Brett McMurphy, a college football insider for the Action Network, has Penn State going to the Rose Bowl in his latest bowl projections.
My new – and improved – bowl projections for @ActionNetworkHQ include Cincinnati-Washington (Cotton), Kansas-Auburn (Liberty), Texas-SMU (Armed Forces), Louisville-Purdue (Birmingham), Texas Tech-BYU (First Responder), Iowa-Texas A&M (ReliaQuest)https://t.co/BFRyfYZqAT pic.twitter.com/DDT3iMEILx
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 26, 2022
McMurphy has Penn State (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) facing USC (4-0, 2-0 Pac-12) in Pasadena Jan. 2.
He doesn’t have Penn State winning the Big Ten or, for that matter, the Big Ten East. Like most people, McMurphy sees Ohio State winning the conference and going to the College Football Playoff. Penn State and Ohio State square off at Beaver Stadium Oct. 29.
The last time Penn State played in the Rose Bowl, Ohio State went to the playoff. But unlike what’s expected to happen this year, Penn State won the Big Ten in 2016 and beat Ohio State at Beaver Stadium. In a decision that still confuses Penn State fans and even some national college football analysts, the playoff committee took Ohio State, which finished the year with one fewer loss than Penn State but lost the head-to-head matchup and didn’t win the conference.
Penn State’s last Rose Bowl game was one of the most exciting in the history of the “Granddaddy of Them All” that dates back to 1902. Unfortunately for coach James Franklin’s team, it fell to USC, 52-49, on a walk-off field goal.
Penn State has been to the Rose Bowl four times and three of the games have been losses to USC.
When Penn State won the Big Ten in 2008, its reward was a meeting with USC in Pasadena. USC dominated that game and won, 38-24. Penn State’s first trip to the Rose Bowl was 100 years and one day before this season’s game is scheduled to take place.
USC beat Penn State that day, 14-3.
Penn State’s only Rose Bowl win happened against Oregon Jan 2., 1995. The 38-20 win capped off Penn State’s most recent undefeated season.
