No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 9 Missouri Tigers 2023 Cotton Bowl: How to Watch, Betting Odds

The Cotton Bowl will kickoff in Arlington this Friday night for the Buckeyes.

Author:
Cole Thompson
Dec 26, 2023 11:56 AM EST

In this story:

Ohio State's season comes to an end Friday night in Arlington. Will the losing streak end at one, or will it carry over into a long and potentially pivotal offseason in Columbus?

As the No. 7 Buckeyes continue to practice for their Cotton Bowl Classic matchup against No. 9 Missouri, everyone is hopeful the mishap against Michigan was nothing more than a blip. An 11-1 record for most is considered an overachievement.

For the Buckeyes, it's another day at the office.

Ryan Day turns to Devin Brown at quarterback following Kyle McCord's transfer to Syracuse earlier this month. While Brown's first-team reps were scarce, he won't be commanding the huddle alone as tight end Cade Stover, running back TreVeyon Henderson and receivers Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. are all expected to play.

What does the future hold for the Buckeyes? Stover and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg will leave the school and prepare for life in the NFL following Friday's game, but what about Henderson or Egbuka? Both could return for another season and be a factor in helping OSU reach the College Football Playoff for the first time in two seasons.

Could Harrison, a potential top-five pick in April's draft, return for one more go-around? The Heisman finalist said it was his goal to be the No. 1 Wolverines. So far, he's 0-for-2 in the starting lineup and 0-of-3 all-time.

Day isn't expecting those answers to come about within the next 72 hours. Barring a last-second change of heart, expect almost the entirety of Ohio State's roster to be geared up for the finale.

In the history of the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State is 2-0, defeating Texas A&M in 1987 and USC in 2017. With the victory, the Buckeyes will finish with 12 wins for the first time since 2019.

Here's how to watch Ohio State vs. Missouri in the Cotton Bowl on Friday.