The 10-2 Missouri Tigers will play the 11-1 Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl on December 29. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
Terrance Williams
Staff Writer
The No. 9-ranked University of Missouri football team found out officially on Sunday that its remarkable 2023 season will continue with one more game.
And boy, oh boy, what a game it should be.
The Tigers, who earned their first 10-win season since 2014 by blasting rival Arkansas on November 24, will play No. 7-ranked Ohio State in the 88th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday, December 29, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (home of the Dallas Cowboys). Kickoff for the game is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be televised live on ESPN.
“Man, when you see your name up against Ohio State, that’s a blue-blood, national brand,” Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “To have an opportunity to play them is very special.”
This year’s Cotton Bowl game will mark the first time Mizzou (10-2) and Ohio State (11-1) have met since 1998 and will be the 13th meeting overall between the two programs. Ohio State holds a 10-1-1 record in the previous 12 meetings.
Mizzou last played in the Cotton Bowl in 2014, when it defeated Oklahoma State, 41-31, in what was one of the most exciting bowl games of the entire 2014 postseason. The Cotton Bowl is one of the elite bowl games titled the New Year’s Six, which includes the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Peach Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl.
“It’s just one of the great traditions of college football,” Drinkwitz said. “An outstanding venue to play in. A tremendous opponent in the Ohio State Buckeyes coached by an outstanding coach in Ryan Day with a bunch of tremendous players.
“I know for me as the head football coach, in my wildest dreams, I don’t know that I ever thought about being able to coach in the Cotton Bowl versus Ohio State. It’s something I’m going to be very present in and really enjoy the moment.”
Drinkwitz met with the media following the announcement and said that he expects all Missouri players that aren’t dealing with injury issues to play in the game.
NEW YEAR’S SIX BOWL SCHEDULE
Friday, December 29
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
No. 9 Missouri (10-2) vs. No. 7 Ohio State (11-1)
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
7 pm, ESPN
Saturday, December 30
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
No. 11 Ole Miss (10-2) vs. No. 10 Penn State (10-2)
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
11 am, ESPN
Capital One Orange Bowl
No. 6 Georgia (12-1) vs. No. 5 Florida State (13-0)
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
3 pm, ESPN
Monday, January 1
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
No. 23 Liberty (13-0) vs. No. 8 Oregon (11-2)
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
12 pm, ESPN
College Football Playoff Schedule
Monday, January 1
CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential
No. 4 Alabama (12-1) vs. No. 1 Michigan (13-0)
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
4 pm, ESPN
CFP Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl
No. 3 Texas (12-1) vs. No. 2 Washington (13-0)
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
7:45 pm, ESPN
CFP National Championship Game
Monday, January 8
CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T
TBD vs. TBD
NRG Stadium (Houston)
6:30 pm, ESPN