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After months of college football, bowl season is officially up and running. With the No. 8 Utah Utes set to face the No. 11 Penn State Nittany Lions at the Rose Bowl on Monday, it is time for some Utah football bold predictions.
The Utes started the season ranked No. 7, but a loss to the then-unranked Florida Gators removed them from the top-10. They continued their year with some solid victories, losing only on the road to ranked schools. Following a 9-3 regular season, Utah had an upset 47-24 victory over the then-No. 4 USC Trojans in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
Penn State started the year unranked before opening the season with five wins. The team would finish 10-2, losing only to two College Football Playoff-bound schools in Michigan and Ohio State.
A New Year's Six bowl can always bring some surprises, especially with two top-15 teams playing. With that being said, here are three bold college football predictions for Utah’s Rose Bowl matchup with Penn State on Monday.
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3. Utah sacks Sean Clifford at least three times
One of the biggest reasons why Utah bounced back from its poor Week 1 performance was defense. The Utes held opponents 20 points or fewer in eight games, winning seven of them. Notably, they had a four-game winning streak where opponents failed to surpass 16 points, including twice holding them below double-digits.
In the conference championship game against USC, a crucial unit that helped the Utes win the title was the defensive line. Utah ended up sacking Heisman winner Caleb Williams seven times. Additionally, the team recorded 11 tackles for loss, keeping the Trojans to just 56 rushing yards.
And Utah's power on the ground has been a storyline throughout the season. The Utes allow only 107 rushing yards per game, good for No. 15 in the nation. Their 38 total sacks place them in the top-15 in the country, better than all four CFP programs.
On Monday, Utah will have an opponent that's strong in the trenches. The Nittany Lions allow only 1.5 sacks per game on average. Also, quarterback Sean Clifford has more than 1,000 rushing yards in his collegiate career, so he is able to use his legs when necessary.
The bold prediction is that Utah's defense will step up just like it did in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Expect the Utes to sack Clifford at least three times, limiting Penn State's offense, especially on the ground.
2. Cameron Rising throws for 300+ yards, multiple touchdowns
Other than its defense, Utah football also had a spotlight on its offense this season. That is mostly thanks to Cameron Rising's stellar season, which even resulted in Heisman buzz at some points.
In 2022, the quarterback is completing 66.2% of his passes for 2,939 yards for 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has also rushed for 409 yards and six scores.
Not only he is putting up some career numbers, but Rising is proving to be a clutch quarterback. Against the Trojans in the regular season, he went 30-of-44 for a season-best 415 yards and two touchdowns with no picks. He also added 60 yards on the ground for three scores. Most importantly, one of those rushing touchdowns came in the final minute of the game. He then gave his team the lead with a clutch 2-point conversion.
Then, in the conference championship game, Rising threw for 310 yards for three touchdowns and no interceptions. He was named the Pac-12 Championship MVP.
Against Penn State, he will have more challenges than the Nittany Lions' strong defense. The team's top receiver, tight end Dalton Kincaid, won't play in the game due to an injury and because he has declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. Kincaid had 70 catches for 890 yards and eight touchdowns this season.
Despite the tight end's absence, the bold prediction is that Rising will go off on Monday. He should surpass 300 passing yards and throw for multiple touchdowns. If that happens, Utah will be in a good position to win this matchup.
1. The Rose Bowl will be a one-score game
At the end of the day, both Utah football and Penn State have shown throughout 2022 they are high-quality teams. Other than games versus CFP teams, the Nittany Lions have pretty much dominated their competition. The Utes managed to defeat a USC squad led by a Heisman-winning quarterback twice, including in a conference championship game.
All things considered, it is difficult to imagine any team opening a comfortable lead. According to FanDuel, the Utes are the favorites to win this contest. However, the spread is only -2.5.
The bold prediction is that the Rose Bowl will end up being a one-score game. Expect a back-and-forth type of battle with a lot of touchdowns on the board. This should be a high-scoring game with Rising and Clifford putting up big numbers.
Also, do not be surprised if the “The Granddaddy of Them All” goes to overtime. Regardless of how close the matchup could be, the Rose Bowl should be one of the most entertaining bowl games of the season.
