Cotton Bowl Classic Preview and Prediction: USC vs. Ohio State

The Cotton Bowl Classic is taking place in Arlington, Texas. The game features the Big Ten and Pac-12 champions, Ohio State and USC. It's the first time the two teams have met outside of the Rose Bowl.

The Cotton Bowl Classic will be played in Arlington, Texas. The winner of the game will play the winner between Big Ten and Pac-12 champions Ohio State and USC.

J.K. Dobbins and Ronald Jones II are the main threats for Ohio State and USC. Both teams have different offensive schemes. The defense that can make their running backs work for yardage gains will have a huge advantage.

Both Ohio State and USC rank in the top 10 nationally for plays from scrimmage going for 20 yards or more. USC's defense has been more prone to giving up explosive plays this season than Ohio's.

USC and Ohio State are two of the most successful programs in college football. The Buckeyes have won the Rose Bowl twice in two seasons. USC has been great in big games in California, but not so well outside the state. They finished out of College Football Playoff race as a result of a blowout loss at Notre Dame in October.

Both USC and Ohio State finished outside the College Football Playoff. The Cotton Bowl Classic is the most fascinating of the bowl games outside of playoff. Ohio state's offense can attack USC's defense in a variety of ways. Sam Darnold needs to perform well to win the game. The rise of wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in recent weeks adds a new dynamic to the passing game for the Trojans.