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How can the Buckeyes beat Missouri? Three keys for Ohio State football in the Cotton Bowl

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How can the Buckeyes beat Missouri? Three keys for Ohio State football in the Cotton Bowl


Here are three keys for No. 7 Ohio State against No. 9 Missouri in the Cotton Bowl:

Find motivation

There could be a contrast in motivation between the teams. The Tigers are appearing in their first New Year’s Six bowl game, and the Buckeyes are in their 11th in a row, including one that is not a part of the College Football Playoff a result of their loss at Michigan. Ohio State managed to avoid a major letdown in the Rose Bowl two years ago when it rallied from a sluggish start to defeat Utah, and a similar formula will be required as the Buckeyes cope with similarly diminished stakes. The Buckeyes have said the right things in the leadup to the matchup, but Missouri is explosive and could capitalize if they turn out to be just going through the motions.

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Protect Devin Brown

While Brown promises more mobility as he replaces Kyle McCord at quarterback following his transfer to Syracuse, the Buckeyes must still secure the pocket. That’s a result of Brown’s reputation for being more mistake prone, as well as a matchup with a defensive front that can wreak havoc in the backfield. The Tigers’ 35 sacks were among the top 20 in the Football Bowl Subdivision during the regular season. Darius Robinson, a lanky defensive lineman who switched from tackle to end, is the one to block as he leads them with 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss.

Bottle Cody Schrader

Schrader, a former walk-on who is Missouri’s first consensus All-American in nearly a decade, is a physical runner. Just over half of his 1,483 rushing yards have followed contact, according to Pro Football Focus, and he wears down defenses — his yards per carry average is the highest in the fourth quarter at 7.8 yards per attempt. The Buckeyes’ defense struggled to get off the field late in their loss at Ann Arbor a month ago and will need to be in better position to contain Schrader from picking up the tough yards.

Key matchup

Jordan Hancock vs. Luther Burden III

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Burden, the Tigers’ star slot receiver, is likely to draw coverage from Hancock, the Buckeyes’ cornerback who lines up as the nickel safety and has been one of the key pieces in their secondary. The challenge in slowing down Burden is as much as containing him once the ball reaches his hands. Of his 1,194 receiving yards, 719 have come after the catch, the second-most among in the FBS, per PFF. He can be slippery.

Key stat

2-12: Ohio State’s record in the postseason against teams from the Southeastern Conference.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch and can be reached at jkaufman@dispatch.com.

Get more Ohio State football news by listening to our podcasts



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Missouri

‘Enough is enough’: Missouri voters form bipartisan group to quash Republican initiative petition changes

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‘Enough is enough’: Missouri voters form bipartisan group to quash Republican initiative petition changes


JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) – Missouri Republican lawmakers have once again put forth efforts to curtail the process for citizen-led ballot initiatives following successful campaigns to enshrine abortion rights, raise the state’s minimum wage, and create a legal sports wagering market.

In response, a newly formed political group called the “Respect Voters Coalition” is sponsoring a 2026 initiative to prevent state officials from meddling in the process altogether.

The group’s argument is rooted in the very first section of the first article of the state’s Constitution, which reads as follows:

“[We declare] that all political power is vested in and derived from the people; that all government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole.” – Missouri Const. of 1875, Art. I, Sec. 1.

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Ben Singer, who leads Show Me Integrity, co-founded RVC to oppose efforts to roll back the IP process. He noted that both parties have pushed this when they were in the majority.

“When Democrats were trying to attack the citizens initiative process because they didn’t like the Conservatives, who also used the citizens initiative process, Governor Ashcroft vetoed the Democrats’ attack on the ballot initiative process,” Singer said.

Ashcroft issued that veto in June 1992, writing the following in his explanation:

“It is through the initiative process that those who have no influence with elective representatives may take their cause directly to the people. The General Assembly should be reluctant, therefore, to enact legislation which places any impediments on the initiative power which are inconsistent with the reservation found in the Constitution.” – Gov. John Ashcroft, Veto Message, June 27, 1992.

Efforts to reform the state’s initiative petition process consumed much of the 2024 legislative session, including days-long filibusters by a faction of 6 Republicans demanding the issue be given priority and Democrats working to block it from passage. The process arguably deprived the House and Senate of sufficient time to review and amend the $51 billion state budget.

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“These politicians who’ve taken an oath to protect the Missouri Constitution need to be reminded of that, and so that’s why groups and citizens across the state, in unbelievable momentum I’ve never seen before, are banding together to say enough is enough, and we are going to stop politicians from attacking the will of the people once and for all,” Singer said.

