Rose Bowl: Utah Vs. Penn State New Year's Six Preview, Prediction

The Utah Utes (10-3) take on the Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2) in the Granddaddy of Them All– the Rose Bowl– in Bowl Season. Kickoff comes from historic and iconic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 2, at 4:00 p.m. CT.

This is the final Rose Bowl as we know it. The game is a College Football Playoff semifinal next season and Playoff expansion folds the Rose Bowl in after then. Who will claim the most prestigious bowl win this season?

Sizing Up The Utah Utes

Utah had a difficult start to the year, going into Gainesville and losing to Florida. However, they rebounded nicely, only losing to ranked opponents on the road in conference play and stacking not one, but two wins over USC. The second USC win came in the Pac-12 Championship Game, where Utah knocked their rival out of the College Football Playoff and secured their second-straight Rose Bowl berth.

Late in the season, Utah lost running back Tavion Thomas to injury. He was following up a 1,000-yard season with another stellar year before the injury. However, Utah rosters a deep running back room with plenty of athletes.

In the conference title game, transfer RB Ja'Quinden Jackson rushed for 105 yards and a pair of scores on just 13 carries. Micah Bernard– who you might know as having attempted to play emergency corner against Jaxon Smith-Njigba in last year's Rose Bowl– is a strong complement at running back.

Quarterback Cameron Rising had another outstanding season, highlighted by gritty toughness and a nose for making plays. However, he's without both top targets, his tight ends Dalton Kincaid (injured) and Brant Kuithe (injured early on).

The defense left a lot to be desired after losing most of their terrific 2021 squad, but cornerback Clark Phillips III was named to the All-America team.

Sizing Up The Penn State Nittany Lions

Like Utah, Penn State rosters a quarterback whose career is highlighted by gritty toughness and a nose for making plays– Sean Clifford. This'll be Clifford's final game at Penn State after a long, storied, but often-criticized career in Happy Valley.

Clifford's top two targets this year were Parker Washington and WKU transfer Mitchell Tinsley, both of whom caused serious problems for opposing offenses. Unfortunately, Washington opted out of this game while battling injury for the NFL Draft.

While their ground game was again inefficient due to subpar offensive line play, freshman Nicholas Singleton emerged as a budding superstar for Penn State. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns in his first season in a rotational role.

The Penn State defense– led by ousted Miami head coach Manny Diaz– was a stonewall unit for most games this year. They ranked inside the top 10 in yards per rush allowed and scoring (18.0 points per game).

However, second halves against their toughest opponents put a damper on what should be a celebrated 10-2 record. In big games against Michigan and Ohio State, Penn State melted after halftime, being outscored a combined 56-20.

Regardless, it was a strong season for Penn State.

Notable Injuries, Opt Outs

Utah: CB Clark Phillips (NFL), RB Tavion Thomas (OUT), TE Dalton Kincaid (OUT)

Penn State: CB Joey Porter Jr. (NFL), WR Parker Washington (NFL)

Why Utah Can Win

Utah very nearly pulled off an upset over a much more high-powered Ohio State team in last year's Rose Bowl despite being severely shorthanded. As mentioned, they started a running back at corner in desperation.

Rising finds ways to win football games. It's not a measurable stat, but he's always able to pick up 9 yards on a late 3rd & 8 or a critical score to put the game away or keep Utah in it. Despite being depleted at key skill positions, Rising found a way to emphatically close out USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Kyle Whittingham is one of the best coaches in the nation and he'll have his guys ready for Penn State.

Utah has the superior offense and a decent enough defense to keep the game from getting out of hand.

Why Penn State Can Win

As good a playmaker as Rising is, he's struggled when playing bigger opponents away from home. Against Florida, UCLA, and Oregon– all losses– Rising combined for one touchdown pass and five interceptions.

Although Porter Jr. is sitting this one out, Penn State will have star safety Ji'Yar Brown on hand. Brown is a key contributor to the defense who's versatile enough to excel as both a roaming free safety or a run-stopping box safety.

Utah's absences are greater in both number and importance. Penn State is the healthier and deeper team at this juncture, and that is instrumental in Bowl Season wins.

However, it comes down to Sean Clifford not making back-breaking decisions or lethal turnovers as he's done in the past.

Utah Vs. Penn State Prediction

For years, James Franklin has been criticized for poor performances in big time games. He's 3-4 in bowl games at Penn State, with his wins coming against Memphis, Washington, and Boston College. He's also a combined 5-15 against rivals Ohio State and Michigan and an abysmal 2-15 against top-10 teams.

After coming so close to glory last year, Utah's going to be chomping at the bits for a revenge game this year. If it comes down to the wire, I trust Utah's grit and coaching more than I do Penn State's.

Let's have another fun Rose Bowl. One more for the Granddaddy of Them All.

The pick: Utah 42-41

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