Indiana to Honor 1967 Rose Bowl Team on Saturday Night

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

Indiana University will be honoring the 55th anniversary of the 1968 Rose Bowl team on Saturday during the Hoosiers contest against Idaho. In 1968, the Hoosiers earned a trip to the 54th annual Rose Bowl game and squared off against the USC Trojans. The heavily favored Trojans were led by running back O.J. Simpson and a stout defense that held IU to just three points as USC prevailed 14-3. 55 years later, that game remains IU’s lone trip to the Rose Bowl.

“That team with Coach (John) Pont years ago did something special,” current head coach Tom Allen said prior to the 50th anniversary in 2017. “You know, I’m one of those I go back and study history and different programs and you go back and look at the history of the seasons leading up to that year. Obviously, it’s been many years ago. I wasn’t born yet, our players were not around. But the bottom line is that it creates the visual picture of what you want.”

John Pont passed away more than a decade ago but many of the players are still alive and remain in touch with each other to this day. Several of them will be present on Saturday night as Indiana University again honors their remarkable season and accomplishment. IU plays Idaho on September 10 and the game can be seen on the Big Ten Network.