On New Year’s Day 2019, the Rose Bowl game will have its traditional matchup of the Big Ten champion against the Pac-12 champion for the first time in five seasons.
The No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes are set to face the No. 9 Washington Huskies in Pasadena. It’s not the College Football Playoff, but it’s still a very nice matchup of top-10 teams in one of the greatest venues in all of American sport.
Sunday, after the matchup was made official, the head coaches of both schools held a teleconference to preview the game.
Ohio State’s Urban Meyer is a three-time national championship winner, and has won the Big Ten in three of the last five seasons.
Washington’s Chris Petersen is considered one of the best in the nation as well, leading the Huskies to the College Football Playoff in 2016, and three straight New Year’s Six bowls.
Here’s a quick rundown of what both coaches had to say as they looked ahead toward that matchup on New Year’s Day.
+ Urban Meyer said that he grew up watching the Rose Bowl, and that “it’s been a bucket list and a dream to go coach out there.”
+ Chris Petersen said that Ohio State represents “quite a challenge” for his team.
+ Petersen said he first met Meyer when he was the head coach at Utah and Petersen was the offensive coordinator at Boise State. When Petersen first got the Washington job, he came out to watch the Buckeyes practice and pick Meyer’s brain for a few days.
+ Petersen called the Huskies’ season “rocky.” He said he has a lot of respect for his team for going through all that they did and staying focused.
+ Meyer said he hasn’t watched much Washington film yet, although he did see some of the Pac-12 Championship Game. They will start digging into what the Huskies do starting on Monday.
+ Petersen said the Huskies are thrilled to be going to the Rose Bowl, especially with a chance to play Ohio State. “It’s just been a long time since this program has gotten an opportunity to go there.” The Huskies’ last trip came after the 2000 season when they beat Drew Brees and Purdue, 34-24.
+ Petersen was asked about his team coming into the season with Playoff expectations. “You just need to deal with it, adapt, adjust, and regroup, and move forward.”
+ Petersen said “Ohio State could easily, with their resume, be in that four-team tournament.” But he said there will still be a lot of excitement from both teams to go to Pasadena because “the Rose Bowl carries that much weight.”
+ Meyer echoed that sentiment: “I’ve always wanted to be in the Rose Bowl. I know our players are very excited about it. We talked about it, If you’re in the playoff, great; if not, to think that you get a chance to go play in the historic Rose Bowl, we’re all excited to go do it.”
[Header photo courtesy: Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures]
Cageyone: your viewpoints are NOT what sports or decent fans are about. You speak like a jocksniffer that’s never gotten off the couch. You seem to think wins are to be guaranteed because YOU back a certain team. All those athletes out there on the field, on both sides. are giving their all – but despite this, and sometimes it just doesn’t work out and you lose, maybe for one of a thousand different reasons. (Maybe it’s just like your life – bet you haven’t aced all your tests, won all your battles and are held up as your community’s role model!) But that’s no reason to disparage a fine opportunity for this fine, exemplary group of young men to cap off a successful (12-1) season by participating in an iconic New Years Day tradition – the Rose Bowl. And as Urbs has said: Ït’s a chance to go 13-1!
If you are disappointed with going to the Rose Bowl and being “snubbed” by the committee then you’d best get used to that feeling in the coming years. This season turned out remarkably similar to last year and for partly the same reason. Early departures took too much experience and leadership and youngsters had to grow up quickly to replace the “one and done” veterans and toward the end they are finally putting it all together and playing OSU football. It’s taken the course of the season to break the young team in. They will play a great game on New Year’s and then we’ll hear about the early departures and we’ll be back at square one. After last year’s great season ending victory over former archrivals USC and the Big 10 Championship, victory over Michigan, etc. it seemed OSU’s coming year would be a NC worthy year–until a lot of the defense declared pro early, etc. I love this team and I was hoping that Haskins would come back for a Heisman and NC next year along with a couple of others but one and done to the pros is going to put an end to that. No wonder they needed 9 captains. I’m just saying that Urban’s goal of “getting them to the next level as quickly as possible” may be at odds with developing a national championship TEAM (emphasis on team). It was a great season outside of any cfb considerations and that’s mostly media driven boob-bait. Enjoy a great Rose Bowl win this year. Rinse and repeat next year and that horrid schedule will offer zero chance to impress the committee unless you consider Cincinnati a marquee OOC game. That could be an interesting game if Luke Fickell has his team ready and OSU is still finding themselves. That’s the toughest OOC game next year. Washington is our best OOC opponent until next year at this time so better enjoy it.
Yep, I looked at the schedule and had similar thoughts about OOC next year. However, if we do what we have talent for next year it won’t matter. Also, our in conference matchups might overcome the soft OOC.
I really look forward to the Rose Bowl. No disappointment here. It’s what I hoped for, being one of few with a foot in reality. To say that anything short of a NC game is worthless is the height of stupidity. Ohio State is #6 and that’s a fact. That loser conversation is dead on arrival. Put Alabama and Clemson in and play it right now and please stop wasting everybody’s time with Oklahoma and Notre Dame. The cfb is a waste of time. In 2018 OSU is not one of the #1-2 teams (the only ones that matter) so they’re nowhere near that conversation. That’s been the norm over the long run that I’ve seen but
I never have a problem getting up for a PAC-12 vs BIG 10 Rose Bowl. Was a time when the Rose Bowl was bigger than the Michigan game. It still has plenty of meaning this year. Times have changed and not always for the better but it’s still a great venue and Pasadena throws out all the stops when Ohio State comes to the Rose Bowl. If you’ve never been to a Rose Bowl and partook of the parade and everything involved then you should stop the pathetic whining. It has the same meaning as that Michigan beatdown a couple of weeks back. Chris Peterson is a great coach and like the Buckeyes, Washington has had its rough moments but are playing their best at season’s end. They’re probably as good as any Big 10 team aside from OSU. They don’t have Haskins though and I think the Buckeyes will beat the current spread. I wish I could get to the Rose Bowl this New Year’s. They are few and far between for Ohio State and there’s no comparison between being there and watching on television (sucks).
You say they are playing their best football now. They didnt even score an offensive TD in their championship game.
Not too much concerned with the proper spelling of slang terms. It IS concerning, whoever, to read comments which downplay a 12-1 season and attempt to remove value from a great bowl game. If people think 12-1 and Rose Bowl are “worthless” and disappointing”, then their standards need fixed.
Wow, where to begin on this worthless game. Disappointment should be first and in the hearts of the Buckeye Players. Disappointment that they once again allowed an inferior team such as a 6 and 6 Purdue team embarrass them on the field. Disappointment in a defense that was sliced and diced throughout the season. Disappointment that a Maryland team almost (and should have) beat them. It wasn’t an outstanding defense that stopped Marylands effort rather it was a misfire by their Quarterback on a 2 point conversion.
In today’s world of college football, simply making a bowl game should never be satisfying. There are so many bowl games that none of them seem relevant since a team with a barely winning record or one that breaks even can make it to a bowl game.
Is the Rose Bowl the “granddaddy” of them all? Not this year. It will not offer a National Championship possibility for either team. No, it will be one bowl among hundreds being played.
The Rose Bowl is STILL the “Grand Daddy”, Cageyone. If you devalue it that much, then DON’T WATCH. Fact check: there aren’t “hundreds” of bowls. Nice try though.
Today I learned the proper spelling is “Granddaddy.”
You’re too negative. But watch the audience share results for the network that carries it. Its as big as most of us testify. Go Buckeyes beat the apple sauce out of em.
Among those hundreds of bowls is the Punch Bowl. And I think we all know who the honorary Turd is this year.