This year's Cotton Bowl will feature a Pac-12 vs. AAC matchup, as USC takes on the surprising Tulane Green Wave, who won the American Athletic Conference title game against UCF on championship weekend.
For the Trojans it's a somewhat disappointing result, as they were hoping to be playing in the College Football Playoff. Their loss to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship, however, knocked the Trojans out of consideration for the top four and has them playing in Dallas instead.
With that being said, it's a promising start to the Lincoln Riley era, as Caleb Williams put together a Heisman-worthy campaign that ultimately came up just short of a playoff berth for the Trojans.
Tulane, meanwhile, is playing in its first major New Year's Day bowl since 1940's Sugar Bowl, in which the Green Wave lost to Texas A&M as a member of the SEC.
This game is one of the more intriguing on the New Year's schedule, as it features two teams who are seemingly on the rise. For Tulane, it's a massive turnaround from last season in which it went 2-10. For USC, meanwhile, it signifies the entrance of Lincoln Riley. Despite the overall disappointing result, it shows a program heading in the right direction.
MORE: Full college football bowl schedule for 2022-23
Here's all the information you need to know to watch the Cotton Bowl.
When is the Cotton Bowl 2023?
- Date: Jan. 2, 2023
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- TV broadcast: ESPN
- Location: AT&T Stadium | Arlington, Texas
The 2023 Cotton Bowl will be played in AT&T Stadium, as per usual. Prior to the completion of AT&T Stadium, it was played in The Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
Who plays in the Cotton Bowl 2023?
This year's Cotton Bowl will feature the USC Trojans and the Tulane Green Wave. Tulane is the Group of 5 representative this season, looking to leave its mark on the CFB world. The AAC winners have turned around after a pair of disappointing seasons, and they're hoping to upset USC.
USC, meanwhile, will be looking to build upon an already-impressive season. Despite losing the Pac-12 Championship to Utah, USC didn't come into this year with the expectation of competing for the playoffs in Lincoln Riley's first season as its head coach. It will hope to lay a solid foundation with a bowl win after coming up just short of the playoffs this season.
What to know about Cotton Bowl 2023
This year's Cotton Bowl features one team looking to return to its superpower status in USC and another looking to become a major player in the CFB landscape in Tulane.
USC has been powered by Heisman candidate Caleb Williams, who has been nothing short of outstanding this season and already has NFL teams ready to shoot for 0-17 for him next year. He's also another notch on the belt of Lincoln Riley, who has continued to churn out Heisman campaigns for his quarterbacks.
For Tulane, Michael Pratt may not be getting the recognition but he has also put together an unbelievable campaign at QB. Pratt has thrown 25 touchdowns to just five interceptions on the year, but he isn't alone for the Green Wave offense. Tyjae Spears is the real heartbeat of the Tulane offense, after rushing for 1,376 yards and 15 TDs on the year.
This will be a fascinating matchup, as these two teams look to carve out their spot in the New Years Six slate. Will it be the team seeking former glory? Or will it be the team who turned things around from a 2-10 season in 2021?
Cotton Bowl odds
This section will be updated when odds become available for the Cotton Bowl.
Where the Cotton Bowl will be played in 2023
The Cotton Bowl will be played in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where it's been played since the stadium opened in 2009.
New Year's 6 bowl schedule 2022
ESPN will carry each of the New Year's 6 bowl games in 2022.
| Date | Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 30 | Orange Bowl | No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 10 Clemson | 8 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV |
| Dec. 31 | Sugar Bowl | No. 5 Alabama vs. Kansas State | Noon | ESPN, fuboTV |
| Dec. 31 | Fiesta Bowl (CFP semifinal) | No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU | 4 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV |
| Dec. 31 | Peach Bowl (CFP semifinal) | No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Ohio State | 8 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV |
| Jan. 2 | Cotton Bowl | USC for Tulane | 1 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV |
| Jan. 2 | Rose Bowl | Utah vs. Penn State | 5 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV |
