Missouri +5.5 (-110) over Ohio State
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- Ohio State is missing its starting quarterback, as Kyle McCord has transferred to Syracuse, and Marvin Harrison Jr. who has opted out of the game.
- We should see a huge motivational edge for Missouri, for whom this game is not a downgrade like it is for Ohio State.
The Cotton Bowl Classic is one of the New Year’s Six bowl games and a great college football tradition to boot. This game has helped to decide national champions both by being part of the College Football Playoff and before the CFP existed. Here, we look at this historic bowl game both ahead of this year’s game and by looking at the overall history of this portion of the college football bowl schedule.
2023 Cotton Bowl Analysis
The 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic will pit the Ohio State Buckeyes against the Missouri Tigers in a matchup between the SEC and Big Ten. Ohio State is certainly the bigger name program between these two schools. But transfers, opt-outs, and the overall mindset of these teams coming into this contest could have a major impact on this game.
Ohio State has not taken the field since they lost to Michigan in the biggest game of their season. While the Cotton Bowl is a big bowl game, this is not where Ohio State wants to be. Making matters worse, they will be without their starting quarterback in Kyle McCord and their top offensive weapon in Marvin Harrison Jr., who has opted out. Missouri, meanwhile, will be thrilled to be on this stage and we will see if that leads to a positive outcome for the Tigers.
Cotton Bowl History
The Cotton Bowl Classic has been played since the 1930s, with some of the biggest name programs in college football taking part in the 80-plus years it has been around. This bowl game no longer features clearly-defined conference tie-ins, as this bowl game is a part of the New Year’s Six, where participants come from different conferences on a rotating basis depending on which bowls host College Football Playoff games. Below is a full list of previous Cotton Bowl matchups from the 1930s to the present day.
| Date played | Winning team | Losing team |
| 1/1/37 | No. 16 TCU | No. 20 Marquette |
| 1/1/38 | Rice | Colorado |
| 1/2/39 | Saint Mary’s (CA) | No. 11 Texas Tech |
| 1/1/40 | Clemson | Boston College |
| 1/1/41 | No. 6 Texas A&M | No. 12 Fordham |
| 1/1/42 | No. 20 Alabama | No. 9 Texas A&M |
| 1/1/43 | No. 11 Texas | Georgia Tech |
| 1/1/44 | No. 14 Texas | Randolph Field |
| 1/1/45 | Oklahoma A&M | TCU |
| 1/1/46 | No. 10 Texas | Missouri |
| 1/1/47 | No. 8 LSU | No. 16 Arkansas |
| 1/1/48 | No. 10 SMU | No. 18 Penn State |
| 1/1/49 | No. 10 SMU | No. 9 Oregon |
| 1/2/50 | No. 5 Rice | No. 16 North Carolina |
| 1/1/51 | No. 4 Tennessee | No. 3 Texas |
| 1/1/52 | No. 15 Kentucky | No. 11 TCU |
| 1/1/53 | No. 10 Texas | No. 8 Tennessee |
| 1/1/54 | No. 6 Rice | No. 13 Alabama |
| 1/1/55 | Georgia Tech | No. 10 Arkansas |
| 1/2/56 | No. 10 Ole Miss | No. 6 TCU |
| 1/1/57 | No. 14 TCU | No. 8 Syracuse |
| 1/1/58 | No. 5 Navy | No. 8 Rice |
| 1/1/59 | No. 10 TCU | No. 6 Air Force |
| 1/1/60 | No. 1 Syracuse | No. 4 Texas |
| 1/2/61 | No. 10 Duke | No. 7 Arkansas |
| 1/1/62 | No. 3 Texas | No. 5 Ole Miss |
| 1/1/63 | No. 7 LSU | No. 4 Texas |
| 1/1/64 | No. 1 Texas | No. 2 Navy |
| 1/1/65 | No. 2 Arkansas | No. 6 Nebraska |
| 1/1/66 | LSU | No. 2 Arkansas |
| 12/31/66 | No. 4 Georgia | No. 10 SMU |
| 1/1/68 | Texas A&M | No. 8 Alabama |
| 1/1/69 | No. 5 Texas | No. 8 Tennessee |
| 1/1/70 | No. 1 Texas | No. 9 Notre Dame |
| 1/1/71 | No. 6 Notre Dame | No. 1 Texas |
| 1/1/72 | No. 10 Penn State | No. 12 Texas |
| 1/1/73 | No. 7 Texas | No. 4 Alabama |
| 1/1/74 | No. 12 Nebraska | No. 8 Texas |
| 1/1/75 | No. 7 Penn State | No. 12 Baylor |
| 1/1/76 | No. 18 Arkansas | No. 12 Georgia |
| 1/1/77 | No. 6 Houston | No. 4 Maryland |
| 1/2/78 | No. 5 Notre Dame | No. 1 Texas |
| 1/1/79 | No. 10 Notre Dame | No. 9 Houston |
| 1/1/80 | No. 8 Houston | No. 7 Nebraska |
| 1/1/81 | No. 9 Alabama | No. 6 Baylor |
| 1/1/82 | No. 6 Texas | No. 3 Alabama |
| 1/1/83 | No. 4 SMU | No. 6 Pittsburgh |
| 1/2/84 | No. 7 Georgia | No. 2 Texas |
| 1/1/85 | No. 8 Boston College | Houston |
| 1/1/86 | No. 11 Texas A&M | No. 16 Auburn |
| 1/1/87 | No. 11 Ohio State | No. 8 Texas A&M |
| 1/1/88 | No. 13 Texas A&M | No. 12 Notre Dame |
| 1/2/89 | No. 9 UCLA | No. 8 Arkansas |
| 1/1/90 | No. 8 Tennessee | No. 10 Arkansas |
| 1/1/91 | No. 4 Miami (FL) | No. 3 Texas |
| 1/1/92 | No. 5 Florida State | No. 9 Texas A&M |
| 1/1/93 | No. 5 Notre Dame | No. 4 Texas A&M |
| 1/1/94 | No. 4 Notre Dame | No. 7 Texas A&M |
| 1/2/95 | No. 21 USC | Texas Tech |
| 1/1/96 | No. 7 Colorado | No. 12 Oregon |
| 1/1/97 | No. 5 BYU | No. 14 Kansas State |
| 1/1/98 | No. 5 UCLA | No. 20 Texas A&M |
| 1/1/99 | No. 20 Texas | No. 25 Mississippi State |
| 1/1/00 | No. 24 Arkansas | No. 14 Texas |
| 1/1/01 | No. 11 Kansas State | No. 21 Tennessee |
| 1/1/02 | No. 10 Oklahoma | Arkansas |
| 1/1/03 | No. 9 Texas | LSU |
| 1/2/04 | No. 16 Ole Miss | No. 21 Oklahoma State |
| 1/1/05 | No. 15 Tennessee | No. 22 Texas A&M |
| 1/2/06 | No. 8 Alabama | No. 20 Texas Tech |
| 1/1/07 | No. 10 Auburn | No. 22 Nebraska |
| 1/1/08 | No. 7 Missouri | No. 25 Arkansas |
| 1/2/09 | No. 20 Ole Miss | No. 8 Texas Tech |
| 1/2/10 | Ole Miss | No. 21 Oklahoma State |
| 1/7/11 | No. 11 LSU | No. 18 Texas A&M |
| 1/6/12 | No. 7 Arkansas | No. 11 Kansas State |
| 1/4/13 | No. 9 Texas A&M | No. 11 Oklahoma |
| 1/3/14 | No. 9 Missouri | No. 13 Oklahoma State |
| 1/1/15 | No. 7 Michigan State | No. 4 Baylor |
| 12/31/15 | No. 2 Alabama | No. 3 Michigan State |
| 1/2/17 | No. 8 Wisconsin | No. 12 Western Michigan |
| 12/29/17 | No. 5 Ohio State | No. 8 USC |
| 12/29/18 | No. 2 Clemson | No. 3 Notre Dame |
| 12/28/19 | No. 13 Penn State | No. 15 Memphis |
| 12/30/20 | No. 8 Oklahoma | No. 10 Florida |
| 12/31/21 | No. 1 Alabama | No. 4 Cincinnati |
| 1/2/23 | No. 14 Tulane | No. 8 USC |
Bowl Game MVPs
Multiple MVPs have been awarded in the Cotton Bowl Classic dating back to 1937, with offensive and defensive players being given the award each year. If you go through the list of MVPs below, you will see some big names that have earned those awards, including many players who have gone onto have big-time professional careers.
| Date played | MVP(s) | Team |
| 1/1/37 | Ki Aldrich | TCU |
| Sammy Baugh | TCU | |
| L.D. “Dutch” Meyer | TCU | |
| 1/1/38 | Ernie Lain | Rice |
| Byron “Whizzer” White | Colorado | |
| 1/1/39 | Jerry Dowd | St. Mary’s (CA) |
| Elmer Tarbox | Texas Tech | |
| 1/1/40 | Banks McFadden | Clemson |
| 1/1/41 | Charles Henke | Texas A&M |
| John Kimbrough | Texas A&M | |
| Chip Roult | Texas A&M | |
| Lou DeFilippo | Fordham | |
| Joe Ungerer | Fordham | |
| 1/1/42 | Jimmy Nelson | Alabama |
| Holt Rast | Alabama | |
| Don Whitmire | Alabama | |
| Martin Ruby | Texas A&M | |
| 1/1/43 | Jack Freeman | Texas |
| Roy McKay | Texas | |
| Stanley Mauldin | Texas | |
| Harvey Hardy | Georgia Tech | |
| Jack Marshall | Georgia Tech | |
| 1/1/44 | Martin Ruby | Randolph Field |
| Glenn Dobbs | Randolph Field | |
| Joe Parker | Texas | |
| 1/1/45 | Neill Armstrong | Oklahoma A&M |
| Bob Fenimore | Oklahoma A&M | |
| Ralph Foster | Oklahoma A&M | |
| 1/1/46 | Hub Bechtol | Texas |
| Bobby Layne | Texas | |
| Jim Kekeris | Missouri | |
| 1/1/47 | Alton Baldwin | Arkansas |
| Y. A. Tittle | LSU | |
| 1/1/48 | Steve Suhey | Penn State |
| Doak Walker | SMU | |
| 1/1/49 | Kyle Rote | SMU |
| Doak Walker | SMU | |
| Brad Ecklund | Oregon | |
| Norm Van Brocklin | Oregon | |
| 1/2/50 | Billy Burkhalter | Rice |
| Joe Watson | Rice | |
| James Williams | Rice | |
| 1/1/51 | Andy Kozar | Tennessee |
| Hank Lauricella | Tennessee | |
| Horace “Bud” Sherrod | Tennessee | |
| Bud McFadin | Texas | |
| 1/1/52 | Emery Clark | Kentucky |
| Ray Correll | Kentucky | |
| Vito “Babe” Parilli | Kentucky | |
| Keith Flowers | TCU | |
| 1/1/53 | Richard Ochoa | Texas |
| Harley Sewell | Texas | |
| Bob Griesbach | Tennessee | |
| 1/1/54 | Richard Chapman | Rice |
| Dan Hart | Rice | |
| Dickey Maegle | Rice | |
| 1/1/55 | George Humphreys | Georgia Tech |
| Bud Brooks | Arkansas | |
| 1/2/56 | Buddy Alliston | Ole Miss |
| Eagle Day | Ole Miss | |
| 1/1/57 | Norman Hamilton | TCU |
| Jim Brown | Syracuse | |
| 1/1/58 | Tom Forrestal | Navy |
| Tony Stremic | Navy | |
| 1/1/59 | Dave Phillips | Air Force |
| Jack Spikes | TCU | |
| 1/1/60 | Ernie Davis | Syracuse |
| Maurice Doke | Texas | |
| 1/2/61 | Dwight Bumgarner | Duke |
| Lance Alworth | Arkansas | |
| 1/1/62 | Mike Cotten | Texas |
| Bob Moses | Texas | |
| 1/1/63 | Lynn Amedee | LSU |
| Johnny Treadwell | Texas | |
| 1/1/64 | Scott Appleton | Texas |
| Duke Carlisle | Texas | |
| 1/1/65 | Ronnie Caveness | Arkansas |
| Fred Marshall | Arkansas | |
| 1/1/66 | Joe Labruzzo | LSU |
| David McCormick | LSU | |
| 12/31/66 | Kent Lawrence | Georgia |
| George Patton | Georgia | |
| 1/1/68 | Grady Allen | Texas A&M |
| Edd Hargett | Texas A&M | |
| Bill Hobbs | Texas A&M | |
| 1/1/69 | Tom Campbell | Texas |
| Cotton Speyrer | Texas | |
| James Street | Texas | |
| 1/1/70 | Steve Worster | Texas |
| Bob Olson | Notre Dame | |
| 1/1/71 | Clarence Ellis | Notre Dame |
| Eddie Phillips | Texas | |
| 1/1/72 | Bruce Bannon | Penn State |
| Lydell Mitchell | Penn State | |
| 1/1/73 | Randy Braband | Texas |
| Alan Lowry | Texas | |
| 1/1/74 | Tony Davis | Nebraska |
| Wade Johnston | Texas | |
| 1/1/75 | Tom Shuman | Penn State |
| Ken Quesenberry | Baylor | |
| 1/1/76 | Ike Forte | Arkansas |
| Hal McAfee | Arkansas | |
| 1/1/77 | Alois Blackwell | Houston |
| Mark Mohr | Houston | |
| 1/2/78 | Vagas Ferguson | Notre Dame |
| Bob Golic | Notre Dame | |
| 1/1/79 | Joe Montana | Notre Dame |
| David Hodge | Houston | |
| 1/1/80 | Terry Elston | Houston |
| David Hodge | Houston | |
| 1/1/81 | Warren Lyles | Alabama |
| Major Ogilvie | Alabama | |
| 1/1/82 | Robert Brewer | Texas |
| Robbie Jones | Alabama | |
| 1/1/83 | Wes Hopkins | SMU |
| Lance McIlhenny | SMU | |
| 1/1/84 | John Lastinger | Georgia |
| Jeff Leiding | Texas | |
| 1/1/85 | Bill Romanowski | Boston College |
| Steve Strachan | Boston College | |
| 1/1/86 | Domingo Bryant | Texas A&M |
| Bo Jackson | Auburn | |
| 1/1/87 | Chris Spielman | Ohio State |
| Roger Vick | Texas A&M | |
| 1/1/88 | Adam Bob | Texas A&M |
| Bucky Richardson | Texas A&M | |
| 1/2/89 | Troy Aikman | UCLA |
| LaSalle Harper | Arkansas | |
| 1/1/90 | Carl Pickens | Tennessee |
| Chuck Webb | Tennessee | |
| 1/1/91 | Craig Erickson | Miami (FL) |
| Russell Maryland | Miami (FL) | |
| 1/1/92 | Sean Jackson | Florida State |
| Chris Crooms | Texas A&M | |
| 1/1/93 | Rick Mirer | Notre Dame |
| Devon McDonald | Notre Dame | |
| 1/1/94 | Lee Becton | Notre Dame |
| Antonio Shorter | Texas A&M | |
| 1/2/95 | Keyshawn Johnson | USC |
| John Herpin | USC | |
| 1/1/96 | Herchell Troutman | Colorado |
| Marcus Washington | Colorado | |
| 1/1/97 | Steve Sarkisian | BYU |
| Shay Muirbrook | BYU | |
| Kevin Lockett | Kansas State | |
| 1/1/98 | Cade McNown | UCLA |
| Dat Nguyen | Texas A&M | |
| 1/1/99 | Ricky Williams | Texas |
| Aaron Babino | Texas | |
| 1/1/00 | Cedric Cobbs | Arkansas |
| D. J. Cooper | Arkansas | |
| 1/1/01 | Jonathan Beasley | Kansas State |
| Chris L. Johnson | Kansas State | |
| 1/1/02 | Quentin Griffin | Oklahoma |
| Roy Williams | Oklahoma | |
| 1/1/03 | Roy Williams | Texas |
| Cory Redding | Texas | |
| 1/2/04 | Eli Manning | Ole Miss |
| Josh Cooper | Ole Miss | |
| 1/1/05 | Rick Clausen | Tennessee |
| Justin Harrell | Tennessee | |
| 1/2/06 | Brodie Croyle | Alabama |
| DeMeco Ryans | Alabama | |
| 1/1/07 | Courtney Taylor | Auburn |
| Will Herring | Auburn | |
| 1/1/08 | Tony Temple | Missouri |
| William Moore | Missouri | |
| 1/2/09 | Dexter McCluster | Ole Miss |
| Marshay Green | Ole Miss | |
| 1/2/10 | Dexter McCluster | Ole Miss |
| Andre Sexton | Oklahoma State | |
| 1/7/11 | Terrence Toliver | LSU |
| Tyrann Mathieu | LSU | |
| 1/6/12 | Tyler Wilson | Arkansas |
| Jake Bequette | Arkansas | |
| 1/4/13 | Johnny Manziel | Texas A&M |
| Dustin Harris | Texas A&M | |
| 1/3/14 | Henry Josey | Missouri |
| Andrew Wilson | Missouri | |
| 1/1/15 | Bryce Petty | Baylor |
| Taylor Young | Baylor | |
| 12/31/15 | Jake Coker | Alabama |
| Cyrus Jones | Alabama | |
| 1/2/17 | Troy Fumagalli | Wisconsin |
| T. J. Edwards | Wisconsin | |
| 12/29/17 | J. T. Barrett | Ohio State |
| Damon Webb | Ohio State | |
| 12/29/18 | Trevor Lawrence | Clemson |
| Austin Bryant | Clemson | |
| 12/28/19 | Journey Brown | Penn State |
| Micah Parsons | Penn State | |
| 12/30/20 | Rhamondre Stevenson | Oklahoma |
| Tre Norwood | Oklahoma | |
| 12/31/21 | Brian Robinson Jr. | Alabama |
| Will Anderson Jr. | Alabama | |
| 1/2/23 | Tyjae Spears | Tulane |
| Dorian Williams | Tulane |
