The madness of College Football Bowl Season is in full effect. As we inch closer to New Year's Day, it is the Cotton Bowl that should attract eyes from all around the country as the Missouri Tigers take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. It is about that time to continue our College Football odds series where our Missouri-Ohio State prediction and pick will be revealed.

Enduring one of their better years in the last several seasons, Missouri hit the ground running during the 2023 college football season with a 10-2 overall record. In addition, it was the Tigers first ten-win season in nearly a decade and the most successful year they've had during the Eli Drinkwitz tenure. Can Mizzou cap off a historically great season with a Cotton Bowl victory?

Meanwhile, the tone of the season and its outcome has a different feel to it for the Buckeyes as they were left with a sour taste in their mouth with a loss against arch rivals Michigan more than a month ago. With only one loss next to their names, there is no question that Ohio State will want to unleash some anger at the disposal of Missouri in an attempt to prove to the rest of the country that they are still among the nation's elite.

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

Cotton Bowl Odds: Missouri-Ohio State Odds

Missouri: +3.5 (-105)

Ohio State: -3.5 (-115)

Over: 48.5 (-115)

Under: 48.5 (-105)

How to Watch Missouri vs. Ohio State

Time: 8:00 ET/5:00 PT

TV: ESPN

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why Missouri Will Cover The Spread

Indeed, most bowl games these days are riddled with absences due to players not wanting to get hurt and focusing their attention on the upcoming NFL Draft. However, that won't be the case in this year's edition of the Cotton Bowl whatsoever. Instead, both teams will be close to full strength for this epic showdown which will be a treat for all fans alike.

There are several reasons why Missouri has what it takes to slay a blue-blood program like Ohio State in a big-time bowl game, but none more important than getting off to a hot start against the Buckeyes. Arguably enough, one could make the case that the Tigers are playing for more than the Buckeyes at this point of the season, as Missouri is seeking only their fourth eleven-win plus season since all the way back in 1901.

All in all, Mizzou's bread and butter happens to be on the offensive side of the ball, but the good news defensively is that they will be squaring off with a first-time quarterback in Devin Brown.  If Mizzou can win the turnover department and generate a ferocious pass rush, then the Buckeyes will be in trouble.

Not to mention, but like previously mentioned, the entire Missouri offense is slated to clash with Ohio State. Believe it or not, but this was a top-ten unit in the nation all year long and Ohio State could find themselves licking their wounds if they let the Tigers control the tempo.

Whether it's All-SEC half back Cody Schrader punishing tacklers with his bruising running style or future first-round pick wideout Luther Burden who is already drawing comparisons to San Francisco 49er Deebo Samuel, there are certainly plenty of weapons to go around at QB Brady Cook's disposal.

Why Ohio State Will Cover The Spread

Obviously, the biggest storyline heading into this battle revolves around the Buckeyes and their QB situation, but another main headline will be Ohio State's swarming defense that still remains near the best in all of the land.

Unlike Missouri who at times has holes within their front seven defensively, Ohio State's defense is as scary as it comes. On paper, this is a unit that engulfs their prey with brute force and is one of the nations leaders in tackles for loss and sacks. With a superb amount of NFL talent that is expected to play, Ohio State needs to be in attack mode on this side of the ball.

Of course, can Ohio State do enough offensively with a brand new quarterback being thrusted into the starting lineup at the very end of the season? Without a doubt, it was a shock to many when Kyle McCord decided to pack his bags for Syracuse, but the show must go on. As for newcomer Devin Brown, establishing a respectable ground game so that the Mizzou defense isn't teeing off against him will be a must.

Simply put, this is an offensive line that is battle tested, but if the Buckeyes are one dimensional and don't properly utilize their weapons like wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr, then scoring the necessary amount of points to come out victorious may be challenging.

At the end of the day, Ohio State has a sheer talent advantage over a technically lesser program like Missouri, but it'll be more than interesting to see just how bad they Buckeyes want this game considering that they had National Championship aspirations only a few weeks ago.

Final Missouri-Ohio State Prediction & Pick

Buckle up, college football fans! The Cotton Bowl is one of the more illustrious bowl games in all of college football, and this monumental showdown surely won't disappoint. Alas, Ohio State may be more talented, but it is hard to imagine that Missouri won't want this one more.

Final Missouri-Ohio State Prediction & Pick: Missouri +3.5 (-105)