The Rose Bowl Game has become a New Year's Day tradition for football fans around the nation, and it also boasts a rather rich history.
The Rose Bowl was created in 1902, but was known as the "Tournament East-West Game." It gained the nickname, "The Grandaddy of Them All," as it was the first college bowl game ever created. In regards to its New Year's roots, the game is held just after the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif.
In the past, the Rose Bowl served as a BCS National Championship site, but with the creation of the College Football Playoff, it serves as a semi-final matchup every three years. When not serving as a CFP site, the Rose Bowl will pit the Big Ten and Pac-12 Conference champions.
150 Rushing Yards, 4 TD Scored - Rose Bowl History
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 2, 2018
2018 Sony Michel
2005 Vince Young
1999 Ron Dayne
1986 Eric Ball pic.twitter.com/pAqnYf1AbF
With the illustrious history of college football's oldest bowl game, there are plenty of interesting tidbits to take note of. In 1942, the Rose Bowl was held in Duke Stadium in Durham, N.C. following crowd restrictions on the West Coast of the United States after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The USC Trojans has made the most Rose Bowl appearances of any football program in the nation with 34 and lead with the most victories in the game's history with 25. Alabama has the most appearances of any non-Big Ten and Pac-12 team with six, while compiling a 4-1-1 record. Individually, Archie Griffin and Brian Cushing are the only college players to start in four Rose Bowl games.
Most appearances in @rosebowlgame history:
— Tony Castricone (@Castricone) December 2, 2018
USC 34
Michigan 20@UW_Football 15th
Ohio State 15th
UW & OSU both boast the 2nd most Rose Bowl appearances from their conference.
Both are playing in the game for just the 2nd time in the last 20 years.#PurpleReign #GoHuskies
Here are the past ten winners of the legendary championship game:
Year | Winner | Loser | Score |
2009 | No. 5 USC | No. 6 Penn State | 38-24 |
2010 | No. 8 Ohio State | No. 7 Oregon | 26-17 |
2011 | No. 3 TCU | No. 4 Wisconsin | 21-19 |
2012 | No. 6 Oregon | No. 9 Wisconsin | 45-38 |
2013 | No. 8 Stanford | Wisconsin | 20-14 |
2014 | No. 4 Michigan State | No. 5 Stanford | 24-20 |
2015 | No. 3 Oregon | No. 2 Florida State | 59-20 |
2016 | No. 5 Stanford | No. 6 Iowa | 45-16 |
2017 | No. 9 USC | No. 5 Penn State | 52-49 |
2018 | No. 3 Georgia | No. 2 Oklahoma | 54-48 |
This year, the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes face off against the No. 9 Washington Huskies, each looking to end their season by hoisting the coveted Rose Bowl trophy.