STAFF PREDICTIONS: Penn State vs. Utah in the 2023 Rose Bowl
It is almost gameday, which means it's time for one last round of predictions from the Nittany Nation staff and guests!
This week the staff offers their latest picks for Penn State Football versus the Utah Utes in the 2023 Rose Bowl game.
WHO: No. 8 Utah Utes vs. No. 11 Penn State Nittany Lions
WHEN: Monday, January 2nd at 5:00 ET || ESPN
WHERE: Rose Bowl (92,542) -- Pasadena, California
SPREAD: Penn State +1.5pts || Over/Under: 52.5pts
SERIES RECORD: First ever meeting between the program
ESPN FPI PREDICTION: (42.6% CHANCE FOR PENN STATE TO WIN)
Dylan Callaghan-Croley - Nittany Nation Senior Writer (Penn State 36 / Utah 31 )
I think this will be a back and forth affair throughout the game and I’m still flip flopping on how I think it will go but I guess my official prediction is the one above. I think Penn State can get past the loss of Parker Washington and Joey Porter Jr more than Utah can with Dalton Kincaid and Clark Phillips III. The biggest challenge for the Nittany Lions will be to stop Utah quarterback Cam Rising from extending plays too much. Additionally, establishing the run offensively will be crucial for the Nittany Lions but I believe they can do so.
But overall, expect a scrappy and close game. This is one of the most evenly matched bowl games this entire postseason and no matter who wins it wouldn’t be shocking. Whose going to get the key fourth quarter stop? Whose gonna be the unexpected hero? There’s so many questions we can ask but until game time, the answers remain a mystery.
But that being said, give me the Nittany Lions 36-31 but if you ask me again in a few hours, I may have a different answer.
Sam Woloson - Nittany Nation Staff Writer (Penn State: 38 / Utah 31 )
It'll be hard to top the College Football Playoff semifinals, but this matchup may be one of the best all bowl season. It could go either way, but the Nittany Lions have one big thing going for them: veteran leadership and being healthy
Minus Joey Porter and Parker Washington, Penn State is heading to Pasadena at full strength, including tackles Caedan Wallace and potentially Olu Fashanu returning from injury. I have doubts about the receiving core without Washington, who was easily the most productive and reliable target for Sean Clifford this year. Still, with Clifford well-protected behind an improved offensive line, I think the sixth-year passer will be efficient and can lean on the running game. The winner will be whoever plays cleaner and smarter, so I favor the veteran leadership of Penn State.
The ongoing narrative for James Franklin is that he can't win the big games. The Rose Bowl could go either way, but I think Penn State pulls out the big win over Utah.
Justin Morganstein - Nittany Nation Staff Writer (Utah: 38 / Penn State: 34 )
With both James Franklin and Kyle Whittingham seeking their first Rose Bowl wins at their respective programs, both teams should come into this game ready to play despite a number of key opt outs.
With two veterans quarterbacks at the helm, expect a lot out of the passing game on both sides especially with each team's best corner not dressing.
This game will likely come down to which defense can get a key stop in the fourth quarter and with Utah coming up just short last year, it feels like they come back and avenge their loss in a close one.
Expect this to be back and forth throughout though with a number of momentum swings.
Richie Schnyderite - Nittany Nation Publisher (Penn State: 27 / Utah: 21)
Despite a few key players out on both sides due to injuries and opt outs, this still should be one exciting Rose Bowl matchup as it will be a showdown between a top ranked offense versus a top ranked defense.
With that being said, I think this game will stay true to the saying that defense wins championships or well in this case, defense wins the Rose Bowl. While the Utah offense is highly ranked, I don't think they've faced a defense anywhere near the level of defense that Penn State possesses. Yes they are missing CB1 for this game with Joey Porter Jr. opting out, but the rest of the DBs group should be able to make up for his loss relatively easy.
Not to mention the Nittany Lions offense has been pretty good at times as well, so you can fully expect one of the nation's best running back duos in Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen to carry the load on that side of the ball.
I expect Penn State to control the tempo of the game, thus leading towards James Franklin to his first Rose Bowl victory.
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel