ARLINGTON, Texas – The No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1, 8-2 Big Ten Conference) took the practice field and donned full pads for a one hour and 45 minute workout at AT&T Stadium on Tuesday in preparation for the 88th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

Tuesday's schedule included a media viewing opportunity of a portion of the Buckeyes' practice followed by a press conference with Ohio State Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles and five Buckeyes' defensive standouts – cornerback Denzel Burke, linebacker Steele Chambers, defensive tackle Ty Hamilton, safety Josh Proctor and defensive end Jack Sawyer.

Ohio State is preparing to take on one of the hottest teams in college football in the No. 9 Missouri Tigers. The Tigers finished second in the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division and earned a regular season record of 10-2, including tallying wins in five of their last six games.

One of the keys to Missouri's success has been its offensive line. The Tigers' offensive front was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, presented annually to the best offensive line in college football. On Tuesday, Knowles was asked to compare the Tigers' offensive line to that of two other Moore Award semifinalists, Michigan and Notre Dame, who Ohio State played during the regular season.

"I see a lot of the same qualities," said Knowles. "I mean, they combine size and athleticism. So you have big guys who can run, who can move, understand the offense. They seem to be in the right position all the time. And that's tough to go against.  I mean, they're as good as anybody we've played."

Knowles said the defensive side of the ball is looking forward to one final opportunity to show the progress that has been made throughout the season. Coming off the lone loss of the season, the Ohio State defense is determined to culminate the 2023 season on a winning note.

"Yeah, there's a resolve," said Knowles. "These guys, like you said, it's been a year of improvement on defense. It's been a year where the defense has taken the challenge to step up for everyone. And I know they want to go out that way. I think that's why you don't see any opt outs.
 
"I mean, you see guys got a bad taste in their mouth and they want to finish the right way. The emphasis during bowl practice is really fundamentals. Maybe that's a cliché, but it is because everything always reverts back to your training. It all reverts back to your training."

The 88th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is Friday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN and ESPN Radio. Kickoff is slated for 7:10 p.m.
 
This year's Classic is a part of the ESPN bowl lineup for the 10th straight year. Dave Pasch and Dusty Dvoracek are set to the call the action from the booth with Tom Luginbill reporting from the sidelines.

ESPN Radio returns as the Classic's national radio partner for the tenth consecutive year with Brad Sham and Kirk Morrison in the booth and Taylor McGregor on the sidelines to describe all the action from AT&T Stadium.

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