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 11^th 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.

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

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.

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