Over the Rose Bowl Game’s century of storied history, there have been an endless amount of legendary performances. Last year's game was an all-time classic and Utah’s Cam Rising delivered highlight after highlight along with CJ Stroud and Jaxon Smith Njigba.
The 2023 Rose Bowl Game pits No. 8 Utah against No. 11 Penn State. The game kicks off at 3 PM MST on ESPN. The Utes are looking to take care of unfinished business after losing late in a Rose Bowl Game classic to Ohio State last year. The Penn State Nittany Lions are making their first trip back since 2017.
Rivals.com team sites NittanyNation and UteNation have gotten together to collaborate on game day content for the Granddaddy of Them All.
Here, Justin Morganstein and Alex Markham discuss the players to watch and their MVP predictions…
Justin Morganstein, NittanyNation —
On offense, Penn State is going to be in need of big days from its tight ends. Brenton Strange, Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren have all been utilized at some point or another this season and with Parker Washington out, that’ll have to continue on Monday.
One factor that could end up affecting this game is the status of starting left tackle Olu Fashanu, who has had a breakout year protecting Clifford’s blind side. James Franklin announced that he is a game time decision but if he can play, it should help the Nittany Lion offense gain its rhythm and give Clifford the confidence to stand in the pocket.
Defensively, the front seven for Penn State has steadily progressed as the season has moved along and look for guys like Adisa Issac and Abdul Carter to be in the backfield early and often.
Ultimately though, if Penn State wins this game, the veteran Sean Clifford is going to have to play well and minimize mistakes. If the offense looks good, he’ll likely be the one who walks away with some extra hardware.
Alex Markham, UteNation —
You can’t have a conversation about Utah without bringing up the heart and soul of the team, quarterback Cam Rising. The dual-threat just wins and he shines bright on the biggest stages. He was moving the ball with ease against Ohio State in the 2022 Rose Bowl Game before going down with a concussion.
Additionally on offense, Micah Bernard and Ja’Quinden Jackson don’t have the overall numbers that Singleton and Allen have this year, but they emerged late as an elite duo. Bernard is an all-round back, while Jackson is a blazing fast 230 pound bruiser. Receivers Devaughn Vele and Money Parks are also likely to see prominent roles in the passing game.
Defensively Utah is loaded. Defensive tackles Junior Tafuna and Simote Pepa are a handful. Defensive end Gabe Reid was First Team All-Conference and he didn't even start. His brother Karene is a playmaking linebacker. At safety, Utah’s Cole Bishop is another in a long line of great Utah safeties.
Utah is missing two key players, tight end Dalton Kincaid and cornerback Clark Phillips III. Stepping into their place is Thomas Yassmin at tight end and Zemaiah Vaughn at corner. Yasmin has emerged as a YAC monster, while Vaughn is viewed as Utah’s next special cornerback.
Picking an MVP for Utah in this game feels too easy. Cam Rising has unfinished business after putting on a show against the Buckeyes, only to not be able to finish the game.
The hometown son is looking to put on a show.
