Rose Bowl 2022: Latest Penn State vs. Utah Odds, Predictions and More
The Utah Utes come into the Rose Bowl as Pac-12 champions for the second straight season.
Utah is hoping it avoids the same kind of wide-open Rose Bowl it faced last January, though.
The Penn State Nittany Lions pose a new challenge out of the Big Ten and have motivation of their own to win on one of the sport's biggest stages.
Penn State is making its first Rose Bowl appearance since 2017, and it only has one win in three appearances in Pasadena, California.
The Nittany Lions will have to defend Utah without one of their top players. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. declared for the NFL draft and will miss the game.
Porter is the only opt-out as of writing, so we should see close to a full-strength game to close out bowl season.
The Rose Bowl is scheduled to be the last bowl played before the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Game Odds
Spread: Utah -2.5
Over/Under: 52
Money Line: Utah (-145; bet $145 to win $100); Penn State (+125; bet $100 to win $125)
Game Info:
Date: Monday, January 2
Start Time: 5 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN app
Utah Looking For Rose Bowl Revenge
Utah featured in one of the most exciting bowl games of last season in their first Rose Bowl appearance, a 48-45 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Utah's second showing in Pasadena again comes off a Pac-12 championship, with The Utes this time running away from the USC Trojans in the second half of the championship game to win their second straight title.
Utah's win in Las Vegas proved it could thrive outside of Salt Lake City after all three of the team's losses this season occurred away from home.
Quarterback Cam Rising could have a ton of success against a Penn State defense missing Joey Porter Jr.
The Nittany Lions only give up 212.8 passing yards and 18 points per game. Rising can hurt the Nittany Lions with his arm and legs, but his arm will be the most important asset on January 2.
Look for tight end Dalton Kincaid and wide receiver Money Parks to be the biggest threats to the Penn State secondary. Kincaid is the Utes' leading receiver, and Parks had 88 yards on four catches in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
A Rose Bowl win would be a fantastic way for Utah to end the season, and it could provide more momentum going into next season for Kyle Whittingham and his staff.
What is Penn State's Offensive Approach?
Penn State is one of the most fascinating teams from a strategic perspective in bowl season.
The Nittany Lions are saying goodbye to longtime quarterback Sean Clifford, but freshman Drew Allar may give them a better chance to win.
Allar played sparingly throughout the season, but the Rose Bowl could serve as a great test for his talents. A strong performance could create a ton of buzz around Penn State for the 2023 college football season.
Clifford also has a right to play and put on one more show for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State will showcase some other top young talents at running back. We could see heavy doses of freshmen Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen in an attempt to wear down the Utah defense.
Utah allows 107 rushing yards per game, and Penn State averages 182.1 yards on the ground in each outing.
If Penn State finds success on the ground and either quarterback makes some key throws, it could come away from the Rose Bowl with a win for the Big Ten.
The last Big Ten side not named Ohio State to win the Rose Bowl was Michigan State in 2014.
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