New Year’s Day has been marked by an annual tradition since 1916: two college football teams square off in the Rose Bowl, a game known for an extravagant parade and competitive gridiron action.

There are now between 30 and 40 college football bowl games at the end of each season, including the Granddaddy of Them All in Pasadena. In 1942, the Rose Bowl game just weeks after Japan's attack ...