1973 Rose Bowl The 1973 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1 , 1973 . It was the 59th Rose Bowl Game . The USC Trojans defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 42 - 17 . USC running back Sam " Bam " Cunningham scored four touchdowns and was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game . The Trojans were voted unanimously the number one team in college football , the first time in college football history . The attendance of 106 , 869 set the Rose Bowl Stadium record , as well as the NCAA bowl game record . Teams . The National championship was on the line for # 1 USC , and likely # 3 Ohio State . A # 2 Oklahoma already had defeated Penn State in the Sugar Bowl on New Year ' s Eve . A convincing win in the Rose Bowl for the Buckeyes could sway the voters to put Ohio State at # 1 . USC Trojans . The 1972 USC Trojans football team was undefeated and untied . Their first win against # 4 Arkansas propelled them to the top of the polls , where they remained throughout the season . They had help from new coach Pepper Rodgers ' UCLA Bruins , who had defeated # 1 ranked Nebraska to start the season . The Trojans ' closest contest was a 30 - 21 defeat of number 15 Stanford . In the UCLA - USC rivalry game with the Rose Bowl on the line for both teams , the Bruins were outmatched by the Trojans 24 - 7 . USC would then soundly defeat Notre Dame 45 - 23 behind the six touchdowns of Anthony Davis . Quarterbacking duties were shared by Mike Rae and Pat Haden . Ohio State Buckeyes . This was the first year that freshmen could play football due to the NCAA rescinding an earlier rule , and so began the first of four Rose Bowl appearances for Archie Griffin . Ohio State had one loss at Michigan State , 12 - 19 on November 11 . USC had demolished the Spartans 51 - 6 only 5 weeks earlier in a night game at the Coliseum . In the Michigan - Ohio State rivalry , with the Rose Bowl on the line for both teams , the Buckeyes used a defensive goal line stand in the first half and another in the second half to beat number 3 ranked Michigan , 14 - 11 . The Buckeyes and Wolverines shared the Big Ten title . The Wolverines were not invited to any other Bowl game due to the exclusive Big Ten conference agreement to only send teams to the Rose Bowl . Game summary . At the half , the score was tied . Sam " Bam " Cunningham exploded for four touchdowns in the second half . Aftermath . Rose Bowl records . Sam Cunningham set three modern Rose Bowl records with 4 touchdowns in his final college football game . As of the 2008 Rose Bowl , the records for touchdowns , rushing touchdowns and points scored have been matched by Eric Ball ( 1986 Rose Bowl ) , Ron Dayne ( 1999 Rose Bowl ) , and Vince Young ( 2006 Rose Bowl ) . A team record for Most points in one half at 45 was set in the second half ( Southern California 35 , Ohio State 10 ) . This was later tied in the 1999 Rose Bowl : Wisconsin 24 , UCLA 21 . It was surpassed by USC and Texas with 53 points in the second half of the 2006 Rose Bowl . The record attendance would come close , but never be matched again in the Rose Bowl . In 1998 , the Rose Bowl stadium had its seating capacity reduced , and was no longer the largest football stadium in the United States . As of the 2008 Rose Bowl game , the Rose Bowl game still draws the largest crowds of any post - season college football contest . Ohio State - USC . 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 Woody Hayes and two - time Heisman trophy winner Archie Griffin . Prior to the game contest , Woody Hayes pushed a camera into the face of a news photographer , screaming , " That ' ll take care of you , you son of a bitch . " Hayes was ejected and left California with a subpoena . NFL players . The 1972 Trojans had 33 players who would eventually be drafted by NFL teams , including five first - round selections : Charle Young , Sam Cunningham , Pete Adams , Lynn Swann , and Steve 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 , and Randy Gradishar Legacy . Sports announcer Keith Jackson would call the 1972 USC Trojans the greatest team he ever saw . Sportswriter Beano Cook placed them at third of his all time teams on the basis of that assertion . The Sporting News ranked the 1972 Trojans in their top 25 greatest teams . Quotes . " I never saw any team that could beat them , " USC Coach John McKay said . Washington State Coach Jim Sweeney disagreed . " USC ' s not the No . 1 team in the country , " said Sweeney , whose Cougars endured a 44 - 3 loss against the Trojans . " The [ 1972 ] Miami Dolphins are better . "