| 1969 Rose Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| 55th Rose Bowl Game National championship game | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 1969 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1968 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Rose Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Pasadena, California | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Rex Kern (Ohio State QB) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Ohio State by 3½ points [1][2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | The Ohio State University Marching Band | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Charles Moffett (Pacific-8) (split crew: Pac-8, Big Ten) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Spirit of Troy, The Ohio State University Marching Band | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 102,063 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | NBC | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 33.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
The 1969 Rose Bowl was the 55th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Wednesday, January 1. The game was a de facto national championship game, as both teams were competing for the Associated Press (AP) title.[3][4] The top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference defeated the defending national champions - #2 USC Trojans of the Pacific-8 Conference, 27-16, to claim their sixth national championship and first consensus national championship since 1942.[5][6][7][8] Sophomore quarterback Rex Kern of Ohio State was the Player of the Game.[9]
Heisman Trophy winner O. J. Simpson rushed for 171 yards and an 80-yard touchdown run, but USC had five turnovers, including an interception and a fumble by Simpson. It was only the second #1 vs. #2 matchup in the Rose Bowl, the first was six years earlier. It was the first time in the history of the Big 9(Ten) – PCC/Big Ten – AAWU agreements that two unbeaten teams met in the Rose Bowl.
It was the first of four Rose Bowl matchups between the head coaches; Woody Hayes of Ohio State and USC's John McKay. It was the first of three with the national championship on the line for both schools.
- ^ Sullwold, Chet (January 1, 1969). "Rose Bowl theme simple: Who's No.1?". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. 73.
- ^ "Young Buckeyes slight favorites over Trojans". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 31, 1968. p. 2B.
- ^ Jenkins, Dan (December 23, 1968). "Bouquets of Roses for No. 1". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 29, no. 26. Chicago. pp. 22–23. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
The nation's two top teams, Ohio State and Southern California, get a rare opportunity to settle which is the best as an entire season of undefeated play comes down to their face-to-face clash in Pasadena.
- ^ "Poll Matches Rose Foes — One-Two Fracas Set". Moberly, Missouri: Moberly Monitor–Index. Associated Press. December 3, 1968. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
That Dream Match—the No. 1 team against the No. 2 outfit in the Rose Bowl—remained a reality today... but just barely. [...] Because the race is so tight, the final AP poll of the season won't be released until after the Jan. 1 bowl games.
- ^ "Hayes: 'Greatest bowl victory'; SC falls, 27-16". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 2, 1969. p. 3B.
- ^ Sullwold, Chet (January 2, 1969). "Play to O.J., day to Bucks". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. 25.
- ^ Kahn, Alex (January 2, 1969). "Ohio State quiets skeptics, proves No. 1 rating by beating Trojans, 27-16". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). UPI. p. 21.
- ^ Jenkins, Dan (January 13, 1969). "Defense and Rex make a king". Sports Illustrated. p. 16.
- ^ 2008 Rose Bowl Program Archived March 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, 2008 Rose Bowl. Accessed January 26, 2008.