Cotton Bowl first appearance: Previewing Ohio State-Missouri
2 years ago, Ohio State, having narrowly missed out on a CFP bid and dealing with a number of marquee opt-outs, faced both motivation concerns and an early deficit in the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes revealed resolve, nevertheless, battling back from 14 down at halftime to beat Utah 48-45.
This time around, No. 6 Ohio State has directly missed a CFP quote and is dealing with the prospect of much more opt-outs (and the transfer of beginning quarterback Kyle McCord). Backup quarterback Devin Brown is expected to start versus No. 9 Missouri in the wake of McCord’s departure. The Buckeyes are Mizzou’s highest-ranked bowl opponent considering that the 1970 Orange Bowl, and the Tigers should make it to the game with their two-deep mostly undamaged. Are we due another Rose Bowl-level barnburner? Will a far more inspired Tigers group lay the hammer down? Or will the Buckeyes show to be too gifted to fall?
No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Missouri The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
When: Dec. 29, 8 p.m, ET
Where: AT&T Arena (Arlington, Texas)
How to watch: ESPN and ESPN App
Opening line: Ohio State -0.5
Key player: RB Cody Schrader
It’s amazing to state about a group with a 3,000-yard passer (Brady Cook), a blue-chip, almost 1,200-yard receiver (Luther Problem III) and first-team all-SEC entertainers at deal with (Javon Foster), protective end (Darius Robinson) and cornerback (Kris Abrams-Draine), but the Tigers’ success down the stretch was obtained mainly through Schrader. Over the past five games, the Burlsworth Award winner (for best previous walk-on) balanced 196 backyards from scrimmage and 6.3 backyards per bring. His constant effectiveness even produced 112 rushing backyards versus Georgia, and his unreasonable work rate reveals a mentality that every football coach in the nation seeks.X element: CB Kris Abrams-Draine
Missouri permitted a quarterback to set up a passer score over 150 on simply three celebrations this season: in losses to LSU and Georgia and in a surprising near-loss to Florida. The Tigers’ secondary won a great deal of battles, especially Abrams-Draine (37 deals with, 4 interceptions, 10 separations, 36% conclusion rate enabled, 12.0 QBR enabled), however bad things occurred when it didn’t. And even with opt-outs and portal entries most likely creating chaos with Ohio State’s depth chart on offense, the Buckeyes have an endless supply of blue-chippers out broad. Mizzou’s DBs will need to turn up big to keep ball game tamped down.How Missouri wins: Play like the determined underdog With its first top-10 finish
in ten years to bet and a depth chart likely less impacted by pregame attrition, Mizzou ought to in theory be the more inspired and more undamaged team. Versus Georgia, the Tigers proved they can fight for 60 minutes versus groups with elite skill levels, and if they can do a much better job of taking advantage of their opportunities than they did against the Dawgs– they completed six drives in Georgia area but scored only 2 touchdowns, and they had an even worse third-down conversion rate– a win is there for the taking. (Landing a couple of early haymakers and truly testing Ohio State’s motivation levels wouldn’t hurt either.)– Bill Connelly Secret player: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.Even with the eyes of every opposing
defense trained on him
, Harrison nearly matched the numbers from his breakout sophomore project in 2022(77 catches for 1,263 receiving lawns and 14 touchdowns). He became the very first receiver in Ohio State history to tape-record consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (67 receptions for 1,211 getting backyards and 14 goals in 2023 ). His 14 touchdown receptions put him in a four-way tie for second nationally. He has caught a minimum of one goal pass in each of the Buckeyes ‘previous eight games, and hauled in two goals a game during a three-game stretch– triumphes over Wisconsin, Rutgers and Michigan State– in the latter half of the season. He’ll be considering a ninth 100-yard receiving game versus Missouri.Editor’s Picks 2 Related X factor: RB TreVeyon Henderson The choice of McCord, a high school teammate of Harrison, to enter the transfer website Monday throws the Buckeyes ‘offense, which is balancing 425 yards a game(36th in
the FBS)and 32.8 points a game (32nd in the FBS), into a little bit of a loop. Enter junior running back Henderson( 854 rushing backyards and 11 touchdowns), who’ll be asked to take some pressure off whomever Ryan Day chooses to start at quarterback against the Tigers– most likely sophomore Devin Brown. Henderson, who spearheaded Ohio State’s September triumph over Notre Dame in South Bend (104 yards and a TD on 14 carries), missed out on three games due to injury however has actually discovered his stride just recently– thanks to 100-yard games in three of the Buckeyes ‘last 5 games of the season.How Ohio State wins: Whoever starts at QB lights it up After winning the quarterback competition with Devin Brown, McCord ended up being just the seventh quarterback in school history to toss for at least 3,000 yards.
With McCord’s decision to leave ahead of the Cotton Bowl, there’s a
lot of questions to be addressed, clearly, under center. But whether it’s Brown( 12 of 22 passing for 197 backyards with two goal passes and one interception in five games this season )or true freshman Lincoln Kienholz getting the start, Ohio State will have to depend on its weapons(wide receivers Marvin Harrison, Jr., Emeka Egbuka and tight end Cade Stover). Ohio State has actually been the go-to school for ESPN 300 pass receivers given that offending coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, who played in Columbus from 2006 to ’08, got here back on school in 2018. It will require to make that especially apparent versus Missouri.– Blake Baumgartner