COLUMBUS — The Ohio State Buckeyes will begin defense of their national title in a familiar place.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The Buckeyes are the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoffs (CFP). Their first game will be New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, at the Cotton Bowl.
This is the third season that OSU will play in the Cotton Bowl.
Ohio State played Missouri on Dec. 29, 2023, and battled Texas in the CFP semifinals on Jan. 10.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Dayton Public Schools board member, restaurant owner dies
- Active week of weather ahead for the Miami Valley
- Train hits disabled car on railroad tracks in Ohio
OSU fell to No. 2 in the CFP rankings after losing to Indiana, 13-10, in the Big Ten Championship game on Saturday. The Hoosiers are the No. 1 seed in the CFP.
The Buckeyes will play the winner of Texas A&M/Miami on Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. at AT&T Stadium in Irving, Texas.
Three other schools got a first-round bye. Their first games will be on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1.
Here is the quarterfinal schedule:
- No. 1 Indiana vs Oklahoma/Alabama, 4 p.m. (Rose Bowl), Pasadena, California
- No. 3 Georgia vs Ole Miss/Tulane, 8 p.m. (Sugar Bowl), New Orleans, Louisiana
- No. 4 Texas Tech vs Oregon/James Madison, Noon (Orange Bowl), Miami Gardens, Florida
The CFP first round games will be on Dec. 19-20.
Here is the first-round schedule:
- Friday- Dec. 19
- No. 8 Oklahoma vs No. 9 Alabama, 8 p.m. (Norman, Oklahoma)
- Saturday- Dec. 20
- No. 7 Texas A&M vs No. 10 Miami (FL), noon (College Station, Texas)
- No. 6 Ole Miss vs No. 11 Tulane, 3:30 p.m. (Oxford, Mississippi)
- No. 5 Oregon vs No. 12 James Madison, 7:30 p.m. (Eugene, Oregon)
Visit this website for ticket information about the Good Year Cotton Bowl.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]