1955 Rose Bowl

The 1955 Rose Bowl was the 41st edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, January 1. The top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference defeated the USC Trojans of the Pacific Coast Conference, 20–7.[2][3][4]

1955 Rose Bowl
41st Rose Bowl Game
USC Trojans Ohio State Buckeyes
(8–3) (9–0)
Pacific Coast Big Ten
7 20
Head coach: 
Jess Hill		 Head coach: 
Woody Hayes
APCoaches
1711
APCoaches
12
1234 Total
USC 0700 7
Ohio State 01406 20
DateJanuary 1, 1955
Season1954
StadiumRose Bowl
LocationPasadena, California
MVPDave Leggett (Ohio State QB)
FavoriteOhio State by 14 points [1]
RefereeEdward Wagner (AAWU;
split crew: AAWU, Big Ten)
Halftime showK. Massey & Archie Whatley
Attendance89,191
United States TV coverage
NetworkNBC
AnnouncersMel Allen

Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes came into his first Rose Bowl tied for the national championship with PCC champion UCLA. However, #2 UCLA was locked out of the game because of the PCC's "no-repeat" rule,[5] enacted after California's third consecutive appearance in January 1951.

Teams

Ohio State
Main article: 1954 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

Ohio State quarterback Dave Leggett threw eleven passes, completing six, one a touchdown pass to Robert Archbald Watkins Jr.[4] Halfback Hopalong Cassady ran for 92 yards and led the Buckeyes to 304 yards on the ground and an overall advantage of 360-206 yards in total offense.

USC
Main article: 1954 USC Trojans football team

The only touchdown by USC was an 86-yard punt return by Aramis Dandoy.

Game summary

The teams played in the first rainstorm to hit Pasadena during a Rose Bowl in more than 50 years.[6] The fans were under umbrellas, and it rained during the entire game, turning the field to mud.[7]

First quarter
No scoring

Second quarter
  • OSU – Dave Leggett 3-yard run (Tad Weed kick)
  • OSU – Bob Watkins 21-yard pass from Leggett (Watkins kick)
  • USC – Aramis Dandoy 86-yard punt return (Sam Tsagalakis kick)

Third quarter
No scoring

Fourth quarter
  • OSU – Dick Harkrader 9-yard run (Weed kick blocked)

Aftermath
  • Ohio State shared the national championship with UCLA for the 1954 season. It was the first "split" championship in college football, when the writers selected the Buckeyes and the coaches chose the Bruins.
  • This was the first time a West Coast team had been affected by the "no-repeat" rule, which was not in place when California appeared in three straight (1949, 1950, 1951). It happened once more, when Oregon State had to stay home three years later. When the PCC disbanded in 1959, the "no-repeat" rule was dropped by the new AAWU and Washington won the next two Rose Bowls in 1960 and 1961. The Big Ten kept the rule in place from the late 1940s into the early 1970s, although Minnesota made consecutive appearances, the 1961 game was as an "at-large" selection. After the rule was dropped, the first to return in successive years was Ohio State in 1974, the sole win for the Big Ten in that decade.

Game notes
  • The game was played in the rain; Coach Hayes was not happy that the bands performed the halftime show on the already muddy field

References
  1. "Ohio State 2 TD favorite over Southern Cal". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 1, 1955. p. 11.
  2. "Ohio State subdues USC, 20-7". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 2, 1955. p. 1, sports.
  3. "Buckeyes drub USC 20-7". Eugene Register-Guard. United Press. January 2, 1955. p. 1C.
  4. Rose Bowl 1955 Archived July 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, from RoseBowlHistory.com.
  5. Boyles, Bob; Paul Guido (2007). 50 Years of College Football: A Modern History of America's Most Colorful Sport. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-60239-090-4.
  6. 2011 Rose Bowl Historic Media Guide, Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, December 2011
  7. Lesmirises, Doug - Buckeyes Rose Bowl Rewind: National championship glory in the mud of 1955. Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 16, 2009 Quote: "Through mud, slime, murk and driving rain, Ohio State's dauntless Buckeyes today reached the all-time zenith of the University's football history. Ploughing through muck in the fog and semi-darkness, the Buckeyes vanquished Southern California, 20 to 7, in the worst weather conditions of Rose Bowl history."
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