Rose Bowl 2021: Full Preview and Predictions for Ohio State vs. Utah

It won't serve as a College Football Playoff semifinal game this year, but the Rose Bowl, one of the top major FBS bowl games in the New Year's Six, is still a must-watch event. 

The 108th playing of the Rose Bowl features No. 11 Utah, the Pac-12 champion, and No. 6 Ohio State, which finds itself out of the College Football Playoff for the first time since the 2018 season. 

The Granddaddy of Them All will be played midday on Jan. 1 on ESPN, one day after the Cotton Bowl that is serving as a CFP semifinal between No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Cincinnati. Following that game will be the Orange Bowl featuring No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Georgia that will decide the other team in the CFP final.

Here's all the information you need to know in order to tune into the Rose Bowl, college football's longest-running bowl game. Keep reading for team-specific previews for Utah and Ohio State. 

Rose Bowl 2021 Date, TV Schedule

Date: Jan. 1, 2022

Time: 5 p.m. ET

Location: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California 

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: Watch ESPN

Unlike the Buckeyes, who will play in the Rose Bowl for the 16th time in program history, this marks the Utes' first trip to Pasadena. 

After winning the Pac-12 title, Utah jumped six spots in the final College Football Playoff rankings to end at No. 11. 

"For us, it's a great opportunity for our program. It's the next step in the evolution of our program, getting to the Rose Bowl. Most years, that's what the Pac-12 champion gets to experience," said coach Kyle Whittingham, per Jeff Call of the Deseret News.

Utah (10-3) has its work cut out against Ohio State. But the Utes come into the matchup with a strong offense that has come into its own after a 1-2 start. Utah went 6-1 in its last seven games as Tavion Thomas rushed for 1,041 yards on the season and 20 touchdowns.

The Utes' run game, combined with its tight end usage, will present an obstacle to Ohio State's defense. Utah is ranked eighth in FBS in rushing plays of 10 or more yards, and tight ends Brant Kuithe and Dalton Kincaid are two of the program's top receivers. 

If the Utes are going to beat the Buckeyes, they're going to do it by grinding out an old-school, ground-and-pound-it-style win.

If the Buckeyes are going to beat the Utes, on the other hand, it's going to be through an aerial assault. Ohio State can claim three of the nation's best wideouts in Jaxon Smith-Njigba (80 receptions), Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. The latter two are fifth and tied for sixth, respectively, in receiving touchdowns (13 and 12). 

Of course, no program ends up in the Top 10 of the CFP rankings without a balanced offensive attack, and the Buckeyes are no different.

Running back TreVeyon Henderson has 1,172 yards on the season with 15 rushing touchdowns and another four through the air. 

On the whole, Ohio State this season ranked first in total offense (551.4 yards per game) and scoring offense (45.5 points per game).

There's a reason Ohio State is currently a 6.5-point favorite over Utah. While the Utes possess enough talent to make this an interesting game, it's hard to bet against the Buckeyes' wealth of experience at this level and balanced offense. 

Prediction: Ohio State 41, Utah 34

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