2017 ohio state bowl guide by OhioStAthletics

GOODYEAR COTTON BOWL CLASSIC AT&T STADIUM

FRIDAY, DEC. 29, 2017 ARLINGTON, TEXAS // 8:30 P.M. ET

OHIO STATE BOWL GUIDE

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WHAT ’S INSIDE

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FEATURE

MATCHUP BREAKDOWN

PLAYERS TO WATCH

COTTON BOWL

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES vs.

USC TROJANS DECEMBER 29, 2017 • 8:30 P.M. • AT&T STADIUM • ARLINGTON, TEXAS @OhioStateFB

@ohiostatefb

/OhioStateUniversityFootball

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GOING OUT ON A HIGH NOTE

Ohio State may have narrowly missed out on the opportunity to make its third trip to the College Football Playoff in four seasons, but the Buckeyes still find themselves in an attractive postseason destination, with an invitation to take on USC in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Ohio State finds itself in arguably the most intriguing bowl matchup of the 2017 season outside of the Playoff games. This year’s Cotton Bowl not only matches up two national powers with rich traditions, but the Buckeyes and Trojans share a long history. The teams have met 23 times, second most of Ohio State and any nonconference opponent (Pitt, 25 meetings), with USC holding a 13-9-1 overall series lead.

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BOWL GUIDE

“That’s a traditionally rich program right there, just like Ohio State,” said senior linebacker Chris Worley. “Everyone knows about Ohio State-USC. We’re definitely excited to be blessed with the opportunity that we have. A lot of teams can’t say they’re going against a top-notch team like they are with us and how we are with them. It’s going to be a hard-fought game.” Each team will be making just its second Cotton Bowl appearance, with Ohio State previously picking up a win over Texas A&M in 1987 and USC a 55-14 victory over Texas Tech in 1995. Though the programs don’t have much experience with the Cotton Bowl, the matchup between the Big Ten champion Buckeyes and Pac-12 champion Trojans will have the feel of a traditional Rose Bowl.

The two teams have met seven times in the postseason previously, all of them in the Rose Bowl. Though USC holds a 4-3 edge in those postseason meetings, Ohio State enjoyed early success in the series, including wins over the Trojans that capped national championship seasons in 1954 and 1968. This year’s Buckeyes go into the Cotton Bowl looking to finish a roller coaster season on a positive note. Though they experienced setbacks along the way and fell just shy of their ultimate goal of a spot in the College Football Playoff, they have the opportunity to put a stamp on a season that will still be looked back on as a success. There were thrilling comeback wins over Penn State and Michigan, a blowout of 12th ranked Michigan State, and ultimately a Big Ten Championship Game win over Wisconsin. Ohio State will be facing a team in USC, led by quarterback and likely early NFL draft pick Sam Darnold, that rebounded from two early losses of its own to win a conference title, also narrowly missing out on the Playoff. “It was a disappointment (not to make the Playoff), but then we got to see we were playing in the Cotton Bowl,” said junior receiver Terry McLaurin. “It’s a bowl game that’s been around a long time and had some great games, and we’re playing another blueblood program in USC. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was one of the most watched games of this bowl season. You have two programs that are playing really good football at the end of the year and want to win their last game.” Not only are the Buckeyes looking for a positive

end to the 2017 campaign, the Cotton Bowl will be the last game for one of the most decorated senior classes in program history, a class that will be taking the field for the final time on the same field where many of them contributed to a national championship victory as freshmen. A win would allow them to leave with a 49-6 record, a national championship, two conference championships, and wins in the Sugar, Fiesta and Cotton Bowls. For All-American center Billy Price, the most important thing is to take the field one final time with his teammates. “I’m just excited to have the opportunity to go play again and represent the Big Ten,” Price said. “To play one more game with these guys, and we’ll never have that combination again. Being that fifth year senior season, I’ve got a special bond with my O-line guys right now, with J.T., with J.K. Dobbins, with Mike Weber and the receivers. With these guys you can’t go wrong.”

