Oregon to Face Winner of Ohio St-Tennessee in 2025 Rose Bowl

The top-ranked Oregon Ducks (13-0) will play the winner of a Dec. 21 first-round NCAA playoff game between Ohio State (10-2) and Tennessee (10-2) in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, it was announced Sunday.

The Ducks have been flawless in their first season in the expanded Big 10 Conference, and punched their ticket by edging Penn State, 45-37, in Saturday night’s conference championship game.

One of college football’s most successful programs in the 21st century, Oregon is seeking its first national championship after finishing No. 2 in 2001 and 2014. They are the top seed in college football’s newly expanded 12-team playoff, and one of four teams with a first-round bye.

Ohio State is the No. 8 seed in the playoff and will host No. 9 seed Tennessee for the right to play in Pasadena.

The 111th annual Rose Bowl game will be played at 2 p.m. on Jan. 1. The game will serve as a quarterfinal in the NCAA’s playoff system, meaning the winner still has to earn two more victories to claim the national championship.