Rose Bowl 2024: TV Schedule, Matchup Predictions and Odds
The Rose Bowl is one of the most prestigious games in college football history. But since the College Football Playoff era began with the 2014 season, the stakes for the event have been highest when Pasadena, Calif., gets its turn to host a CFP semifinal.
That will be the case this season, as two Playoff teams will face off in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. The winner will advance to play the Sugar Bowl victor in the CFP National Championship Game on Jan. 8 at NRG Stadium in Houston.
The matchup for the 2024 Rose Bowl will be set Sunday, when the four-team field for the College Football Playoff is announced.
Here's everything else you need to know about the upcoming Rose Bowl, as well as a breakdown of which teams could be playing in Pasadena on New Year's Day.
Michigan will likely improve to 13-0 and win the Big Ten title on Saturday. The Wolverines are set to play Iowa in the conference championship game, and they should remain undefeated with a victory over the Hawkeyes, who are underdogs for the matchup.
However, that may not be enough for Michigan to earn the No. 1 seed for the College Football Playoff. That's because Georgia is currently in the top spot in the CFP rankings, and it will also be unbeaten if it defeats Alabama in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday.
The Bulldogs should win, secure the CFP's No. 1 seed and be placed in the Sugar Bowl. That will leave Michigan in the No. 2 spot, meaning it will be heading to the Rose Bowl for the first time since the 2006 season.
If the Wolverines are playing in the Rose Bowl, they'll be the favorite in the matchup. They proved to be the clear second-best team in the country last Saturday, when they notched a critical 30-24 victory over Big Ten rival Ohio State.
Led by senior running back Blake Corum (976 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns) and a strong defense (10.3 points allowed per game), Michigan will be a tough opponent come Playoff time. It's also looking to make a statement after losing in a CFP semifinal matchup last season, when it was defeated by TCU in the Fiesta Bowl.
In fact, the Wolverines has lost in the semifinals both times they've made the College Football Playoff. In the 2021 season, they were defeated by Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
So Michigan is heading into Playoff time with something to prove. And it may just come away with its first Rose Bowl victory since the 1997 season.
Pac-12 players shouldn't be too intimidated by the stage of the Rose Bowl. After all, they've probably played there before, considering the stadium hosts home games for UCLA.
That could bode well for either Washington or Oregon, as one of the Pac-12 rivals could be heading to the College Football Playoff as the No. 3 seed. The Huskies currently hold that spot, but they're set to take on the No. 5 Ducks in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Friday.
Washington is undefeated this season and can secure its spot in the CFP by capturing the Pac-12 title. However, that's not going to be an easy task.
Oregon is 11-1 and has looked quite impressive in recent weeks. The Ducks' only loss of the season came on Oct. 14, when they lost a 36-33 shootout on the road vs. the Huskies. There's a good chance the rematch will be just as thrilling.
If Oregon can avenge that loss and finish the season as the 12-1 Pac-12 champions, it should punch its ticket to the CFP. It may even leapfrog Florida State (currently ranked No. 4), which has a chance to finish 13-0 by beating Louisville in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday.
Sure, it's possible the Seminoles and Ducks are both victorious and the former gets the No. 3 seed, slotting in Oregon at No. 4. That would likely send the Ducks to the Sugar Bowl for a matchup against No. 1 Georgia.
But Washington or Oregon will likely have a better resume than Florida State, so it makes sense for the Pac-12 Championship Game to decide which team gets the No. 3 seed (assuming Georgia and Michigan both win and earn the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds).
