The1973 Rose Bowl was the 59thedition of thecollege footballbowl game, played at theRose Bowl inPasadena, California, on Monday, January 1. It matched the undefeated and top-rankedUSC Trojans of thePacific-8 Conference with the #3Ohio State Buckeyes of theBig Ten Conference.^[3][4][5][6] The game was a de facto national championship game, as both teams would compete for theAssociated Press (AP) title.^[1]

USC running backSam Cunningham scored four touchdowns in the second half and was named the Player of the Game, as the favored Trojans won42–17.^[3][7][8][9] They were unanimousnational champions inboth major polls, the first time in college football history.^[10] (The finalUPICoaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, in early December.)^[11][12]

The attendance of 106,869 set thestadium record, as well as the NCAA bowl game record.^[13][14]

The national championship was on the line for #1 USC, and likely #3 Ohio State. Although #2Oklahoma already had defeatedPenn State in theSugar Bowl on New Year's Eve to finish their season11–1, a win in the Rose Bowl for the Buckeyes might well have swayed the voters to put Ohio State at #1.^[15]

The USC Trojans won all eleven games in the 1972 regular season. Their opener against #4Arkansas propelled them to the top of the polls, where they remained throughout the season. They had help from new head coachPepper Rodgers'UCLA Bruins, who had defeated #1Nebraska to start the season, led by junior college transfer quarterbackMark Harmon. The Trojans' closest contest was a30–21 defeat of #15Stanford. In theUCLA–USC rivalry game with the Rose Bowl on the line for both teams, the Bruins were outmatched by the Trojans24–7. USC then soundly defeatedNotre Dame45–23 behind the six touchdowns ofAnthony Davis.^[16] Quarterbacking duties were shared byMike Rae andPat Haden. The Trojans were favored by two touchdowns in thisRose Bowl,^[2] the first of three consecutive appearances, all against Ohio State.

This was the first year that freshmen were eligible for varsity football in the University Division (nowFBS) due to the NCAA rescinding an earlier rule, and it was the first of four Rose Bowl appearances for freshmanArchie Griffin. Ohio State had one loss atMichigan State,19–12 on November 11. USC had demolished the Spartans51–6 only five weeks earlier in a night game at the Coliseum. AgainstrivalMichigan, the Rose Bowl was on the line for both teams; the Big Ten had rescinded its long-standing "no repeat" rule, so Michigan was eligible to play in the Rose Bowl for a second straight year, and the unbeaten Wolverines were a slight favorite over the Buckeyes in Columbus. However, Ohio State used a defensive goal line stand in the first half and another in the second half to beat #3 Michigan14–11. The Buckeyes and Wolverines shared the Big Ten title, and the conference's athletic directors voted to give Ohio State the Rose Bowl bid. Because the Big Ten and Pac-8 did not yet permit teams to play in any postseason game except the Rose Bowl, the Wolverines stayed at home. The two conferences allowed multiple bowl teams starting with the1975 season.

At the half, the score was tied at seven. USC running backSam Cunningham exploded for four touchdowns in the second half and Anthony Davis added another as the Trojans coasted to a 32-point lead. Ohio State scored a touchdown in the last minute and the final score was42–17.^[4][7][8] It was the fourthconsecutive win for the Pac-8, but that streak ended in thenext year's rematch.

• USC –Lynn Swann 10-yard pass fromMike Rae (Rae kick), 1:30

• OSU – Randy Keith 1-yard run (Blair Conway kick), 13:37

• USC –Sam Cunningham 2-yard run (Rae kick), 12:18
• OSU – Conway 21-yard field goal, 8:11
• USC –Anthony Davis 20-yard run (Rae kick), 5:51
• USC – Cunningham 1-yard run (Rae kick), 1:25

• USC – Cunningham 1-yard run (Rae kick), 9:10
• USC – Cunningham 1-yard run (Rae kick), 5:13
• OSU – John Bledsoe 5 run (Conway kick), 0:34

Statistics	Ohio    State	USC
First downs	21	24
Rushes–yards	62–285	45–207
Passing yards	81	244
Passes	5–11–2	19–27–0
Total yards	366	451
Punts–average	5–36	4–41
Fumbles–lost	2–1	2–1
Turnovers by	3	1
Penalties–yards	2–7	6–48

Source:^[7][8]

Cunningham set three modern Rose Bowl records with four touchdowns in his final college football game. As of2008, the records for touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and points scored have been matched byEric Ball (1986),Ron Dayne (1999), andVince Young (2006).

A Rose Bowl record for most points in a half at 45 was set in the second half (USC 35, Ohio State 10). This was later tied in1999 (Wisconsin 24,UCLA 21) and surpassed byUSC andTexas with 53 points in the second half in2006.

The record attendance of this year was later approached, but never be matched again in the Rose Bowl. In 1998, the Rose Bowl stadium was renovated and had its seating capacity reduced, and was no longer the largest football stadium in the United States. As of the2008 Rose Bowl game, the Rose Bowl game still draws the largest crowds of any post-season college football contest.

This was the first of three Ohio State-USC matchups in the Rose Bowl in the 1970s. It was the first of four consecutive Rose Bowl appearances for the Buckeyes under head coachWoody Hayes and two-time Heisman trophy winner Archie Griffin. Prior to the game contest, Hayes pushed a camera into the face of a local newsphotographer,^[4] screaming, "That'll take care of you, you son of a bitch." Hayes was ejected and left California with a subpoena.^[17][18]The Buckeyes won the rematch thefollowing year, the sole Rose Bowl victory for the Big Ten in the 1970s.

The 1972 Trojans had 33 players selected in the next severalNFL Drafts, including five first-round selections:Charle Young,Sam Cunningham,Pete Adams,Lynn Swann, andSteve Riley. The 1972 Trojan team was named one of the best teams of the Twentieth century. The Buckeyes had eight eventual NFL first round selections:Tim Fox,Archie Griffin,Kurt Schumacher,Doug France,Neal Colzie,John Hicks,Rick Middleton, andRandy Gradishar

Sports announcerKeith Jackson identified the 1972 USC Trojans as the greatest team he ever saw. SportswriterBeano Cook placed them at third of his all time teams on the basis of that assertion.^[19]The Sporting News ranked the 1972 Trojans in their top 25 greatest teams.

"I never saw any team that could beat them," USC head coachJohn McKay said.^[10]

Washington State head coachJim Sweeney disagreed. "USC's not the No. 1 team in the country," said Sweeney, whose Cougars endured a44–3 loss to the Trojans. "The[1972] Miami Dolphins are better."^[10]

• 1972–73 NCAA football bowl games
• Rose Bowl Game
• 20th century in Pasadena, California
• Ohio State Buckeyes football bowl games
• USC Trojans football bowl games
• January 1973 sports events in the United States
• 1973 in sports in California

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