DALLAS — Playoff-snubbed Ohio State is instead in the Cotton Bowl to play Southern California in a matchup of conference champions.
No. 5 Ohio State (11-2) vs. No. 8 USC, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas (8:30 p.m./ESPN)
The Buckeyes beat Oregon to win the first championship in the four-team College Football Playoff three years ago and are now back at the same stadium where they won that title, their only previous appearance at AT&T Stadium.
Ohio State and Southern California have much different memories of the stadium.
When the Trojans played their 2016 opener in the Dallas Cowboys’ home stadium, they lost 52-6 to defending national champion Alabama.
The previous seven bowl meetings between the two powerhouse programs were all in the Rose Bowl.
All-Pac-12 quarterback Sam Darnold could be getting ready for his last game with Southern California.
The third-year sophomore is expected to be a top pick if he declares himself eligible for the 2018 NFL draft.
Darnold, who has always dreamed of playing in the NFL, hasn’t said yet whether the Cotton Bowl will be his finale. He has to make that decision by January 15.