There has been much speculation concerning which members of the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes will take the field against the No. 9 Missouri Tigers on Friday in the 2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl. Several notable names have left the Buckeyes since the opening of the transfer portal. Starting quarterback Kyle McCord (Syracuse), Chip Trayanum (Kentucky) and lineman Jakob James (Toledo) are on the list of players who have moved on from Ohio State.
After most of the roster news the last few weeks has involved players choosing to enter the transfer portal, there’s been a lot of speculation around which players will suit up for the Cotton Bowl. Ryan Day and a few of the players have eluded to the fact they they expect “everybody” to be there and be available for the game. There haven’t been any official announcements, but it seems unlikely that Marvin Harrison Jr. will play. As for the rest of the team, here’s how we expect the Buckeyes to look when they take the field Friday night:
DALLAS — The Ohio State Buckeyes defense, apart from a few drives against Michigan, has been a formidable force all of the 2023 season. Under coordinator Jim Knowles, the Buckeyes allowed the third fewest yards (3,119), and the lowest number of touchdowns (13) in the nation this year.
This Friday, the group will be playing what defensive back Denzel Burke considers one of the best offenses the Buckeyes have faced: No. 9 Missouri. The Tigers offense averaged the 21st most yards per game (441.8) and the 17th most points per game (34) under first-year offensive coordinator Kirby Moore.
The Ohio State defense is not taking the Tigers’ offense lightly ahead of their matchup in the 88th annual Cotton Bowl.
“Very explosive offense, talented team,” safety Josh Proctor said. “Quarterback (Brady Cook) is a 3,000 yard passer, they got a 1,000 yard-rusher (Cody Schrader), a 1,000 yard receiver (Luther Burden). So we gotta come with it. It’s not going to be an easy game and we know that.”
One of Ohio State’s biggest defensive stars is junior defensive back Denzel Burke. The NFL-Draft prospect shines in man coverage, allowing very little space for opposing receivers to operate. He was complimentary of the Tigers’ offensive weapons and creativity in the passing game.
“They use their receivers in a lot of different ways,” Burke said. “Number three (Burden) is all over the place. He’s probably the best player on the team. Number seven (Schrader) the running back is a good back, runs hard. Quarterback (Cook) is solid, has a good arm and he can extend plays.”
“It’s challenging because they do spread the field I think they create openings for their receivers and mismatches,” Knowles said. “There is a lot of motions, there’s a lot of shifts so they do a great job of getting those guys free.”
