It officially smells like roses, folks!

Penn State will play in “The Granddaddy of Them All” against Utah on January 2, 2023, at Rose Bowl Stadium. The first-ever matchup between the Nittany Lions and the Utes will kick off at 5 p.m. on ESPN.

No. 8 Utah won the Pac-12 championship Friday after upsetting College Football Playoff-hopeful USC. The Utes will enter the Rose Bowl matchup with a 10-3 record with losses to Florida, UCLA, and Oregon.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham steered his program in the right direction after a week one loss to the Gators. Utah is led by quarterback Cameron Rising, who has thrown for 2,939 yards and 25 touchdowns this season while adding 409 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

After going 11-11 over the past two seasons and beginning this season unranked, Penn State has evidently exceeded expectations with a Rose Bowl berth and No. 11 ranking in the final playoff poll. James Franklin’s program finished the regular season 10-2 with a third-place finish in the Big Ten East. Although Penn State hasn’t recorded a ranked win this year, the only two losses for the Nittany Lions came at the hands of College Football Playoff participants Michigan and Ohio State.

This marks the Nittany Lions’ fifth appearance in the Rose Bowl. Penn State last played in Pasadena in 2017, where it fell to USC in a 52-49 thriller. The Nittany Lions lost the Rose Bowl in 1923 and 2009 to USC, too. The lone victory occurred in 1995 with a 38-20 win over the Oregon Ducks.

About the Author

CJ Gill

CJ was a broadcast journalism student at Penn State from 2022-26 and was the sports editor at Onward State. He's a huge Phillies and Steelers fan, which is odd. He's probably drinking a beer with his friends and watching Penn State football right now. You can email him at cjwg619@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CJGill14.

How Centre County Voted In The 2026 Midterm Elections

Centre County saw a 55.32% voter turnout rate in the general election.

Man Accused of Stealing Vehicle From State College Hotel & Driving Drunk

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 12.

‘Blood In The Water’: Penn State Football Cornerback Audavion Collins & Secondary Elevating Surrounding Units

“He does a good job of making everyone else around him better because he’s the hardest-working guy on the field at all times.”