1968 Rose Bowl

American college football game August 2023 December 2025 1968 Rose Bowl 54th Rose Bowl Game 1967 USC Trojans University of Southern California Indiana Hoosiers Indiana University 9–1 Pac-8 9–1 Big Ten John McKay John Pont 1 1 4 6 7 0 7 0 0 3 0 0 January 1 Rose Bowl Pasadena, California O. J. Simpson (USC TB) USC by 14 points Gene Calhoun (Big Ten)(split crew: Big Ten, AAWU) Spirit of Troy, Indiana University Marching Hundred 102,996 NBC List of announcers of major college bowl games Curt Gowdy, Paul Christman 28.7 The 1968 Rose Bowl was the 54th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Monday, January 1. The USC Trojans of the Pacific-8 Conference defeated the Indiana Hoosiers of the Big Ten Conference, 14–3. USC tailback O. J. Simpson was named the Player of the Game.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sQowAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lQEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7371%2C498998 Toledo Blade Ohio Loomis Tom USC defense too tough for Hoosiers January 2, 1968 14https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=20QSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6232%2C201932 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Stevenson Jack Simpson responsible for Indy nightmare January 2, 1968 1Bhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1r1YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9ugDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6833%2C413295 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Trojans end fairy tale dream of Cinderella kids from Indiana January 2, 1968 14 Teams 1967 NCAA University Division football season This remained the only Rose Bowl appearance for Indiana until the 2026 Rose Bowl.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kalVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7075%2C92885 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Rose Bowl preparations had oddity January 1, 1968 3C USC was a two touchdown favorite;https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rgowAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lQEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7340%2C351122 Toledo Blade Ohio Loomis Tom McKay hopes Trojans mad enough to win January 1, 1968 65https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BOZVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KeEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6523%2C7085182 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Olan Ben Top-ranked USC favored by 2 TDs December 31, 1967 3B this was the first Rose Bowl in fifteen years in which the West Coast team was favored. In the intervening fourteen games, the Big Ten had won ten and lost four (1960, 1961, 1963, 1966). Being an even-numbered year for the bowl game, Indiana wore their crimson jerseys as the home team and USC wore their white shirts as the designated visitors. USC 1967 USC Trojans football season The top-ranked and Pac-8 champion Trojans came into the game with a 9–1 record, losing only at Oregon State in the November mud in a close 3–0 game.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8bZWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NukDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4440%2C4272736 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Beavers upset Trojans 3-0 November 12, 1967 1, sportshttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f8wpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fAEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6996%2C4489564 Toledo Blade Ohio Associated Press USC beaten; Indiana wins; Purdue rolls November 12, 1967 G1 They fell to fourth in the AP poll, then reclaimed the top spot a week later after a close 21–20 win over rival and then-#1 UCLA in their heavily-anticipated conference finale,https://vault.si.com/vault/1967/11/20/the-great-one-confronts-oj https://web.archive.org/web/20200813113941/https://vault.si.com/vault/1967/11/20/the-great-one-confronts-oj dead August 13, 2020 Sports Illustrated Jenkins Dan Dan Jenkins The great one confronts O.J. November 20, 1967 32https://vault.si.com/vault/1967/11/27/all-the-way-with-oj https://web.archive.org/web/20210517040310/https://vault.si.com/vault/1967/11/27/all-the-way-with-oj dead May 17, 2021 Sports Illustrated Jenkins Dan Dan Jenkins All the way with O.J. November 27, 1967 16 securing another trip to the Big Ten/Pac-8 classic. Runner-up Oregon State had a conference loss (at Washington) and a tie (at UCLA),https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y-NYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N_cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2990%2C6001942 The Bulletin Bend, Oregon UPI No Rose Bowl for Beavers; UCLA, Troy eye New Year's November 13, 1967 6 and the deflated UCLA Bruins lost again the following week 32–14 at home to non-conference Syracuse.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kzlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G-kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3058%2C4087710 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Unsung QB leads way past UCLA November 26, 1967 1, sports The Trojans were led by their powerful junior tailback O. J. Simpson, a junior college transfer from San Francisco. Unlike the Big Ten and the old Pacific Coast Conference, the Pac-8 did not have a "no-repeat" rule; this was the second of four consecutive Rose Bowl appearances for the Trojans. Indiana 1967 Indiana Hoosiers football season The fourth-ranked and co-Big Ten champion Hoosiers also came into the game with a 9–1 record, losing to Minnesota,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NAswAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gAEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6804%2C475101 Toledo Blade Ohio Loomis Tom Minnesota blasts Indiana; USC wins November 19, 1967 D1https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jDlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G-kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7422%2C1677494 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Gophers shatter Hoosiers' bid for trip to Rose Bowl November 19, 1967 4, sports a week before defeating Purdue.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OgswAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gAEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7003%2C3177661 Toledo Blade Ohio Taylor Jim Indiana stuns Purdue; Bucks trim UM November 26, 1967 E1https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kzlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G-kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7516%2C4102275 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Upset taken by Hoosiers November 26, 1967 4, sports A three-way league title championship was created when all three finished with 6–1 league records, each defeating and losing to one of the other. Purdue was ineligible because of the "no-repeat" rule by the Big Ten and the "Rose Bowl or no bowl" rule enforced by both of the participating conferences (Big Ten and AAWU). Purdue had played in Pasadena the previous year, beating USC by a point, 14–13. The conference's athletic directors voted to award the Rose Bowl bid to Indiana over Minnesota, albeit not unanimously. Indiana was considered the logical choice because they were the only Big Ten school yet to appear in the game.http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1967/11/26/page/53/article/indiana-wins-19-14-rose-bowl-bound Chicago Tribune - Historical Newspapers 28 June 2023 Minnesota coach Murray Warmath argued in vain that the Gophers deserved the bid because their prior two Rose Bowl teams, after the 1960 and 1961 seasons, received at-large bids because there was no agreement between the Big Ten and the Rose Bowl at the time; thus, technically, the Gophers never had received a Rose Bowl bid pursuant to that arrangement. Ironically, if Purdue had beaten Indiana in the season finale, the Boilermakers would have had sole possession of the conference championship, but Minnesota presumably would have received the Rose Bowl bid as the second place team in lieu of the ineligible Boilers. Instead, Indiana scored a 19–14 upset over Purdue, giving Minnesota a share of the conference championship but costing them a trip to Pasadena. Quarterback Harry Gonso led the Hoosiers into their first ever bowl game. Scoring First quarter USC - O. J. Simpson 2-yard run (Rikki Aldridge kick) Second quarter Indiana - Dave Kornowa 27-yard field goal Third quarter USC - Simpson 8-yard run (Aldridge kick) Fourth quarter No scoring References 2 Rose Bowl Category:Rose Bowl Game Category:20th century in Pasadena, California Category:Indiana Hoosiers football bowl games Category:USC Trojans football bowl games Category:January 1968 sports events in the United States Rose Bowl Category:O. J. Simpson