The lineup for the Granddaddy of Them All Rose Bowl Game, college football’s most prestigious event to be held on January 1st, has been revealed.
Well…at least half of it is known.
The team that has been a mainstay in the game for the past decade and a half will once again be represented in Pasadena on New Year’s Day. The Oregon Ducks, the only undefeated team in the FBS and No. 1 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, will take to the stage for the opening Rose Bowl game of 2025.
That’s because this college football season is the first year of the all-new CFP 12-team format, with four teams eligible to advance to the quarterfinals of the playoffs receiving byes.
Oregon offensive lineman Jenoris Wilson, 91, is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a touchdown during an NCAA college football game against Maryland on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon. (AP Photo/Lydia Ely)
However, there is a catch this time. Oregon State will play in that game, but the opponent has not been determined as of Sunday.
The Rose Bowl has been part of the rotation of venues hosting playoff games since the original four-team tournament format began in 2014. Now, with the expansion of the playoff system, a playoff game is held every year.
Oregon, Georgia, Boise State and Arizona State each received byes in the new format because they were the top four teams to win their respective conferences this season.
That means the other eight teams in the field will have to play their respective playoff games to determine which team will play these four.
On the Oregon State side of the bracket, the Ducks will await the winner of a heavyweight showdown between the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers.
The No. 1 Oregon Ducks will face the winner of the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers in the 2025 Rose Bowl Game on January 1st (Rose Bowl Game)
The winner of this matchup, to be played Dec. 21 in Columbus, Ohio, will travel to the West Coast to participate in the Rose Bowl game against Oregon State.
Oregon State defeated Ohio State, a rival in the new Big Ten Conference, in a close 32-31 game on October 12th.
The winner of the Rose Bowl game advances to the CFP semifinals. The complete brackets can be seen below.
2025 CFP bracket. (AP)
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