Ohio State Projected as Rose Bowl Host in Pasadena Quarterfinal

The 112th Rose Bowl Game is projected to feature Ohio State as the home team in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, according to projections by multiple major sports networks. Analysts differ on the opponent, but consensus points to the defending national champions taking the field at Rose Bowl Stadium.

ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura predicts a matchup between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 8 Oklahoma, while colleague Mark Schlabach forecasts Ohio State against No. 9 Notre Dame. Both scenarios position the Rose Bowl as the primetime New Year’s Day showcase game.

CBS Sports bracket projections also place Ohio State in Pasadena as the No. 1 seed, though their simulations vary on the opponent. Yahoo Sports, citing Athlon Sports, aligns with ESPN’s Schlabach, projecting Ohio State versus Notre Dame.

The 2025-26 season marks the second year of the expanded 12-team playoff format. Under this structure, seeds 5 through 12 compete in opening-round games on Dec. 19-20. The quarterfinals rotate among the Cotton, Orange, Rose, and Sugar Bowls on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The Rose Bowl receives quarterfinal designation when the Big Ten champion earns a top-four seed and bye. With Ohio State projected as Big Ten champion and the No. 1 seed, the team would automatically slot into Pasadena. Their opponent will be determined by the winner of the 8 vs. 9 first-round matchup.

The kickoff time of 1 p.m. PST is one hour earlier than traditional Rose Bowl games, a change expected to continue in future years.

As of Nov. 30, Ohio State remains the consensus No. 1 team, having navigated the season without facing their toughest Big Ten competition — Indiana, Oregon, USC or Iowa. Indiana ranks No. 2, followed by Texas A&M and Georgia. The final playoff field will be confirmed after conference championship games on Dec. 7, when the selection committee releases the official 12-team bracket.