On January 2, the legendary Rose Bowl game was played between the Utah Utes and our very own Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State ended up winning with a final score of 21-35. 

Bellefonte’s defensive coordinator, Coach Rick Hall, actually coached three of the players who played in the Rose Bowl back when they were in high school; Jayden Seider, Dashawn Green, and Keaton Ellis.

The Rose Bowl is a legendary bowl game that has been played once each year since 1902. With this game being around for over a hundred years, some rich history has developed. Some of the greatest players of all time played in the Rose Bowl, including Richard Sherman, Aaron Rogers, and even the 45-year-old starting quarterback for the Buccaneers, Tom Brady. These are just some of the legends who have participated in this bowl game and as a football fan, some of the best games to watch are the ones where future NFL stars get to step out of the field and showcase their amazing potential. Another fun fact about the Rose Bowl is that before they created the national championship bracket, the Rose Bowl was the unofficial national championship, played between the number one and two teams.

A few of our students here at BAHS were able to go to Pasadena, California to see the face-off between the two veteran quarterbacks. This game stood out to freshman Bradley Mishock, who witnessed his fair share of Penn State games.

“I’ve been to many Penn State football games, but this game was different. The stadium was so electric and the experience of traveling across the U.S. for the game was amazing,” he said.

This is truly an experience for everyone who went because it is different from your regular college football experience. The fans are way more intense and you get to watch some of the best college players in the game.

Another reason why people enjoy going to see the Rose Bowl every year is that they get to see two of the top teams in the nation play against each other, and typically it’s a match-up that does not usually happen. For example, this year Penn State played Utah in the Rose Bowl. The last time these two teams faced off was on October 8, 1977. 

Freshman Aiden Reed went to this Rose Bowl and enjoyed watching such a big game for the first time.

“I would say that going to this game was definitely an experience that I will never forget. I also think that when these guys get older and become veteran NFL players it will be cool to tell people that I got to watch these guys play back in the 2023 Rose Bowl,” he said.

Overall, being able to travel across the country to watch this classic bowl game, even if your team loses, is still such an amazing experience. Maybe someday you should head out to Pasadena, California to catch a great game. Who knows? Maybe you will get to see one that gets talked about for decades.