The Cotton Bowl just became the center of the College Football Playoff universe, with No. 2 Ohio State locked into a CFP quarterfinal at AT&T Stadium against the winner of No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami on Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
A New-Look Playoff Lands in the Cotton Bowl
This season marks the first year of the
12-team College Football Playoff format, and the
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is one of four rotating quarterfinal sites, alongside the Orange, Rose, and Sugar Bowls.
According to the official CFP bracket, Ohio State earned the
No. 2 seed and a first-round bye after finishing 12–1, placing them directly into the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal in Arlington, Texas. The Buckeyes will face whoever survives the first-round matchup between Texas A&M and Miami, played on Dec. 20.
Key setup for the Cotton Bowl:
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Matchup: No. 2 Ohio State vs. winner of No. 7 Texas A&M / No. 10 Miami
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Bowl: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (CFP Quarterfinal)
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Date: Wednesday, Dec. 31
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Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
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TV: ESPN / WatchESPN
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Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
The Cotton Bowl’s official site is already billing it as the
90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, highlighting Ohio State’s return to the CFP stage as the headline story of this year’s game.
How We Got Here: Selection Committee’s Final Call
The CFP Selection Committee released its
final Top 25 rankings on Dec. 7, setting the bracket and confirming the Cotton Bowl’s role as Ohio State’s quarterfinal destination.
Top of the rankings:
| Rank | Team | Record |
|------|-------------|--------|
| 1 | Indiana | 13–0 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 12–1 |
| 3 | Georgia | 12–1 |
| 4 | Texas Tech | 12–1 |
| 5 | Oregon | 11–1 |
| 6 | Ole Miss | 11–1 |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 11–1 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 10–2 |
| 9 | Alabama | 10–3 |
| 10 | Miami (Fla.)| 10–2 |
Under the 12-team format:
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Seeds 1–4 (Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas Tech) get
first-round byes.
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Seeds 5–12 play on-campus first-round games Dec. 19–20.
- The
quarterfinals are hosted by the Cotton, Orange, Rose, and Sugar Bowls on Dec. 31–Jan. 1.
Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl slot is a direct result of that seeding and the bowl rotation, with the committee balancing
historic bowl tie-ins, geography, and rankings when assigning quarterfinal sites.
What’s at Stake in Arlington
This isn’t just another bowl game – the Cotton Bowl winner moves on to the
CFP semifinals, which will be played at the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl on Jan. 8–9.
If seeds hold:
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No. 1 would face
No. 4 in one semifinal.
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No. 2 would face
No. 3 in the other – meaning the Cotton Bowl winner could be on a collision course with
Georgia, the No. 3 seed, depending on how the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal plays out.
For Ohio State, the Cotton Bowl is:
- A chance to
defend its 2024 national title, after entering this postseason at 12–1.
- An opportunity to validate its No. 2 ranking against a surging SEC power (Texas A&M) or a resurgent ACC brand (Miami).
Local coverage in Columbus is already framing this as a high-wire act: Ohio State gets
rest and preparation time thanks to the bye, but they’ll have just one game in Arlington to prove they belong back in the national title conversation.
The Texas A&M / Miami Factor
Ohio State’s opponent will be decided in College Station on Dec. 20, where
No. 7 Texas A&M (11–1) hosts
No. 10 Miami (10–2) in a first-round CFP game.
From a Cotton Bowl perspective, each potential opponent brings a different narrative:
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Texas A&M- SEC contender with an 11–1 record.
- Would bring a massive Texas fan base just a few hours’ drive from Arlington, potentially turning AT&T Stadium into a quasi-home crowd.
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Miami (Fla.)- Edged Notre Dame for the final at-large CFP bid in one of the more controversial decisions of Selection Sunday.
- Represents the ACC and brings national name recognition back to the biggest stage for the first time in years.
Either way, the Cotton Bowl is guaranteed:
- A
top-10 matchup.
- A Big Ten heavyweight (Ohio State) vs. either the SEC or ACC, with clear bragging rights on the line for conference supremacy.
The Cotton Bowl’s Evolving Role in the CFP Era
The
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic has fully transformed from its old standalone New Year’s bowl identity into a central pillar of the Playoff system.
Under current CFP contracts:
- The Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose, and Sugar Bowls
rotate as quarterfinal and semifinal hosts.
- This season, Cotton, Orange, Rose, and Sugar are
quarterfinals, while Fiesta and Peach serve as
semifinals.
- The
national championship game will be held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Jan. 19, 2026.
That rotation ensures the Cotton Bowl regularly hosts games with
direct national championship implications, rather than being just a prestige exhibition.
Why This Cotton Bowl Feels Bigger Than Usual
This particular Cotton Bowl hits a sweet spot of storylines:
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Ohio State’s legacy: defending champs, top-two seed, and perpetual lightning rod in any CFP debate.
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New 12-team drama: a rested giant (OSU) versus a battle-tested winner from the first round.
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Massive TV spotlight: prime-time New Year’s Eve window on ESPN, where the Cotton Bowl will likely be framed as the nightcap and centerpiece of the holiday football slate.
Add in the venue –
AT&T Stadium, one of the most high-profile stages in American sports – and you have a game that will likely shape the narrative of the CFP’s first expanded-era champion.
What to Watch Next
For fans keeping tabs on the Cotton Bowl path, here’s what matters most over the next few weeks:
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Dec. 20: Texas A&M vs. Miami – winner advances to face Ohio State.
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Dec. 31: Cotton Bowl quarterfinal in Arlington – Ohio State vs. A&M/Miami on ESPN.
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Jan. 8–9: Fiesta and Peach Bowl semifinals – winner of the Cotton Bowl plays for a spot in the national title game.
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Jan. 19: CFP National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
If Ohio State handles business in Arlington, the Cotton Bowl will be remembered as the springboard for another deep Buckeye postseason run. If not, it could become the site of one of the most impactful upsets in the young history of the 12-team Playoff.
Either way, the
2025 Cotton Bowl has already done its job: it’s the game
everyone in college football now has circled.
Sources
1. College Football Playoff schedule 2025: Games, dates ...
2. College Football Playoff bracket, schedule, rankings, seeds
3. College Football Playoff Selection Committee Rankings ...
4. How Texas Tech football could land in Cotton, Sugar or ...
5. Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic - Official Website
6. BOWL BOUND! Rice to Face Texas State in Lockheed ...
7. When Ohio State plays Texas A&M/Miami in Cotton Bowl ...