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MATCHUP BREAKDOWN

11-2

OHIO STATE DATE OPPONENT Aug. 31 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Nov. 25 Dec. 2 Dec. 29

TIME/RESULT

at Indiana* Oklahoma Army UNLV at Rutgers* Maryland* at Nebraska* Penn State* at Iowa* Michigan State* Illinois* at Michigan* vs. Wisconsin vs. USC

W, 49-21 L, 31-16 W, 38-7 W, 54-21 W, 56-0 W, 62-14 W, 56-14 W, 39-38 L, 55-24 W, 48-3 W, 52-14 W, 31-20 W, 27-21 8:30 p.m.

* Big Ten Game

DATE OPPONENT Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 29 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Dec. 1 Dec. 29

TIME/RESULT

Western Michigan Stanford* Texas at California* at Washington State* Oregon State* Utah* at Notre Dame at Arizona State* Arizona* at Colorado* UCLA* vs. Stanford vs. Ohio State

W, 49-31 W, 42-24 W, 27-24 W, 30-20 L, 30-27 W, 38-10 W, 28-27 L, 49-14 W, 48-17 W, 49-35 W, 38-24 W, 28-23 W, 31-28 8:30 p.m.

* Pac-12 Game

HEAD COACH URBAN MEYER

HEAD COACH CLAY HELTON

Career coaching record

Record at Ohio State

Record at USC

Record in bowl games

176-31

27-9

72-8

BIO

11-2

USC

10-3

27-9

BIO

2-1

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MATCHUP BREAKDOWN LAST TIME OUT • OHIO STATE 27, WISCONSIN 21

RUSHING

PASSING

SCORING

SCHEDULE

STATS

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279.5 YPG (Opponents 179.0)

ROSTER

294.6 YPG (Opponents 246.5)

ROSTER

250.3 YPG (Opponents 112.8)

COTTON BOWL TEAM LINKS

43.8 PPG (Opponents 19.8)

34.5 PPG (Opponents 26.3)

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP

194.9 YPG (Opponents 158.3)

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP BOX SCORE

BEST OHIO STATE FOOTBALL COVERAGE, PERIOD.

OHIO STATE

NOTES

USC Trademarks of The Ohio State University are used with permission.

OFFENSIVE PL AYERS TO WATCH

BOWL GUIDE

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A four-year starter on the Buckeyes’ offensive line dating back to when he started all 15 games in the 2014 national championship season, Price broke the school record for starts and consecutive starts (Luke Fickell, 50, 1993-96) in the win over Michigan State on Nov. 11. Price was selected as a First-Team All-American at guard in 2016 before moving over to center this season. In 2017, he won the Rimington Trophy for the nation’s best center, was named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and was a unanimous First-Team All-American.

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One of the most decorated quarterbacks in Buckeye history, Barrett’s 37 wins are the most for an Ohio State starting quarterback, and he is the first quarterback on either side to start in four wins in the Ohio State-Michigan series. He is the Big Ten’s all-time leader in TDs responsible for (145) and TD passes (104). Barrett’s 9,320 career passing yards are one of 30 Ohio State records he holds. The only three-time captain in OSU history, Barrett was a corecipient of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football for Big Ten Player of the Year in 2016 and won Big Ten Quarterback of the Year honors three times.

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DEFENSIVE PL AYERS TO WATCH

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NICK BOSA

DENZEL WARD

So. • DE • Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Sr. • LB • Cleveland, Ohio

Ohio State’s leader with seven sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss this season, Bosa was named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, making him the fourth straight Buckeye to win the award, which his brother, Joey, also won twice. Bosa was selected as an AFCA First-Team All-American this season, while earning second-team honors from multiple outlets. He was named a Freshman All-American after tallying five sacks and seven tackles for loss last year.

In his first year as a full-time starter, Ward led the Buckeyes and ranked third in the Big Ten with 17 passes defended (15 breakups, two interceptions). He earned All-Big Ten First Team honors and was selected as a consensus First-Team All-American. Ward was at his best in big games this season, including a career-high eight tackles with two pass breakups and a blocked extra point at Michigan. He also had a crucial blocked punt in the comeback win over Penn State and an interception in the Big Ten Championship Game win over Wisconsin.

