Penn State and USC look to cap off very successful seasons with the Grandaddy Of Them All, otherwise known as the Rose Bowl. This year’s game falls on Jan. 2 — while usually the matchup has traditionally been played on New Year’s Day for several years. Besides the different timing, this game is definitely not without intrigue.
Rose Bowl 2017 live stream: How to watch USC vs. Penn State online
The Grandaddy Of Them All falls after New Year’s Day this year.
Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images
Penn State got the bid as the Big Ten Champion — defeating Ohio State earlier in the season ultimately punched the Nittany Lions’ ticket to Pasadena in the end. Although there are some who believe Penn State should have earned a spot in the Playoff due to the OSU win and Big Ten title, the Rose Bowl is the next best thing to a Playoff spot.
USC had a very successful season, despite getting off the a slow start. The Trojans lost three out of their first four games, including losses to Alabama, Stanford, and Utah, but after losing to the Utes, the Trojans rattled off eight straight victories. In the end, USC’s loss to Utah cost them a Pac-12 South title, but reaching the Rose Bowl is well-deserved, especially with USC’s win over No. 4 Washington in November.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 5 p.m. ET, ESPN. The announcers are Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Samantha Ponder.
Radio: USC and Penn State
Online streaming: This game can be streamed on WatchESPN.
Spread: Penn State is a 6.5-point favorite.
Make friends: SB Nation’s Black Shoe Diaries covers Penn State, and Conquest Chronicles covers USC.
Three big things to know
1. This is James Franklin’s sixth consecutive bowl appearance. The Penn State head coach has an impressive bowl game track record. As Vanderbilt’s head coach, he led the Commodores to three straight bowl appearances, along with two wins. The Rose Bowl will be Penn State’s third straight bowl appearance.
2. These two teams met in the 2009 Rose Bowl. It’s pretty interesting that Penn State and USC are meeting in the same Rose Bowl again, after just seven short years. That was Trojan quarterback Mark Sanchez’s USC farewell, and the Trojans won 38-24.
3. USC gets to stay close to home. USC fans in California will certainly benefit from having their team so close to home. Pasadena lies just 14 miles away from USC’s campus, so there should be a number of Trojan fans in the stands. The Rose Bowl Stadium is typically split during this game in terms of the fans in the stands, which always makes for a beautiful scene in Pasadena.
See More:
