Rose Bowl 2025 TV Schedule, Matchup Predictions and Odds

College football's most prestigious bowl game will once again be played on New Years' Day.

The 2026 Rose Bowl will serve as a College Football Playoff quarterfinal.

The potential Rose Bowl matchup won't be determined until the CFB Playoff bracket is released on Sunday.

Traditionally, the Rose Bowl hosts Big Ten and Pac-12 teams, and even with the introduction of the playoff, a Big Ten team has played in Pasadena in each of the last two years.

Rose Bowl Info

Date: Thursday, January 1

Start Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN app

The Rose Bowl played host to the top seed in the CFB Playoff for the last two years.

Two years ago, the Michigan Wolverines won their playoff semifinal over the Alabama Crimson Tide in overtime.

Last season, the Ohio State Buckeyes knocked off the Oregon Ducks in the second of their four playoff victories.

The CFB Playoff selection committee is not obligated to send a Big Ten team to the Rose Bowl for the quarterfinal, but there's a chance that two teams could be in the top four.

If that is the case, one of Ohio State and the Indiana Hoosiers should earn a trip to Pasadena to open their CFB Playoff run.

Ohio State has been the top-ranked team in the nation for most of the season. Indiana's been No. 2 for quite some time as well.

A loss by either team in the Big Ten Championship Game might not force a tumble out of the top four.

If that is the case, the chances of a Big Ten team landing in Pasadena are higher. Of course, it would be great to see an iconic brand like Alabama or the Georgia Bulldogs play at the Rose Bowl, but it is traditionally more of a Big Ten venue because of its conference affiliations prior to the playoff era.

The Rose Bowl's dream matchup this season is for the Big Ten champion to be aligned in the same part of the bracket as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

A potential national championship rematch between Ohio State and Notre Dame is the dream matchup for any playoff venue.

One other possible Rose Bowl rematch is in the cards. If Georgia wins the SEC Championship Game, it could move up to No. 2 and potentially be aligned with the Oklahoma Sooners.

Georgia and Oklahoma played one of the all-time Rose Bowl classics, a 54-48 Georgia win in double overtime in 2018.

Predicted Matchup: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame