The Ohio State Buckeyes must make the most of their inexperienced talent, while the Missouri Tigers must keep their cool and not overplay the situation.
Only two days remain until the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 9 Missouri Tigers meet in the 2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas.
The Buckeyes and Tigers will both be looking to win on one of the biggest stages in the sport.
However, in order to achieve that goal, each must take different steps. Here are the game keys for both Ohio State and Missouri ahead of their final games of the 2023 season.
The Buckeyes will be without several of their regular starters against the Tigers on Friday. Players such as quarterback Kyle McCord and running back Chip Trayanum have left for the seemingly greener pastures of Syracuse and Kentucky, respectively, while running back Miyan Williams has announced that he will skip the Cotton Bowl to prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft.
These notable absences have left voids in key positions, which Ohio State has filled with some of its younger players. Sophomore quarterback Devin Brown will start his first game as a starter, while freshmen receivers Carnell Tate, Noah Rogers, and Brandon Inniss will be expected to carry the majority of the passing load.
Brown and the young receivers, fortunately for Ohio State, are more than capable of holding their own, at least on paper. The only thing left for the underclassmen and rising stars to do now is demonstrate that they are ready to perform under the bright lights that come with playing Buckeyes football.
During his post-bowl press conference, Coach Eli Drinkwitz stated that he sees Friday’s game as a springboard for the Missouri program. Drinkwitz hopes to capitalize on the national attention his team will receive by competing in a historic bowl game against one of college football’s “blue-blood” programs to give his players the exposure they deserve.
Drinkwitz’s way of thinking about the game is perfectly fine, as long as he doesn’t over-hype it to his players. National exposure is fantastic unless you underperform, and one of the best ways to do so is for players to experience “stage fright” due to the magnitude of the occasion.
Drinkwitz and Missouri must recognize the significance of a strong performance in the Cotton Bowl for their program’s future while also treating it as just another game. This is a difficult balance to achieve, but Drinkwitz is more than capable of achieving it within his locker room.
