No. 5 Ohio State (11-2) and No. 8 USC (11-2) meet in the Cotton Bowl Classic, a matchup of traditional rivals from the Big Ten and Pac-12.
Here's everything you need to know about the Cotton Bowl matchup between the Buckeyes and Trojans:
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What
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Where
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
When
Friday, Dec. 29, 8:30 p.m.
How to watch
ESPN, live-stream at WatchESPN
Betting line
Ohio State -6
Last meeting
USC beat Ohio State 18-15 on Sept. 12, 2009. The Trojans lead the all-time series 13-9-1, which includes seven Rose Bowls.
Keys to victory
Quarterback play
USC's Sam Darnold and Ohio State's J.T. Barrett are two of the most decorated quarterbacks in college football, and this is a legacy game for both after leading their respective teams to the Pac-12 and Big Ten championships, respectively. Darnold faces a Greg Schiano-led defense that allowed just 183.5 passing yards per game. Barrett, meanwhile, will attack a USC defense that allowed 159 yards per game on the ground.
Who runs wild?
It's fitting that an Ohio State-USC game will have as many as four great tailbacks getting carries in this game. J.K. Dobbins (1,364 yards, seven touchdowns) and Mike Weber (608 yards, 10 touchdowns) are a productive 1-2 punch around Barrett. USC coach Clay Helton learned to lean on the combo of Ronald Jones (1,486 yards, 18 touchdowns) and Stephen Carr (363 yards, three touchdowns). The team that produces more chunk plays on the ground will be in good shape.
Ohio State's pass rush
Ohio State's strength remains an aggressive defensive line that features Nick Bosa (7.0 sacks), Tyquan Lewis (6.0 sacks) and Sam Hubbard (4.5 sacks). How will that affect Darnold's timing? That's the biggest factor to watch early in the game.
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Bold prediction
The Trojans have a chance to tie or take the lead on the game's final drive, but Ohio State comes up with a game-ending turnover.
Early pick
Ohio State 30-27. The Buckeyes improve to 4-2 in postseason games under Meyer and build momentum heading into 2018.
