The Buckeyes are likely to be without a handful of big names v. Missouri.

When I wrote my typical starting odds column for this game at the beginning of the month, Ohio State was practically a touchdown favorite over Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.

Fast forward a few weeks, and the Buckeyes have seen over a dozen players join the transfer portal — including their starting quarterback, among others — in addition to a handful of outstanding players who have yet to declare for the NFL Draft.

As a result, the line has shifted in the Tigers’ favor, and they are now only a three-point underdog at Arlington, Texas on December 29. This spread has moved erratically, with Ohio State dropping to 2.5-point underdogs at one point before rebounding to three-point favorites throughout the course of the week.

Spread: Ohio State -3 | O/U: 49

Offensively, things have clearly altered for Ohio State, with Kyle McCord transferring to Syracuse after the regular season ended. Devin Brown, a former four-star prospect and top-50 national recruit, will now lead the offense. He tried only 22 passes this year and scored three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). With Marvin Harrison Jr. almost certainly opting out to focus on the NFL Draft and Julian Fleming in the transfer portal, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate will see the most of the reps at receiver, with TreVeyon Henderson and Dale Hayden (presumably) in the backfield.

With the exception of a few injured players who may sit out, notably Tommy Eichenberg, the Buckeyes should be nearly at full strength defensively. Ohio State should have its whole secondary on the field to try to slow down Missouri’s passing attack, with Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock, and Davison Igibinosun all participating. There are also no indications that any of their starters up front, including Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, will be missing, though the former is much more likely to play than the latter.

Missouri has no announced opt-outs for the Cotton Bowl at this time, and should be at full strength with the exception of two defensive ailments. Both senior linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper and junior cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. started for the Tigers this season, but neither will be ready for Friday’s game. In 2023, Hopper finished second on the team with 55 total tackles, six tackles for loss, and three sacks, while Rakestraw Jr. had 35 total tackles and four pass breakups.

The Tigers’ offense, led by quarterback Brady Cook and wide receiver Luther Burden, will bring all of its finest weapons to AT&T Stadium. Cook finished third in the SEC with nearly 3,200 passing yards, hurling 20 touchdowns to just six interceptions and adding eight touchdowns with his legs. Burden, a sophomore who was one of the nation’s finest wideouts this season, piled up just under 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns through the air. Missouri averaged 34.1 points per game this season behind Cook and Burden, and will likely be the greatest passing offense Ohio State has played this season.

While the Buckeyes’ roster has seen some turnover since their last game, the essential players are still on the field, with the exception of McCord and Harrison Jr. It will be fascinating to watch how much Ohio State attempts to give some of its younger guys, like as C.J. Hicks at linebacker and Brandon Inniss at wide out, key reps in this game. Ryan Day would definitely want to win the game, but preparing his team for 2024 should come first.