{"id":176340,"date":"2023-01-03T23:51:02","date_gmt":"2023-01-03T23:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/opt-ins-star-as-penn-state-throttles-utah-in-rose-bowl\/"},"modified":"2023-01-03T23:51:02","modified_gmt":"2023-01-03T23:51:02","slug":"opt-ins-star-as-penn-state-throttles-utah-in-rose-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/opt-ins-star-as-penn-state-throttles-utah-in-rose-bowl\/","title":{"rendered":"Opt-ins star as Penn State throttles Utah in Rose Bowl"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PASADENA, Calif. \u2014<\/b> Could the script for No. 11 Penn State’s 35-21 Rose Bowl win over No. 8 Utah here Monday have been written any better from the Nittany Lions’ perspective? There was drama in the first half.<\/p>\n

But then quarterback Sean Clifford<\/b> and safety Ji’Ayir Brown<\/b> \u2014 a pair of seniors in their final season with the program who were the unquestioned leaders on their respective sides of the ball \u2014 led a dominating second half. A PSU team that seemed to be in trouble after losing two of three games in October (albeit against strong programs in Michigan and Ohio State) closed with five straight lopsided victories.<\/p>\n

That included the win over the Utes, who were fresh off a dominating victory of their own over USC in the Pac-12 Championship game. Penn State may have been considered the third-best team in the Big Ten, behind the ultimately College Football Playoff-bound Wolverines and Buckeyes. <\/span><\/p>\n

But the Lions were clearly better than the best the Pac-12 had to offer. And when the final rankings for 2022 are revealed, they are going to find themselves solidly in the top 10, perhaps even ahead of an Ohio State team that finished with losses to Michigan and Georgia.<\/p>\n

Before worrying about that, though, let’s take a deeper look at the win over Utah in the Rose Bowl<\/p>\n

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