COLUMBUS – The Buckeyes will face Utah for the first time in 35 years in the 108th edition of the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Ohio State had hopes of appearing in the College Football Playoff for the third straight season after being in the top four most of the season. But the Buckeyes were knocked out of contention with a 42-27 loss at Michigan and dropping to sixth in the final CFP rankings of the season.
The 10-3 Utes secured their first appearance in the Granddaddy of Them All with a 38-10 victory over Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game.
Utah started the season by dropping two of its first three games but has won nine of its last 10, including two victories over the Ducks.
Rose Bowl ticket info
Tickets are available now through the Ohio State Ticket Office. Prices start at $185.
Masks will be required inside the stadium for everyone over the age of 2, in accordance with guidelines put in place by Los Angeles County and the City of Pasadena’s Health departments, and fans will be required to show proof of their fully-vaccinated status or provide a negative COVID-19 test result from within 72 hours.
Bearcats crack playoff glass ceiling
The College Football Playoff is historic: Cincinnati will play Alabama in the Cotton Bowl and Michigan will face Georgia in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
Fourth-seeded Cincinnati becomes the first team to make college football’s final four from a non-Power Five conference.
The Bearcats won the American Athletic Conference and head into the postseason as the only unbeaten team in the country.
Their reward will be a matchup with the defending national champions. The Crimson Tide is in the playoff for the seventh time in its eight-year history.
No. 2 seed Michigan and No. 3 Georgia will meet in the other semifinal on New Year’s Eve in the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The storied programs have met only twice and not since 1965. Georgia won that game 15-7. Michigan won 26-0 in 1957.
Michigan is making its first appearance in the playoff. Georgia is in for the second time.
Michigan is coming off a 42-3 win over Iowa in the Big Ten championship game. Georgia lost 41-24 to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game.