LOS ANGELES — Utah’s football program has come a long way since the last time it faced Ohio State. In 1986, the Utes were a struggling program in the Western Athletic Conference when they went to Columbus and were drilled 64-6 by the Buckeyes. Thirty five years later, Utah will be making its first Rose Bowl trip as the Pac-12 champion when it faces Ohio State in the 108th edition of the Granddaddy of Them All on New Year’s Day. The tenth-ranked Utes (10-3) defeated Oregon 38-10 Friday to capture their first Pac-12 championship since joining the conference in 2011. “This is the next step in evolution as a program,” coach Kyle Whittingham said during a conference call Sunday. “We had been to the Pac-12 championship game three times but this is the first time we were able to get over the mountain. It was something we had been shooting…
Continue Reading: Utah’s 1st Rose Bowl to be against Ohio State