The Missouri House and Senate will convene on January 8 to begin the 103rd General Assembly’s first regular session.

To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.



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Missouri voters form bipartisan group to quash Republican IP changes

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Missouri voters form bipartisan group to quash Republican IP changes


ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) — Missouri Republican lawmakers have once again put forth efforts to curtail the process for citizen-led ballot initiatives following successful campaigns to enshrine abortion rights, raise the state’s minimum wage, and create a legal sports wagering market.

In response, a newly formed political group called the “Respect Voters Coalition” is sponsoring a 2026 initiative to prevent state officials from meddling in the process altogether.

The group’s argument is rooted in the very first section of the first article of the state’s Constitution, which reads as follows:

“[We declare] that all political power is vested in and derived from the people; that all government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole.” – Missouri Const. of 1875, Art. I, Sec. 1.

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Ben Singer, who leads Show Me Integrity, co-founded RVC as a measure to push back against efforts to roll back the IP process which, he noted, have been pushed by both parties when they’ve been in the majority.

“When Democrats were trying to attack the citizens initiative process because they didn’t like the Conservatives also used the citizens initiative process, Governor Ashcroft vetoed the Democrats’ attack on the ballot initiative process,” Singer said.

Ashcroft issued that veto in June 1992, writing the following in his explanation:

“It is through the initiative process that those who have no influence with elective representatives may take their cause directly to the people. The General Assembly should be reluctant, therefore, to enact legislation which places any impediments on the initiative power which are inconsistent with the reservation found in the Constitution.” – Gov. John Ashcroft, Veto Message, June 27, 1992.

Efforts to reform the state’s initiative petition process consumed much of the 2024 legislative session, including days-long filibusters by a faction of six Republicans demanding the issue be given priority and Democrats working to block it from passage. The process arguably deprived the House and Senate of sufficient time to perform a final review and amendment of the $51 billion state budget.

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“These politicians who’ve taken an oath to protect the Missouri Constitution need to be reminded of that, and so that’s why groups and citizens across the state, in unbelievable momentum I’ve never seen before, are banding together to say enough is enough, and we are going to stop politicians from attacking the will of the people once and for all,” Singer said.

The Missouri House and Senate are set to convene on January 8 to begin the First Regular Session of the 103rd General Assembly.



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Iowa vs. Missouri Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Music City Bowl

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Iowa vs. Missouri Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Music City Bowl


Missouri and Iowa meet in the Music City Bowl, the standalone game on December 30th bowl coverage. 

Both teams ended their respective regular season with rivalry game victories in the final moments and will look for a bowl win to build momentum towards the future. In a closely lined spread, and some key players opting out, how should we bet this one? 

We have you covered with our Music City Bowl betting preview below!

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Moneyline

Total: 40.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Missouri

Brady Cook: This will be Cook’s final game with the Tigers after he returned from a mid-season injury to lead the Tigers to late-season wins against the likes of Arkansas in the team’s regular-season finale. While it wasn’t as productive as the year prior, Cook put up solid numbers this season for Mizzou, passing for 2,248 yards with 14 total touchdowns and only two interceptions. 

Iowa 

Brendan Sullivan: The hope is that Sullivan is back from injury for this one, the team’s primary backup that showed some upside in the Hawkeyes offense in wins against Northwestern and Wisconsin. Overall, this is a run-first Iowa offense that will be without star running back Kaleb Johnson, putting more pressure on Sullivan as a runner and to create with his arm. He completed more than 68% of his passes in a limited sample this season (35 passes). 

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There are two notable players out in this game with NFL upside, one for each team. 

For Missouri, Luther Burden opted out of this game to prepare for the NFL Draft, which is a blow to the Tigers’ offense, but not as impactful as Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, who was sixth in the country in rushing yards this season. 

Johnson was a big part of the Hawkeyes offense that was 93rd in the country in EPA/Pass and 85th in overall success rate. Without the threat of the standout running back on the field, Iowa will rely solely on its defense to stay competitive in this game. 

With that in mind, I’ll lay it with the small favorite in Missouri. 

While the Tigers fell short of lofty goals set by a strong 2023, the team still has a versatile offense that includes a sturdy run game and a consistent unit that ranked top 50 in success rate. Further, the team can keep up with Iowa in the battle for field position as it ranks top 10 in havoc allowed and is 11th in Pro Football Focus’ special teams grade. 

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I question how Iowa puts up many points on the board in this one and while the under looks like a worthwhile bet, I’d rather side with the Tigers to win this game by more than a field goal. 

PICK: Missouri -3

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Follow Reed on Twitter @ReedWallach and get all his college football bets on betstamp @rw33

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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