMC 19 Camp Lewis-US Army 7
Jan. 1, 1917 Oregon 14 Pennsylvania 0
Jan. 1, 1916 Washington State 14 Brown 0
Jan. 1, 1902 Michigan 49 Stanford 0

Ohio State vs Utah Preview
Why Ohio State, Utah Will Win
Rose Bowl Top Players To Know

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