ARLINGTON, Texas – The No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1, 8-2 Big Ten Conference) wrapped up preparations with an hour-long walk-through at AT&T Stadium on Thursday afternoon in advance of Friday's date with the No. 9 Missouri Tigers (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) in the 88th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

Thursday offered a busy schedule for Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day beginning with him joining Missouri Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz at the Big Play Breakfast, held at the Hilton Anatole, for a short question and answer session with Voice of the Cotton Bowl and the Dallas Cowboys Brad Sham. Early in the afternoon, Day made his way to AT&T Stadium for the head coaches press conference and then returned to the Home of the Dallas Cowboys later in the afternoon for the Buckeyes' walk-through.

"Practice has been good all week and ramping up to the game," said Day. "It started back in Columbus as we had our fundamental phase and then game-plan phase, put that in, and then came here and went through a week of practice.

"It's been exciting to see our team rally around our quarterback. Devin Brown is going to be starting his first college game in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri here, who is a great team. Very well-coached, very talented, good in all three the phases. Played complementary football and have a lot of momentum. So we know it's going to be a battle tomorrow night, and our guys are excited for that."

Ohio State will be the home team in Friday night's primetime matchup. The Buckeyes will be looking for their third-straight victory in the Classic. Ohio State won in both of its previous appearances including a 28-12 win over Texas A&M in the 51st Classic in 1987 and a 24-7 win over USC in the 82nd Classic at the conclusion of the 2017 season.

This matchup marks the 13th all-time meeting between Ohio State and Missouri and the first since the Buckeyes defeated Mizzou 35-14 in the 1998 regular season. The Buckeyes are 10-1-1 all-time against the Tigers. The two programs have never met in a bowl game.

Friday night's game will also mark the final bowl game for Gene Smith as Ohio State's Director of Athletics. Smith has announced he will retire this summer after 39 years as an athletics director, including 19 years with the Buckeyes. Day says he and his family are among the numerous individuals who have been positively impacted by Smith in his distinguished career.

"I've said publicly before, what he's meant to so many people, the impact he's made on so many people," said Day. "Ohio State has over a thousand athletes year in and year out, 36 sports. It's a tremendous job and he's done it with grace, success on and off the field.

"But the impact he's made on people is really -- when it's all said and done, that's what this is all about. The reason you get into coaching, the reason you become an AD is to have an impact on people. He's done that. He's done that to me and my family.

"The opportunity he gave me as a first-time head coach and to believe in me and support he's shown and his guidance over the years, he's been tremendous. I don't know all the ADs that have come before, but he's one of the best of all time."

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 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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