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OFFENSIVE PL AYERS TO WATCH

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DEFENSIVE PL AYERS TO WATCH

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SAM DARNOLD

RONALD JONES II

CAMERON SMITH

RASHEEM GREEN

R-So. • QB • Capistrano Beach, Calif.

Jr. • RB • McKinney, Texas

Jr. • LB • Roseville, Calif.

Jr. • DT • Los Angeles, Calif.

Darnold comes into the Cotton Bowl after throwing for 3,787 yards and 26 touchdowns this season, enough to earn him All-Pac-12 First Team honors. Darnold is 20-3 as a starter and at one point led the Trojans to 13 straight wins, which included the final nine games of 2016 and a 4-0 start this year. He took over the starting job in the fourth game in 2016 and threw for 3,086 yards and 31 touchdowns, including a 453-yard, five-touchdown performance that earned him Offensive Player of the Game honors in a Rose Bowl victory over Penn State.

Jones has led the Trojans in rushing in each of his three seasons and has topped the 1,000-yard mark in the last two after rushing for 987 yards as a freshman. A three-time All-Pac-12 selection, Jones earned first-team honors this season, and his 1,486 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns each rank in the top 10 nationally. His 3,555 career rushing yards rank fifth on USC’s alltime list, and he has scored a touchdown in 18 of his last 19 games.

A three-year starter, Smith has led the Trojans in tackles each of the last two seasons and was on pace to be the first freshman to lead USC in tackles before suffering an injury in 2015. His 102 tackles rank third in the Pac-12, and he was selected to the All-Pac-12 First Team this year after being named to the second team and honorable mention in 2016 and 2015, respectively. Smith was named to the Midseason All-American First Team by CBSSports.com, and he was named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy.

Green has tallied 39 tackles this season, and his nine sacks led the Trojans and ranked second in the Pac-12. A second year starter, he was selected to the All-Pac-12 First Team this year after receiving an honorable mention nod last season. He recorded a career-high three sacks in USC’s win over Arizona State on Oct. 28.

GOODYEAR COTTON BOWL CLASSIC

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GOODYEAR COTTON BOWL CLASSIC The first Classic was conceived by the late J. Curtis Sanford, a Dallas oilman and business executive. TCU and Marquette met on Jan. 1, 1937, at Fair Park’s Cotton Bowl Stadium before 17,000 fans. In 1941, the affiliation with the Southwest Conference began, with the SWC voting to send its champion annually to the Classic as the host institution. The game remained at its namesake stadium through 2009 before moving to AT&T Stadium in 2010.

AT&T STADIUM On Nov. 2, 2004, the voters of Arlington approved a public-private partnership with the Dallas Cowboys to build a state-of-the-art, retractable roof stadium in Arlington, Texas. Located in the heart of Arlington’s entertainment district, construction on the stadium began in April 2006 and was completed early in the summer of 2009. The 3.0-million square-foot stadium has a capacity of up to 100,000. The stadium features signature monumental arches, an expansive retractable roof, massive glass retractable end zone doors, a distinguishing canted glass wall, and the world’s largest center-hung HD video board.

COTTON BOWL

DIRECTIONS

TICKET EXCHANGE

PARKING

GAMEDAY INFO

STADIUM APP

A-Z GUIDE

STADIUM MAPS

QUICK FACTS COTTON BOWL Founded: 1937 Stadium: Cotton Bowl (1937-2009), AT&T Stadium (2010-present) Ohio State Appearances: 1 (defeated Texas A&M 28-12 in 1987) USC Appearances: 1 (defeated Texas Tech 55-14 in 1995) 2016 Game: Wisconsin 24, Western Michigan 16 AT&T STADIUM Opened: 2009 Capacity: 80,000 Surface: Matrix Field Turf Teams/Events: Dallas Cowboys; Cotton Bowl (2010-present), CFP National Championship (2015), NCAA Men’s Final Four (2014), Super Bowl XLV (2011) Last Ohio State Appearance: 2015 CFP National Championship (defeated Oregon, 42-20) Last USC Appearance: 2016 Advocare Classic (lost to Alabama, 52-6)