Ohio State to play in Cotton Bowl

» RELATED: Ohio State left out of playoff

Ohio State last played in the Cotton Bowl in 1987, beating Texas A&M 28-12. It last played USC in 2009, losing 18-15.

“This is a traditional matchup,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said on ESPN. “This is a great one.”

The Buckeyes have lost seven games to the Trojans. Ohio State’s last win in the series came in 1974. The teams have played seven times in the Rose Bowl, with USC winning five times.

» BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP: McLaurin stars in hometown | Seven takeaways | Hartman on playoffs | Photos

The Buckeyes finished the regular season 10-2, rose to No. 8 in the College Football Playoff ranking and then beat No. 4 Wisconsin 27-21 on Saturday in the Big Ten Championship. The Buckeyes jumped to No. 5 in the final playoff ranking Sunday.

No. 4 Alabama won the final playoff berth and will play No. 1 Clemson in the Sugar Bowl. No. 2 Oklahoma will play No. 3 Georgia in the other semifinal, the Rose Bowl.