Rose Bowl History 1947-2001 Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1953

After the Big 10 champ won the first six matchups, USC defeated Wisconsin 7-0 in the 1953 game. The Pacific Coast champ would not win again until Washington beat Wisconsin 44-8 in 1960. The trend of Big 10 dominance would be reversed in the 1970s and 80s.

Answer: 2

Surprisingly, only twice in the 55 meetings from 1947 to 2001 did this happen. In 1963, #1 USC defeated #2 Wisconsin 42-37, and in 1969, #1 Ohio State defeated #2 USC 27-16.

Answer: 3

Oregon QB Jack Crabtree won the award despite Ohio State's 10-7 win in 1958. Wisconsin QB Ron Vander Kelen shared the award with USC's Pete Beathard in 1963 when USC won 42-37. Oregon QB Danny O'Neil shared the award with Penn State's Ki-Jana Carter in Penn State's 38-20 win in 1995.

Answer: UCLA

In the 1966 Rose Bowl, UCLA upset #1 ranked Michigan State, 14-12 after they lost to the Spartans opening day of the season, 13-3. 10 years later, UCLA upset #1 ranked Ohio State 23-10 after losing to the Buckeyes 41-20 in the season's fourth game.

Answer: Stanford

In the 1971 Rose Bowl, Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett led Stanford to a 27-17 upset of unbeaten Ohio State (the #2 ranked Buckeyes were poised to win the national title after #1 Texas was upset by Notre Dame earlier in the day in the Cotton Bowl).

In the 1972 Rose Bowl, Stanford did it again, upsetting undefeated and #3 ranked Michigan by a score of 13-12, on a last minute field goal by Rod Garcia.

Answer: Tommy Prothro

Prothro led Oregon State to the 1965 Rose Bowl where the Beavers lost to Michigan, 34-7. The next year, he led UCLA to the Rose Bowl where they defeated Michigan State, 14-12.

Answer: 4

Heisman winners went 4-4 in Rose Bowls in the year they won the Heisman. The ones who played on Rose Bowl winners were Jim Plunkett (Stanford), Charles White (USC), Charles Woodson (Michigan), and Ron Dayne (Wisconsin). The ones who played on Rose Bowl losers were O.J. Simpson (USC), Archie Griffin twice (Ohio State), and Desmond Howard (Michigan).

Answer: Arizona

Arizona had never played in a Rose Bowl game. Indiana and Washington State appeared only once (in 1968 and 1998 respectively), and Minnesota appeared twice (1961 and 1962).

Answer: Michigan

Michigan appeared 16 times, going 7-9. Ohio State was next with 12 appearances (going 6-6), UCLA next with 11 (going 5-6), and Washington appeared 10 times (going 7-3).

Answer: True

After winning 12 of the first 13 matchups, the Big 10 ended up with a slim 28-27 edge. By winning 16 of 18 between 1970 and 1987, the Pac 10 went ahead, but the Big 10 won seven of nine from 1993 to 2001 to regain the lead. If you count USC's 2004 win over Michigan, then they are even.

Answer: Jim Plunkett

Plunkett was the Rose Bowl MVP in Stanford's 1970 upset of Ohio State, and the 1981 Super Bowl MVP in the Raiders' win over the Eagles. Aikman and Brady were Super Bowl MVPs but never played in the Rose Bowl, and Howard was a Super Bowl MVP but not a Rose Bowl MVP.

Answer: Wendell Tyler

Tyler gained over 100 yards against the stingy Buckeye defense, and this TD run increased the Bruins tenuous six-point lead into an insurmountable 13-point margin.

Answer: Charles White

As White dove towards the goal line in the second quarter, replays clearly showed he lost the ball in mid-air at about the two-yard line. Michigan recovered, and one referee signaled Wolverine ball. But, another official overruled him by saying White crossed the goal line before he fumbled.

Answer: Jacque Robinson

Washington running back Robinson's 142-yard performance in the Huskies' 28-0 win over Iowa in the 1982 Rose Bowl earned him MVP honors, the first freshman to win it. Remember, freshman were not eligible to play until 1976.

Answer: USC and Ohio State

USC and Ohio State met seven times (1955, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, and 1985) with USC winning four. USC and Michigan met six times (1949, 1970, 1977, 1979, 1989, and 1990) with USC winning four. Washington and Michigan met four times (1978, 1981, 1992, 1993) with each team winning twice. UCLA and Michigan State met three times (1954, 1956, 1966) with Michigan State winning two.

Answer: Lost to Purdue and defeated Ohio State

In 1967, USC trailed Purdue 14-7 when they scored a late TD. The pass on the two-point conversion attempt was intercepted and Purdue won 14-13. In 1975, USC trailed Ohio State 17-10. On the two-point conversion attempt, Pat Haden completed a pass to Shelton Diggs for an 18-17 win. On both occasions, the USC coach was John McKay.

Answer: 5

Of the eight losses, five were by seven points. Michigan lost 10-3 to USC in 1970, 27-20 to Washington in 1978, 17-10 to USC in 1979, 22-15 to Arizona State in 1987, and 17-10 to USC in 1990. The other losses were 13-12 to Stanford in 1972, 14-6 to USC in 1977 (this would have been another seven-point loss, but Michigan's extra point attempt was blocked), and 24-14 to UCLA in 1983.

Answer: Illinois blocked a UCLA field goal attempt, but the Bruins recovered and ran for a first down

Early in the game, the Bruins lined up for a field goal attempt. Illinois blocked it, but UCLA recovered and advanced the ball for a first down. Given new life, UCLA drove to a touchdown and went on to an easy win.

Answer: Rick Leach

Leach was the starting QB for Michigan in the 1977, '78, and '79 Rose Bowls. He then played 10 years in the majors for the Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants.

Answer: Woody Hayes

Woody Hayes took Ohio State to four straight Rose Bowls from 1973-1976. John McKay led USC to four in a row from 1967-70. Michigan's Schembechler went to three straight from 1977-79, and Washington's Don James went to three straight from 1991-93. UCLA's Terry Donahue took the Bruins three years out of four in 1983, '84, and '86.