Two years in the past, Ohio Circumstance, having narrowly ignored a CFP bid and coping with a few marquee opt-outs, confronted each motivation questions and an early insufficiency within the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes confirmed get to the bottom of, then again, combating again from 14 ailing at halftime to overcome Utah, 48-45.
This hour round, Disagree. 6 Ohio Circumstance has narrowly ignored a CFP bid and is coping with the chance of much more opt-outs (and the switch of foundation quarterback Kyle McCord). The Devin Brown, towards Disagree. 9 Missouri, may just check their get to the bottom of much more. The Buckeyes are Mizzou’s highest-ranked bowl opponent for the reason that 1970 Orange Bowl, and the Tigers will have to construct it to the sport with their two-deep most commonly intact. Are we due some other Rose Bowl-level barnburner? Will a much more impressed Tiger group lay the hammer ailing? Or will the Buckeyes turn out to easily be too proficient to tumble?
Disagree. 7 Ohio Circumstance vs. Disagree. 9 Missouri
The Goodyear Story Bowl Vintage
When: Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, 8 p.m., ET
The place: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
The way to monitor: ESPN and ESPN App
Opening sequence: Ohio Circumstance -0.5
Key Participant: RB Cody Schrader
It’s fantastic to mention a couple of group with a three,000-yard passer (Brady Cook), a blue-chip, just about 1,200-yard receiver (Luther Burden III) and first-team all-SEC performers at take on (Javon Foster), defensive finish (Darius Robinson) and cornerback (Kris Abrams-Draine), however the Tigers’ luck ailing the stretch was once derived most commonly via Schrader. Over the era 5 video games, the Burlsworth Award winner (for absolute best former walk-on) averaged 196 yards from scrimmage and six.3 yards consistent with lift. His constant potency even produced 112 speeding yards towards Georgia, and his absurd paintings charge presentations a mentality that each and every soccer teacher within the nation seeks.
X Issue: CB Kris Abrams-Draine
Missouri allowed a quarterback to place up a passer score over 150 on simply 3 events this season: in losses to LSU and Georgia and in a stunning near-loss to Florida. The Tiger secondary gained a bundle of battles this season, particularly Abrams-Draine (37 tackles, 4 interceptions, 10 breakups, 36% of entirety charge allowed, 12.0 QBR allowed), however sinister issues came about when it didn’t. Or even with opt-outs and portal entries most probably wreaking havoc with Ohio Circumstance’s intensity chart on offense, the Buckeyes have an never-ending provide of blue-chippers out huge. Mizzou’s DBs should arise weighty to conserve the ranking tamped ailing.
How Missouri wins: Play games just like the aspiring underdog
With its first top-10 end in 10 years to play games for and a intensity chart most probably much less impacted by means of pre-game attrition, Mizzou will have to theoretically be the extra aspiring and extra intact group. In opposition to Georgia, the Tigers proved they may be able to struggle for 60 mins towards groups with elite skill ranges, and if they may be able to do a greater task of benefiting from their alternatives than they did towards the Dawgs — they completed six drives in Georgia length however scored handiest two touchdowns, and so they had a worse third-down conversion charge — a win is there for the taking. (Touchdown a few early haymakers and actually trying out Ohio Circumstance’s motivation ranges wouldn’t harm both.) —Invoice Connelly
Key participant: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Even with the visuals of each and every opposing protection educated on him, Harrison just about matched the numbers from his breakout sophomore marketing campaign in 2022 (77 catches for 1,263 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns). He become the primary receiver in Ohio Circumstance historical past to file consecutive 1000-yard seasons (67 receptions for 1,211 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023). His 14 landing receptions park him in a four-way join for 2d nationally. He has stuck a minimum of one landing move in every of the Buckeyes’ era 8 video games, and hauled in two touchdowns a competition all the way through a three-game stretch — victories over Wisconsin, Rutgers and Michigan Circumstance — within the ultimate part of the season. He’ll be eyeing a 9th 100-yard receiving competition towards Missouri.
X issue: RB TreVeyon Henderson
The verdict of teenager quarterback Kyle McCord, a highschool teammate of Harrison, to go into the switch portal on Monday throws the Buckeyes’ offense, which is averaging 425 yards a competition (thirty sixth within the FBS) and 32.8 issues a competition (thirty second within the FBS), right into a negligible little bit of a loop. Input teenager operating again TreVeyon Henderson (854 speeding yards and 11 touchdowns), who’ll be requested to speed some force off whoever Ryan Time comes to a decision to begin at quarterback towards the Tigers — most probably sophomore Devin Brown. Henderson, who spearheaded Ohio Circumstance’s September victory over Notre Dame in South Bend (104 yards and a TD on 14 carries), ignored 3 video games because of shock however has discovered his stride not too long ago — courtesy of 100-yard video games in 3 of the Buckeyes’ ultimate 5 video games of the season.
How Ohio Circumstance wins: Whoever begins at QB lighting it up
Then profitable the quarterback pageant with Devin Brown, McCord become handiest the 7th quarterback in class historical past to throw for no less than 3,000 yards. Together with his choice to loose forward of the Story Bowl, there’s a bundle of inquiries to be responded, clearly, beneath middle. However whether or not it’s Brown (12 of twenty-two passing for 197 yards with two landing passes and one interception in 5 video games this season) or true freshman Lincoln Kienholz getting the beginning, Ohio Circumstance should depend on its guns (huge receivers Marvin Harrison, Jr., Emeka Egbuka and tight finish Cade Stover). Ohio Circumstance has been the go-to faculty for ESPN 300 huge receivers since offensive coordinator and huge receivers teacher Brian Hartline, who performed in Columbus from 2006-08, arrived again on campus in 2018. They’ll wish to construct that in particular perceivable towards Missouri. — Blake Baumgartner
