1997 Rose Bowl The 1997 Rose Bowl Game was a postseason college football bowl game between the Arizona State Sun Devils of the Pacific - 10 Conference and the Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference , held on New Year ’ s Day in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena , California . The game resulted in a dramatic 20 – 17 victory for the Buckeyes when Joe Germaine led a last - minute touchdown drive . Joe Germaine was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game . Teams . Ohio State . The Buckeyes had rolled through the regular season using a two - quarterback system ; Stanley Jackson and Joe Germaine split time in each game at QB . The Buckeye offensive attack was led by Outland Trophy - and Lombardi Award - winning tackle Orlando Pace ( who would go on to be the # 1 pick in the ensuing NFL Draft ) and true freshman wide receiver David Boston , a budding star . The Buckeyes ’ only loss was in the regular - season finale against archrival Michigan , which spoiled their undefeated season and national title hopes ; however , OSU had clinched a berth in the Rose Bowl one week before The Game with a win over Indiana . The defense was led by the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year , lockdown cornerback Shawn Springs , and true freshman middle linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer . Arizona State . The Sun Devils , meanwhile , were undefeated , ranked < nowiki > # < / nowiki > 2 in the nation , and had hopes of capturing the school ’ s first national championship in football . Leading the way for ASU were senior quarterback Jake Plummer , tailback Terry Battle , and a stingy defense led by end Derrick Rodgers and linebacker Pat Tillman . Perhaps ASU ’ s most impressive regular - season victory came against Nebraska , when ASU ’ s defense held the ’ Huskers scoreless ; Arizona State won by a score of 19 – 0 . Game summary . First quarter . The Buckeyes scored first midway through the opening period when quarterback Stanley Jackson threw a nine - yard touchdown pass to true freshman wideout David Boston , capping a drive that saw Jackson scramble for some twenty yards on a third down . Josh Jackson ’ s PAT was good , making it 7 – 0 in favor of the Buckeyes . No other scoring ensued in the period , and the Buckeyes led after one , 7 – 0 . Second quarter . Shortly before halftime , the Sun Devils finally answered via a 25 yard pass play from Jake Plummer to Ricky Boyer , tying the game after Robert Nycz ’ s extra point . Replays seemed to show that Boyer had trapped the ball against the end zone turf , but the touchdown stood . Neither team could manage any more points before halftime , and the game went to the break , still tied at 7 – 7 . Third quarter . After halftime , the Sun Devils would add a 37 yard field goal by Nycz to take a 10 - 7 lead on the opening drive of the second half . The Buckeyes countered only two plays later , when Joe Germaine hit Dimitrious Stanley on a post pattern . ASU corner Jason Simmons slipped and fell on the turf , and Stanley was off to the races . 72 yards and an extra point later , the Buckeyes were back on top with a 14 – 10 lead . No more scoring ensued in the third , and the teams went to the fourth quarter with the game very much up for grabs . Fourth quarter . Late in the fourth quarter , the Buckeyes looked to put the game away . Pepe Pearson broke a long run , leading the Buckeyes from inside their own five yard line deep into ASU territory . However , the drive stalled only three plays later , and OSU had to settle for a Josh Jackson field goal attempt . That was not to be , as ASU ’ s Brent Burnstein blocked the kick . ASU Defensive end Derrick Rodgers took what appeared to be a lateral and ran the ball into the end zone , but the play was called back : Rodgers had taken an illegal " forward " lateral . The Sun Devils , however , had the ball with less than five minutes to play . Jake Plummer , who had built a reputation over his college career for leading late comeback drives , did just that . The key play was a fourth down conversion when Plummer hit wideout Lenzie Jackson for a big gain . With just over a minute remaining , Plummer scrambled for eleven yards and a touchdown on third - and - goal , and ASU took the lead , 17 – 14 . However , Germaine was not done . He led the Buckeyes on a remarkable last - minute drive . Dimitrious Stanley caught two third - down passes from Germaine , and then , with the help of two pass interference penalties against ASU , the Bucks had the ball on the Devils ’ five yard line . Germaine then flipped a pass to the aforementioned Boston , who was left undefended on a zig - out route — ASU redshirt freshman corner Courtney Jackson had blown the coverage . Boston walked into the end zone untouched , and the Buckeyes , with 19 seconds left , retook the lead , 20 – 17 . On the next play , Burnstein blocked Josh Jackson ’ s extra point , leaving the Sun Devils within a field goal . Ultimately , Lenzie Jackson would be tackled in bounds by OSU ’ s Antoine Winfield after catching a pass from Plummer on the second play of the ensuing drive , and time ran out . The Buckeyes had won the Rose Bowl — their first victory in the Rose Bowl since Archie Griffin ’ s sophomore season . Aftermath . The Buckeyes would finish # 2 in the nation after winning their first Rose Bowl since January 1 , 1974 , handing the Sun Devils their only loss of the season . The previously - third - ranked Florida Gators would end up winning the national championship after defeating the then - top - ranked Florida State Seminoles 52 – 20 in the Sugar Bowl . FSU had defeated the Gators earlier in the season by a score of 24 – 21 . Had the Sun Devils won the game , they would likely had a claim to at least the AP national championship , since they would have been the only undefeated team in the nation . They ultimately finished fourth in both polls , behind Florida , Ohio State and Florida State . Buckeye quarterback Joe Germaine , who was named the game ’ s Most Valuable Player , would go on to be named the Big Ten ’ s Most Valuable Player during his senior season of 1998 . Many of the players on both teams ’ rosters would go on to pro careers : notably , Jake Plummer , Pat Tillman , Derek Smith , Jason Simmons , Scott Von Der Ahe , Steve Bush , and Derrick Rodgers of Arizona State , and Mike Vrabel , Shawn Springs , Orlando Pace , Antoine Winfield , Rob Kelly and Damon Moore of Ohio State .