Previewing Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl Matchup with Missouri

Ohio State’s 2023 season finale has arrived.While the Buckeyes aren’t playing for a national championship as hoped, they still have an intriguing matchup to wrap up the year as they take on No. 9 Missouri in the Cotton Bowl on Friday. While the game might mean more to Missouri than it does to Ohio State, the Buckeyes are still plenty motivated to conclude their season with a victory to take some momentum into 2024.A win over the Tigers won’t come easily, however, as Missouri possesses what might be the best offense Ohio State has faced all season while the Buckeyes will be breaking in a new starting quarterback and are expected to be without star receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.What do the Buckeyes need to do on both sides of the ball to earn a win over the Tigers and which Ohio State players will we be keeping a close eye on in the final game of the season? We break it all down in our final Real Pod Wednesdays of 2023.The rundown for this week’s show:1:44: Ohio State looks plenty motivated as the vast majority of the Buckeyes will play in this game2:54: Most of Ohio State’s juniors will play, and many of them could be back at OSU next year, too8:16: Luther Burden highlights an offense that might be the best Ohio State has faced all season11:27: This game will be a big factor in how Ohio State’s 2023 defensive performance is remembered13:22: Running quarterbacks have given Ohio State some problems, and Brady Cook has that ability15:39: The completeness of Missouri’s offense is what makes it particularly tough to stop18:47: Missouri’s defense isn’t great, but it’s not bad20:55: Ohio State enters this game with plenty of questions on offense, starting with Devin Brown22:53: It’s a “Lose Yourself” moment for Devin Brown as he tries to become Ohio State’s 2024 QB29:44: Carnell Tate has the opportunity for a breakout like Marvin Harrison Jr. had two years ago32:07: Xavier Johnson could play a big role and everyone will want to see him have a big game37:02: Josh Proctor is another six-year success story that looks to finish on a high note43:01: Ohio State’s 2024 defense has massive upside, but that starts with finishing 2023 strong48:12: Dallan Hayden can build momentum for 2024 with increased opportunity to play49:40: Ohio State’s offensive line looks to get back on track after disappointing Michigan game52:00: It sounds like we might have to wait until next year to see C.J. Hicks get unleashed54:29: Why we’re both predicting a close win for Ohio State