Big Ten power Ohio State plays rising SEC team Missouri in 88th Cotton Bowl
Big Ten power Ohio State plays rising SEC team Missouri in 88th Cotton Bowl
Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord throws during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Missouri quarterback Brady Cook (12) drops back to pass against Arkansas during the second half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. runs to score a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan won 30-24. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Missouri quarterback Brady Cook (12) runs past Arkansas linebacker Jaheim Thomas (28) to score a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord throws during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord throws during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Missouri quarterback Brady Cook (12) drops back to pass against Arkansas during the second half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Missouri quarterback Brady Cook (12) drops back to pass against Arkansas during the second half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. runs to score a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan won 30-24. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. runs to score a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan won 30-24. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Missouri quarterback Brady Cook (12) runs past Arkansas linebacker Jaheim Thomas (28) to score a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Missouri quarterback Brady Cook (12) runs past Arkansas linebacker Jaheim Thomas (28) to score a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Ohio State (11-1, Big Ten) vs. Missouri (10-2, SEC), Dec. 29, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
LOCATION: Arlington, Texas.
TOP PLAYERS
Ohio State: WR Marvin Harrison, 1,211 yards receiving, 15 touchdowns, 18.1 yards per catch.
Missouri: QB Brady Cook, 3,189 yards passing, 20 touchdowns, six interceptions.
NOTABLE
Ohio State: The Buckeyes were undefeated before a 30-24 loss in the regular-season finale Nov. 25 to Michigan, the No. 1 team in the final College Football Playoff rankings. Ohio State is in its 11th consecutive New Year’s Six bowl game, a streak that began with the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day 2014, the season before the four-team playoff began.
Missouri: The Tigers have their first 10-win season since 2014, when they won the Citrus Bowl, a year after they went the Cotton Bowl. This is their first winning season in five years, including bowl losses the last two years for 6-7 marks.
LAST TIME
Ohio State 35, Missouri 14 (Sept. 19, 1998).
BOWL HISTORY
Ohio State: Third appearance in the Cotton Bowl, program’s 56th bowl game.
Missouri: Fourth appearance in the Cotton Bowl, 36th bowl game in school history.
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football