Nittany Lions face Trojans

Comebacks lead two teams to Rose Bowl matchup

PASADENA, Calif. — The matchup in the 103rd Rose Bowl would have seemed preposterous in late September.

That was right before No. 5 Penn State (11-2) won nine straight games and No. 9 Southern California (9-3) won eight in a row, propelling these traditional powers out of the depths of disappointing starts and all the way back to the Granddaddy of Them All.

Though both teams missed out on the College Football Playoff, a storybook ending is still possible for two teams whose comeback stories didn’t start in October. Both schools have risen from years of struggles and the depths of NCAA sanctions to meet in Pasadena.

“Their program and our program may be two of the hotter teams in college football at the end of the season,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “And both had similar stories. I don’t know if you could have written a better script for the Rose Bowl.”

This season has been phenomenal for both teams since those rocky starts.

Here are more things to know about a rare Jan. 2 edition of the Rose Bowl:

Along with the intriguing matchup of quarterbacks, two of the nation’s most interesting tailbacks will be at work in Pasadena. Tailback Saquon

BIG BACKS:

Barkley was the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year with 1,302 yards rushing and 16 TDs, while Ronald Jones II emerged from USC’s typically deep backfield with 1,027 yards and 11 TDs.

NEVER ON SUNDAY:

The Rose Bowl is a New Year’s Day institution — except in years when New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday. The tradition-rich arena has refused to hold its game on Sundays since 1893, when organizers decided they had to postpone the pregame Rose Parade because the floats and commotion would alarm the horses hitched outside nearby churches.

That’s why the Rose Bowl is today for just the 14th time in its 103 editions.