Best Rose Bowl moments ever

Down 14 points in the fourth quarter, USC quarterback Sam Darnold treated college football to one of the greatest comebacks in the sport's history. He led the Trojans to an epic fourth-quarter rally capped by a 46-yard Matt Boermeester field goal to win the game with time expiring, 52-49. Both USC and Penn State combined to score the most points in Rose Bowl history.

In the first College Football Playoff featuring the Rose Bowl, Oregon’s Marcus Mariota put on a show at defending national champion Florida State’s expense. The Ducks set Rose Bowl records with 59 points, 639 total yards and 41 second-half points.

USC is often on the winning end of Rose Bowls. With Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and LenDale White, the Trojans were looking at another victory, but Texas quarterback Vince Young had other plans. In what may have been the best college football game ever, USC failed to convert on a 4th-and-2 to seal the game, giving Texas a chance to win the game. Young capped off a 200-yard rushing game with an eight-yard run to get the lead and victory. His 467 yards of total offense was a Rose Bowl record until Sam Darnold broke it in 2017.

Left out of the BCS National Championship Game, USC used the snub as motivation to destroy the Michigan Wolverines. USC quarterback Matt Leinart finished with four touchdowns, and the Trojans finished No.1 in the AP Poll and split the national championship with LSU.

The University of Miami was unstoppable early in this century, and the Rose Bowl served as its crowning achievement. The Hurricanes wrecked Nebraska 37-14 to win their fifth national championship with a roster that featured 17 first-round draft picks and 38 total players selected in the NFL Draft.

Before Sam Darnold and USC, there was Joe Germaine and Ohio State. The Buckeyes were down 17-14 with 1:40 left in the game when Germaine led a march to the end zone to help Ohio State win the Rose Bowl. Germaine won Player of the Game with the help of legendary offensive lineman Orlando Pace and star receiver David Boston.

Ki-Jana Carter gave Penn State one heck of a start at the 1995 Rose Bowl. The Nittany Lions running back took the opening play 83 yards for a touchdown against Oregon. Penn State won the Rose Bowl when it was all said and done, 38-20, to cap an undefeated season.

Rick Neuheisel is more known for his poor stint as UCLA head coach from 2008-2011, but before that he was a legendary quarterback for the Bruins. One of his best games was the 1984 Rose Bowl, when he threw for four touchdowns while ill from food poisoning. UCLA ended up winning the game, 45-9, against helpless Illinois.

The seventh time was the charm for Bo Schembechler. As legendary as Schembechler became, his record in bowl games was nothing to write home about, losing seven straight games to start his bowl career. However, everything came together for the Wolverines in 1981 when Michigan beat Washington 23-6 for his first bowl win.

Heisman Trophy winner Charles White finished the Rose Bowl with the game’s individual rushing record that still stands today, and USC needed every yard of it. With less than two minutes left, the Trojans were down by six when White went over the top of the defense to grab the lead for USC. Southern California would go on to win the game and prevent Ohio State from winning the national championship.

Georgia Tech’s 8-7 victory against California may not have been a shootout, but it was highlighted by one of the oddest plays in football history. California All-American Roy Riegels scooped up a fumble and ran 65 yards in the wrong direction. After being tackled by his team, Georgia Tech secured a safety after an errant punt, which would end up being the difference in the game.

While the NFL had the Fearsome Foursome, Notre Dame had the Four Horsemen. The much-feared backfield of the Fighting Irish rode one last time at the 1925 Rose Bowl where they helped take down Stanford, 27-10. 1925 was Notre Dame’s first trip to the West Coast and its first bowl game.