Missouri, the No. 1 red zone offense in the country, converted 54 of 55 attempts heading into the Cotton Bowl game against Ohio State at AT&T Stadium. The problem on Friday wasn't getting to the red zone, but getting there.
Trailing 3-0 with less than a minute to play in the third quarter, the Tigers found themselves in the red zone, marking the first foray into such territory for either team. A 7-yard touchdown rush by Cody Schrader seconds into the fourth frame gave Missouri a 7-3 lead. The touchdown drive flipped the script for the Tigers, who then forced a punt, scored a touchdown and forced a fumble in the following three sequences en route to a 14-3 victory.
It was a drastic change from the first half, when each team stood on the shoulders of their defense. Both Missouri and Ohio State had six punts, four penalties and just five first downs and combined for 48 passing yards at halftime.
By the final whistle, quarterback Brady Cook – who was later named the game's offensive MVP – amassed 194 scrimmage yards. Schrader, who entered the day as the FBS leader with 124.9 rushing yards per game, increased his average and finished the day with 128 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Mizzou edge rusher Johnny Walker Jr. was named the game's defensive MVP.
For the Buckeyes, QB Lincoln Kienholz, a true freshman who took over the role midway through the second quarter after Devin Brown suffered an ankle injury, was 6 of 17 for 86 yards. Running back TreVeyon Henderson added 72 yards on the ground and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka added 63 through the air.
Aside from star WR Marvin Harrison Jr., who is projected as the No. 2 draft pick by The Athletic, every Ohio State player who was both draft eligible and available chose to play. QB Kyle McCord, who started every game for the Buckeyes this season, transferred to Syracuse earlier this month.
No player from Missouri has opted out either.
In his first start, Brown suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter. He briefly returned to the game and then suffered a sack less than a minute into the second quarter, which appeared to aggravate his injury as he left the field visibly in pain. He was then taken to the locker room and did not return to play. Brown previously injured his ankle against Penn State on October 21st.
This win proves that Missouri's season was no fluke
Although most of the game was spent trading punts and there were more yawns than cheers, Mizzou was the program that walked off the field at AT&T Stadium victorious. It doesn't matter if it wasn't an aesthetically pleasing game, a win in a New York Six Bowl over a Blue Blood program was the chef's kiss for a Tigers football program trying to build something special. That Mizzou win was proof that nothing untoward happened this season, not even the narrow loss to Georgia in which the Tigers had a chance to win in the fourth quarter.
The best part? Cook comes back. Wide receiver Luther Burden III, who made a game-winning touchdown catch with 5:12 left, returns. And the Tigers scored a handful of big wins in the transfer portal in December to ensure this squad is athletically ready for a repeat performance next year. — Ari Wasserman, senior college football writer
Ohio State's quarterback play holds it back again
One of Ohio State's weaknesses all year has been inconsistent quarterback play, and once McCord entered the transfer portal, all eyes turned to Brown.
The redshirt freshman lost the quarterback battle to McCord in the fall but took over in early December when McCord left. However, he only played three drives and completed 4 of 6 passes for 20 yards. He injured his ankle in the first quarter and did not return to the game, so Ohio State traded to Kienholz, who was not ready for a game of this magnitude.
He played 19 snaps this season and never got into a rhythm against Missouri. Ohio State only had 106 passing yards in the game. That's not nearly good enough.
A program known for having talented quarterbacks up and down the bench lost to Missouri because it couldn't get anything out of its passing game. Coach Ryan Day needs to sort things out this offseason because poor quarterback play hurt the potential of this year's squad.
Three points is Ohio State's lowest total since being eliminated by Clemson in the 2016 College Football Playoff. — Cameron Teague Robinson, Ohio State writer
If you want a bright spot: Defensive back Jack Sawyer was dominant.
He was one of the most impactful players on defense this year, but the sacks just weren't piling up. He got them in bundles on Friday. Sawyer finished the game with four tackles and three sacks and gave Cook problems the entire game.
After this game, he will have to make a decision whether he wants to go to the NFL or return to Ohio State. And while he has hinted at his return, this game is a big boost to his NFL Draft stock whenever he decides to do so. – Teague Robinson
Required reading
(Photo: Matthew Pearce / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)