The 103rd Rose Bowl Game will feature #5 Penn State and #9 USC on Monday, January 2nd at 5:00 pm in Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN. This will be the 10th overall meeting between the two schools, with the Trojans taking 5 of the first 9, including a 2-0 record in Rose Bowl games. The last meeting, the 2009 Rose Bowl, went the way of USC by a score of 38-24. Meanwhile, here is a preview of the matchups between the Nittany Lions and Trojans.
Important Information:
Who: #5 Penn State vs. #9 USC
What: 102nd Rose Bowl Game
Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
When: January 2, 2017, 5:00 pm ET
Spread: USC by 7
Weather Forecast*: Partly cloudy, high 63, low 46, 10% chance of precipitation
TV: ESPN
*-according to weather.com
Quarterback:
Penn State:
Trace McSorley proved that he can respond to adversity during the Big Ten Championship Game as he threw for 4 touchdowns in the second half en route to a 38-31 win and MVP honors. The scrambler from Ashburn, Virginia has proven to be one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country.
USC:
After the Trojans´ season-opening loss to #1 Alabama and 2 other games, Max Browne was replaced at quarterback by Sam Darnold, a redshirt freshman from Capistrano Beach, California. Darnold has thrown for 219 yards per game with 26 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He has also rushed for 19 yards per contest.
Advantage: Tie
Running Back:
Penn State: Saquon Barkley
USC: Ronald Jones has been USC's top rusher this year, the sophomore from McKinney, Texas has averaging 85 yards per game on the ground. He has averaged a mere 6 yards per game receiving though and has not been a big threat out of the backfield in the passing game. Justin Davis has chipped in 63 yards per game as well to pace the Trojans.
Advantage: Penn State
Receivers:
Penn State: The Penn State receiving core exploded during Saturday´s Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin, accounting for 384 yards and 4 touchdowns. Chris Godwin, Saeed Blacknall, DaeSean Hamilton, Saquon Barkley, and tight end Mike Gesicki all caught multiple passes. The Nittany Lions´ receiving core is unmatched and that is why I give them a very slight edge in this category.
USC: JuJu Smith-Schuster (Redshirt Junior), Darreus Rogers (Senior), and Deontay Burnett (Sophomore) have been the top 3 receivers for USC this season, combining for 158 receiving yards per game and 16 total touchdowns. The tight end, Taylor McNamara, has averaged 10 yards per catch in his final season wearing the cardinal and gold.
Advantage: Penn State
Defense:
Penn State: The Nittany Lion defense came up big in the second half last week against Wisconsin, allowing the Badgers to a mere 3 points after halftime. The Penn State defense is #1 in the country in tackles for loss. The Lion´s defense is led by senior linebackers Brandon Bell, Jason Cabinda, as well as junior safety Marcus Allen.
USC: The Trojan´s defense has many players to be on the lookout for. Cornerback Adoree´ Jackson, the 2016 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, sophomore linebacker Cameron Smith, who leads the team in tackles with 79, and defensive end Porter Gustin, who leads USC in tackles for loss as well as sacks.
Advantage: Tie
Special Teams:
Penn State: Tyler Davis has not disappointed Nittany Lion fans in his first full year of being the regular kicker at Penn State. He has gone 22-for-24 on field goals this year, and has made all 55 of his PATs. On the punting side of things, Blake Gillikin has been very dependable for head coach James Franklin, owning a 42 yard average with a long of 69.
USC: Matt Boermeester has been USC's left-footed placekicker so far this year and he has 15-of-20 on field goals with 1 missed extra point and a long of 49 yards. The punting game for the Trojans has included Chris Tilbey, who has a 38 yard average and a long of 53 yards.
Advantage: Penn State
Interesting facts about the Trojans:
College GameDay will be in the Los Angeles area and USC has won almost 75% of the games when they have played the GameDay featured game
Are 74-28-3 overall against current Big Ten opponents
Have blocked 3 kicks this year
Overall Predictions/Roundtable:
Drew: Penn State comes up clutch late with a big rushing touchdown from Saquon Barkley to seal the game 34-24.
Mr. Cunningham: 34-31 Penn State wins on a Tyler Davis last second field goal set up by a long passing play in the waning seconds.
What really happened….
High Powered Offensive Showdown in both halves. Penn State steams ahead in the 3rd Quarter with 28 points. But, USC owned the last quarter and won the game with a last second field goal. An instant classic.
USC-52
Penn State-49