The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic will be the first of the six major bowl games known as the New Year's Six. While it is not a part of the College Football Playoff this year, it will feature two talented and exciting teams. Missouri will take on Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, and we will explain how to watch that game in this article.

When and where is the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic?

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic takes place in Arlington, Texas, at the AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 29.

How to watch Missouri vs. Ohio State

The bowl game will be broadcast on ESPN, but you can also watch it using fuboTV.

Date: Friday, Dec. 29 | Time: 8 p.m. ET

Location: AT&T Stadium — Arlington, Texas

TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)

Odds: Ohio State -3.5 | O/U 48.5

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic storylines

Although Ohio State is usually known for their offense, their defense has led the way this season. The team only allows 11 points per game, which is the second-fewest in college football. Tommy Eichenburg has 82 total tackles, while Tyleik Williams has 10 tackles for a loss.

The team will lean heavily on their defense, as their starting quarterback – Kyle McCord – will miss their game as he has decided to transfer out of the program. Devin Brown will replace McCord, and it will be his first career start. Brown will have plenty of weapons around him, but it is unknown if his best weapon – Marvin Harrison Jr. – will play in this game.

Harrison Jr. is the best receiver in the nation, but his status for the Cotton Bowl is in doubt. Although he hasn't officially declared for the NFL Draft, he has not been practicing ahead of the Cotton Bowl, and it seems unlikely that he will play.

TreVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka, and Cade Stover are set to play in the bowl game, though, so Ohio State will still have plenty of talent out there on the field.

While Ohio State is ranked seventh, Missouri isn't far behind, as they are the ninth-ranked team in the nation. Missouri won't be dealing with any major opt-outs either.

Brady Cook, the team's quarterback, has 20 touchdown passes to go with 3,189 yards. Luther Burden is his top target. The receiver has 1,197 yards on the season. It has been the ground game that has been most effective, though. Cody Schrader has rushed for 1,499 yards this season.

Ohio State is always one of the best teams in the nation, and they'd like to end their season on a high note. Missouri has not been hit nearly as hard by bowl game opt-outs, though, so this game is sure to be a thriller.

Cotton Bowl history

The Cotton Bowl is one of the longest-running bowl games in college football. It was first played in 1937, and it has been running ever since. The Cotton Bowl played at its namesake stadium until 2010 when it then moved to AT&T Stadium.

The Champion of the Southwest Conference played in the Cotton Bowl from 1941-1995. The Cotton Bowl became a part of the College Football Playoff semifinal rotation during the postseason tournament's inception, and it has hosted a College Football Playoff semifinal game in the 2015, 2018, and 2021 seasons.

The Cotton Bowl is currently sponsored by Goodyear. Before that, it was sponsored by Mobil, Southwestern Bell Corporation, and Communications/AT&T.

Missouri will be making their fourth Cotton Bowl appearance this year, while this will be the third time Ohio State has played in the bowl game. The winner of the Cotton Bowl gets the Field Scovell Trophy.