Penn State Goes All In on the Rose Bowl
Like everyone else, Penn State players watched Saquon Barkley run for 194 yards in the 2017 Rose Bowl and the legendary Texas-USC game of 2006. They revere the game's history and legacy. That's why the overwhelming majority of Penn State's roster plans to play in the 2023 Rose Bowl against Utah.
"Why wouldn't I play in this game, since I watched it growing up?" safety Ji'Ayir Brown said. "This is the granddaddy of them all."
For Penn State, this bowl season looks quite different than the last. The Lions' Rose Bowl roster will look very similar to the one that finished the regular season with four consecutive wins. In fact, it might include a few extra players who had been injured.
Just two starters are out for the game, both of whom had late-season health issues. All-American cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who missed two games with appendicitis, announced he will forgo the game and enter the 2023 NFL Draft. Parker Washington, Penn State's leading receiver, is out as well, having missed the final two games with an injury. He will enter the draft.
But nearly everyone else is expected to make the trip to Pasadena. That includes captains Brown, PJ Mustipher, Juice Scruggs and Sean Clifford; sixth-year receiver Mitchell Tinsley and potential early draft entrants Brenton Strange, Theo Johnson and Adisa Isaac. Defensive end Nick Tarburton said that he will play in the Rose Bowl before entering the draft.
That's far different from last year, when six starters opted out of the Outback Bowl against Arkansas. Actually, though, coach James Franklin considered that season as the outlier.
"This is who we've been," Franklin said at the team's bowl media event in State College. "In my 12 years as a head coach, I've never had an opt-out until last year. I think part of it goes back to the leadership of our captains this year. That was a big part of our conversation before the season that started with our captains: what their expectations were, what their standards were, what mine were as well.
"And really the way, in my mind, we've billed it at Penn State is, there's really no reason to opt out. We will be flexible with all of our guys. I want our guys to be as successful as they possibly can. I want the bowl experience to be a great experience. We'll work with our guys. There's really no reason to opt out."
The Rose Bowl seems to have impacted a few decisions. As the value of bowl games is diminishing, the Rose Bowl evidently carries weight at Penn State. Several players discussed watching the game as kids, calling it a "dream" to play there someday.
This also might be the last Rose Bowl in its current incarnation. The bowl will host a College Football Playoff semifinal next year, then enter the rotation for a 12-team playoff beginning in 2024.
"I've been here for five years, and myself and the team has put in a lot of work over that time, been through a lot of adversity, and so what better way to go out on top than at the Rose Bowl?" Mustipher, a senior defensive tackle, said. "The opportunity is truly a blessing, but to get a win would mean a whole lot to this program in getting us right back on track."
Added Tinsley, a sixth-year receiver who transferred to Penn State from Western Kentucky, "It's definitely a dream come true to play in the Rose Bowl. And I'm going to finish what I started with this team."
Franklin added further good roster news. He said that offensive linemen Olu Fashanu and Caedan Wallace could play in the bowl game after missing significant time with injuries. Fashanu already has announced that he will return to Penn State next season, giving the Lions' a potential first-round left tackle for one more year.
In addition, Franklin said that running back Keyvone Lee could play in the Rose Bowl as well. Lee, who started the first two games and caught the game-winning touchdown pass against Purdue, missed the last six games.
Most Penn State players who are draft-eligible will hold their announcements until after the Rose Bowl. That includes Scruggs, Strange and Wallace. Others, like kicker Jake Pinegar are eligible to return for a sixth season and will save their announcements as well.
"My mom, she’s as excited as anyone. She’s more excited than me to go to the Rose Bowl," Scruggs said. "... It’s the best bowl that you can have that’s not in the playoff."
Mustipher called the Rose Bowl a game in which everyone in college football wants to play. He added that a win over No. 8 Utah could springboard Penn State into the 2023 spotlight.
"It’s not the same as any bowl," Mustipher said. "They call it the granddaddy of them all for a reason. We’re going to find out why they call it that."
Kickoff for the Jan. 2 Rose Bowl between Penn State and Utah is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. EST on ESPN.
PENN STATE FANS: Looking for Rose Bowl tickets? SI Tickets is your one-stop shop for tickets to a variety of Penn State sporting events, from football to basketball, hockey to volleyball. Need tickets to the Penn State game? Check out SI Tickets.
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