Update Friday 6:30 p.m. Marvin Harrison Jr. is officially out for Ohio State, and the line has moved to Ohio State -4.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
The 2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic will take place tonight as the No. 9 Missouri Tigers will battle the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. This is the first of the New Year’s Six bowl games taking place this weekend and kick off is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Missouri (10-2, 6-2 SEC) was a pleasant surprise this season, achieving its first double-digit win campaign since 2014. The Tigers cruised through a manageable SEC schedule this season as its lone setbacks were close losses to both LSU and Georgia. Mizzou’s offense shined throughout the year with quarterback Brady Cook throwing for over 3,000 yards and wide receiver Luther Burden III emerging as one of the deadliest pass-catching threats in the entire country. At running back, Cody Schader ran for roughly 1,500 yards with 13 touchdowns and even received a single first-place vote for the Heisman Trophy.
Ohio State (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) had yet another season where it ran right through its conference schedule and even picked up a marquee win over Notre Dame along the way. However, the Buckeyes were defeated by arch enemy Michigan for a third year in a row, ending their College Football Playoff hopes and raising more questions about Ryan Day’s job security heading into the 2024 season (the Michigan game matters folks, even if he is 56-7 as a head coach).
The star of the offense was wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who won the Biletnikoff Award with 67 receptions for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. At quarterback, Kyle McCord threw for over 3,000 yards, but wasn’t as electric as his predecessors in CJ Stroud and Justin Fields. He has since transferred to Syracuse. Defensively, Tommy Eichenberg won Big Ten Linebacker of the Year honors with 80 tackles, a forced fumble, and a sack.
SP+ Rankings
Missouri: 12 overall, 12 offense, 23 defense
Ohio State: 3 overall, 25 offense, 3 defense
List of injuries and players opting out of game
Missouri
QB Jake Garcia – Questionable (Transfer Portal)
WR Demariyon Houston – Out (Transfer Portal)
WR Dannis Jackson – Out (Left Team)
QB Gabarri Johnson – Out (Transfer Portal)
QB Dylan Laible – Out (Transfer Portal)
TE Max Whisner – Out (Transfer Portal)
Ohio State
WR Marvin Harrison Jr – Doubtful (Possible Opt Out)
QB Kyle McCord – Out (Transfer Portal)
RB TreVeyon Henderson – Will Play
RB Chip Trayanum – Out (Transfer Portal)
RB Evan Pryor – Out (Transfer Portal)
WR Julian Fleming – Out (Transfer Portal)
TE Joe Royer – Out (Transfer Portal)
RB Will Hartson – Out (Transfer Portal)
WR Kojo Antwi – Questionable (Undisclosed)
S Lathan Ransom – Questionable (Leg)
ATS/Total
Against The Spread in 2023
Missouri: 8-4 ATS
Ohio State: 7-4-1 ATS
Total in 2023
Missouri: Over 8-4
Ohio State: Over 3-9
Team Pace
Missouri: 2.22 plays per minute of offense
Ohio State: 2.19 plays per minute of offense
Odds at DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Ohio State -3.5
Total: 49
Moneyline: Ohio State -175, Missouri +145
Opening line: Ohio State -1
Opening total: 48.5
Weather
AT&T Stadium has a retractable roof, so weather won’t be a factor.
Our Best Bet for the Cotton Bowl
Missouri +3.5
This game would be a barnburner if both teams were at full strength, but they are both dealing with a number of opt outs heading in. The Buckeyes in particular will have several key players from the regular season missing and they are oddly trying to play coy over whether or not Marvin Harrison Jr. will suit up. If he does, he’ll have Devin Brown throwing him the ball, who will be making his first career start in this matchup.
Given how their seasons ended, this is definitely a spot where Missouri will come into the game more motivated than its OSU counterparts. I can envision Burden having a monster outing and making himself the early Biletnikoff favorite heading into next season. Give me the Tigers to cover in Jerry World tonight.