Staff Picks: Will Ohio State bounce back in Cotton Bowl against Missouri?

ARLINGTON, Texas — It’s been more than a month since Ohio State’s gut-wrenching, season-spoiling defeat at Michigan. The Wolverines grabbed the Big Ten East division title and, effectively, the Big Ten championship as well as the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff — all in one fell swoop.

Now, 34 days later, Ohio State finally gets to take the field again. The Buckeyes can’t avenge their loss — not yet, anyway — but they can finish 2023 with another top-10 win and a New Year’s Six victory.

With quarterback Devin Brown at the helm following the surprising transfer of starter Kyle McCord, the window is open for a momentum-restoring win as the Buckeyes turn the calendar to 2024.

The Lettermen Row crew is expecting No. 7 Ohio State (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) to end the season on a high note against No. 9 Missouri (10-2, 6-2 SEC). That said, the Buckeyes could be in for quite a fight from their upstart SEC foe.

Staff writers Tim May, Andy Backstrom, Spencer Holbrook, Matt Parker and Alex Gleitman give their score predictions below:

Tim May: 31-20, Buckeyes

“I just think Ohio State you know at one point was the No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff rankings, got beat by the team that ended up No. 1, Michigan, by six points. Who knows what’s gonna happen with Michigan and Alabama, although I think Alabama wins that game. My point is, I think Ohio State is a better team. … I think maybe a much better team.

“I think Missouri is overreaching in this game because that happens when you’re climbing the ladder. Sometimes you get hooked up in a matchup that you’re maybe not quite ready for. I like a lot about Missouri. I just think Ohio State is deeper even with the guys who have hit the transfer portal, even with a couple of guys — maybe one guy, Marvin Harrison Jr. — opting out. I like Ohio State getting into the 30s in this game and winning, 31-20.”

Andy Backstrom: 34-24, Buckeyes

“I’m going 34-24, Ohio State. I like this matchup a lot. I don’t think it’s gonna be a runaway victory for Ohio State. I do think it’s gonna be really cool to watch Devin Brown in a full game. We have not seen that. We really just don’t know what that’s gonna look like. There’s probably gonna be some in-game adversity. I wouldn’t be surprised, maybe Missouri throws the first punch. Who knows? I do think they have star power. Quarterback Brady Cook, running back Cody Schrader, wide receiver Luther Burden III — we talked about all three of them. And, besides that, I mean that offensive line has been a lot of the talk this week from the defensive players from Ohio State saying how fast, how physical they are. They were a Joe Moore Award semifinalist, along with Notre Dame and Michigan — two offensive lines this Ohio State defense has already faced as well.

“So there’s a lot of pieces on that offense that are intriguing to me. The defense is opportunistic for Missouri. They have 18 takeaways this year, which is tied for first in the SEC. They create havoc with tackles for loss and sacks. Darius Robinson has 7.5 sacks on the year. So Missouri has star power, and that’s why I think this game is gonna be only decided by 10 points. But I think that Ohio State has more star power, even with the opt out that you mentioned we’re expecting with Marvin Harrison Jr. I think this is still an Ohio State victory.”

Spencer Holbrook: 35-20, Buckeyes

“I’m going to go 35-20. I don’t think Ohio State’s going to kick any field goals. I was gonna go something like 27. But, to be honest with you, I think this offense is gonna hum a little bit better with Devin Brown’s feet in the red zone and a month to prepare than it did in the regular season when he was hurt and Kyle McCord was in the red zone. So, all that being said, I think Missouri does have star power. I completely agree. But I don’t think they have the star power to run with Ohio State, and you saw that — when push came to shove against Georgia, Georgia out-willed and eventually got past Missouri and won by nine.

“I think Ohio State is gonna be able to stretch it out a little bit more. Because I give Ryan Day a lot of kudos with a month to prepare. He’s usually pretty spot on. So, all that being said, I’m taking Ohio State, 35-20. I think Missouri is going to give everything they have, but I think it’s going to be something like 28-20, tack on one at the end. And that gets you to a two-score game, even though it really was probably a closer game. We probably won’t be able to write a lot until late, but then once it’s a two-score game, Ohio State’s gonna be able to run away with this one a little bit.”

Matt Parker: 34-24, Buckeyes

“For the Buckeyes, playing in this game was never the expectation. For the Tigers, the chance to win 11 games and play in a New Year’s Six is proof that the program is heading in the direction they want. That said, the talent gap is evident. The coaching gap is evident — if you choose to see it. Ohio State has found a reason to get up for the Cotton Bowl. The trajectory of the program needs the Buckeyes to care and compete as if this were the playoff. There is no exception for a team that prides itself on many things, including toughness.

“Devin Brown makes his first career start, but he’s going to have as much help as possible. The entire starting defense, except for maybe Tommy Eichenberg, will line up across Missouri. Ohio State finds a rhythm and the Silver Bullets get things started by forcing a turnover. From there, the Buckeyes go on a roll and reach 12 wins for the first time since 2019.”

Alex Gleitman: 31-27, Buckeyes

“Kind of a weird game to predict with so many different variables across the board for both Ohio State and Missouri. I think so much of this game will be determined by how Devin Brown plays for the Buckeyes. Both from intel and from hunch, I think Brown plays really well, leading the Scarlet and Gray to a victory that will give them some positive momentum heading into 2024.”