2018 Rose Bowl

2018 Rose Bowl presented by Northwestern Mutual
CFP Semifinal
104th Rose Bowl Game
1234OT2OT Total
Georgia 710141436 54
Oklahoma 141701430 48
DateJanuary 1, 2018
Season2017
StadiumRose Bowl
LocationPasadena, California
MVPSony Michel, RB (Georgia)
Roquan Smith, LB (Georgia)
FavoriteGeorgia by 2.5
National anthemUnited States Army Chorus
RefereeJeff Heaser (ACC)
Halftime showGeorgia Redcoat Marching Band
The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band
Attendance92,844
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN and ESPN Radio
AnnouncersESPN: Chris Fowler (play-by-play)
Kirk Herbstreit (analyst)
Maria Taylor and Tom Rinaldi (sideline)
ESPN Radio: Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Todd McShay
Nielsen ratings14.8 (26.8 million viewers avg.)[1][2]
International TV coverage
NetworkESPN Deportes
AnnouncersKenneth Garay, Sebastian Martinez-Christensen
Rose Bowl
 < 2017  2019
2 vs. 3 Seed CFP Semifinal Game
 < 2016 Fiesta 2018 Cotton

The 2018 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Georgia Bulldogs, played on January 1, 2018 at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California. The 104th Rose Bowl Game was a semifinal for the College Football Playoff (CFP), Georgia of the SEC and Oklahoma of the Big 12. The Bulldogs won the game 54–48, with a 27-yard run by Sony Michel, shortly after Lorenzo Carter blocked Oklahoma Sooners' field goal attempt in the second overtime. The game lasted four hours and five minutes. Georgia advanced to face the winner of the Sugar Bowl (Alabama) in the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game, to be played on January 8, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. With 26.8 million viewers on ESPN, the game ranked as the fifth most-viewed cable program of all time.[3]

The game was one of the 2017–18 bowl games that concluded the 2017 FBS football season. It was televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, and broadcast on ESPN Radio and XM Satellite Radio, with the kickoff at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. local time). The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association organized the game. Sponsored by the Northwestern Mutual financial services organization, the game was officially known as the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual.

  1. ^ Volner, Derek (January 2, 2018). "Thrilling Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual Delivers Monster 14.8 Rating". www.espnmediazone.com. ESPN MediaZone. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  2. ^ Boedeker, Hal (January 2, 2018). "Rose Bowl posts stellar ratings". www.orlandosentinel.com. The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  3. ^ Perez, A.J. (January 2, 2018). "Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl deliver major viewership gains to ESPN". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 6, 2018.