Ohio State football’s all-time history in the Rose Bowl

For the second time in four years, the Ohio State football team will be headed out to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl. It’s not where the Buckeyes wanted to be because of the bar being set at the College Football Playoff or bust, but it’s still an iconic stadium and game full of history and tradition, in a setting second to none. If you’ve been there, then you know.

Of course, it won’t be the Buckeyes’ first trip to the Los Angeles area. OSU has a storied and rich tradition in Pasadena, trailing only USC (34) and Michigan (20) in the number of appearances in the “Granddaddy of them All.”

January 1, will mark the 16th appearance at the Rose Bowl for the program, and we thought it’d be fun to run through all of those moments through the years, who Ohio State played, and the results of each game at the foot of the picturesque San Gabriel mountains.

Here is a walk-through of each and every appearance Ohio State has had in the Rose Bowl and how it all played out.

1921 Rose Bowl - Ohio State vs. Cal

Result

California 28, Ohio State 0

Running record

0-1

1950 Rose Bowl - No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Cal

Ohio State fullback Fred Morrison (33) breaks away for a 15-yard gain before being taken down by California’s Paul Baldwin (34) during the Rose Bowl college football game in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/File)

Result

Ohio State 17, California 14

Running record

1-1

1955 Rose Bowl - No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 17 Southern California

Dave Leggett, the converted fullback who directed the Ohio State Rose Bowl attack from the T-formation quarterback position, smashes through the middle of the Southern California line for the Buckeyes’ first score in Pasadena, California on Jan. 2, 1955. Leggett took the pass from the center on the Southern Cal three and was through and on the goal line before the Trojan secondary hit him. He carried the ball 16 times from his quarterback spot, averaging more than four yards per carry. Ohio State won, 20-7. (AP Photo)

Result

Ohio State 20, Southern California 7

Running record

2-1

1958 Rose Bowl - No. 2 Ohio State vs. Oregon

Oregon’s halfback finds a hole in the Ohio State defense in the second period of the Rose Bowl game and carries the pigskin 14 yards to the Ohio State 31-yard line on Jan. 1, 1958, in Pasadena, California. (AP Photo)

Result

Ohio State 10, Oregon 7

Running record

3-1

1969 Rose Bowl - No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Southern California

Jan 1, 1969; Pasadena, CA, USA: Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Rex Kern (10) in action against the Southern California Trojans during the 1969 Rose Bowl where OSU beat USC 27-16 at the Rose Bowl Stadium. Credit: Long Photography-USA TODAY Sports

Result

Ohio State 27, Southern California 16

Running record

4-1

1971 Rose Bowl - No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Stanford

Jan 1, 1971; Pasadena, CA, USA: Stanford Cardinal quarterback Jim Plunkett (16) throws the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 1971 Rose Bowl game where Stanford beat OSU 27-17 at the Rose Bowl. Credit: Long Photography-USA TODAY Sports

Result

Stanford 27, Ohio State 17

Running record

4-2

1973 Rose Bowl - No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Southern California

Jan 1, 1973; Pasadena, CA, USA: Ohio State Buckeyes running back Archie Griffin (45) in action during the 1973 Rose Bowl game where OSU beat USC 42-17 at the Rose Bowl. Credit: Long Photography-USA TODAY Sports

Result

Southern California 42, Ohio State 17

Running record

4-3

1974 Rose Bowl - No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Southern California

Jan 1, 1974; Pasadena, CA, USA: Southern California running back Anthony Davis (28) runs the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes defense during the 1974 Rose Bowl game where USC lost to OSU 21-42 at the Rose Bowl. Credit: Long Photography-USA TODAY Sports

Result

Ohio State 42, Southern California 21

Running record

5-3

1975 Rose Bowl - No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Southern California

Jan 1, 1975; Pasadena, CA, USA: Ohio State Buckeyes running back Pete Johnson (33) running the ball against the Southern California Trojans during the 1975 Rose Bowl game where USC beat OSU 18-17 at the Rose Bowl. Credit: Long Photography-USA TODAY Sports

Result

Southern California 18, Ohio State 17

Running record

5-4

1976 Rose Bowl - No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 11 UCLA

Jan 1, 1976; Pasadena, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Archie Griffin (45) carries the ball against the UCLA Bruins in the 1976 Rose Bowl. UCLA defeated Ohio State 23-10. Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Result

UCLA 23, Ohio State 10

Running record

5-5

1980 Rose Bowl - No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Southern California

Jan 1, 1980; Pasadena, CA, USA: FILE PHOTO; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Art Schlichter (10) under center against the Southern California Trojans during the 1980 Rose Bowl game where USC defeated OSU 17-16 at the Rose Bowl Stadium. Credit: Long Photography-USA TODAY Sports

Result

Southern California 18, Ohio State 17

Running record

5-6

1985 Rose Bowl - No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 18 Southern California

Jan 1, 1985; Pasadena, CA, USA: Southern California wide receiver Tim Ware (19) in action against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 1985 Rose Bowl where USC beat OSU 20-17. Credit: Long Photography-USA TODAY Sports

Result

Southern California 20, Ohio State 17

Running record

5-7

1997 Rose Bowl - No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Arizona State

Jan 1, 1997; Pasadena, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Ohio State Buckeyes tackle Orlando Pace (75) in action against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the 1997 Rose Bowl. Ohio State defeated Arizona State 20-17. Credit: Photo By USA TODAY Sports

Result

Ohio State 20, Arizona State 17

Running record

6-7

2010 Rose Bowl - No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Oregon

Jan 1, 2010; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) tries to break free from the grasp of Oregon Ducks cornerback Javes Lewis (14) in the fourth quarter of the 2010 Rose Bowl at the Rose Bowl. Ohio State defeated Oregon 26-17. Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Result

Ohio State 26, Oregon 17

Running record

7-7

2019 Rose Bowl - No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Washington

PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer celebrate after winning the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019, in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Result

Ohio State 28, Washington 23

Running record

8-7

2021 Rose Bowl - No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Utah

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) hands off to quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during the first quarter of the NCAA football game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021. Credit: USA TODAY Sports

Details – Game time

Saturday, Jan. 1
ESPN, 5 p.m. EST
Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California
Bowl Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. Pac-12

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