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Deadspin | Everything you need to know about the Cotton Bowl

Deadspin | Everything you need to know about the Cotton Bowl

Sports news

Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (4) looks on during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

COTTON BOWL

College Football Playoff quarterfinal

No. 2 Ohio State (12-1) vs. No. 10 Miami (11-2)

Wednesday, Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET

Arlington, Texas (AT&T Stadium)

Consensus odds: Ohio State -9.5, Total 41.5 points

Defending national champion Ohio State returns to the College Football Playoff for the seventh time in 12 years on Wednesday night, in what will be the first game for the Buckeyes since losing the Big Ten championship game to Indiana.

The 25-day break for the Buckeyes was not a vacation for No. 10 Miami, which won a heart-stopper at Texas A&M (10-3) in the first round last week to set up a rematch of the BCS National Championship game played in Jan. 2003.

There is no rest for the winner with a game Thursday (Jan. 8), a CFP semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl where either No. 3 Georgia or No. 6 Ole Miss will be the opponent. The SEC foes square off in a rematch of their regular-season shootout on Jan. 1 at the Sugar Bowl for the right to head to Arizona.

Ohio State, playing in the Cotton Bowl Classic for the third consecutive year, is No. 2 in CFP wins with seven. Only Alabama (10) has more.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ohio State

WR Jeremiah Smith had 19 receptions for 381 yards and five TDs in last year’s four games as the Buckeyes marched to the national title. Smith, a two-time All-American and only a sophomore, averages 90.5 receiving yards per game. He has 80 receptions for 1,086 and 11 TD catches.

LB Sonny Styles might get lost in the national conversation about do-it-all safety Caleb Downs, a projected top-10 pick in the 2026 draft. But Styles’ production puts him in an elite class. He had a team high 45 solo tackles and led the team in total tackles. Among his top showings with the Buckeyes was a 26-total tackle effort in the 2024 CFP win over No. 7 Tennessee.

Miami

DE Rueben Bain Jr.

Bain destroyed Texas A&M with 3.0 sacks last week in the CFP first round upset in College Station. Bain was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year also had a blocked field goal and four total tackles for loss against the Aggies. With injury concerns up front, Ohio State might be forced to commit extra blockers to control the agile, explosive and powerful Bain.

QB Carson Beck

Not all of Miami’s players are CFP newbies.

Beck is 35-5 all-time as a starter and the Georgia transfer joined the 10,000-yard passing club this season. Playing behind an offensive line that used the same starting five all season, Beck could be an X-factor in the chess match with Ohio State’s speedy defense.

COMING IN APRIL

Downs will be a first-round pick after helping the Buckeyes rank first nationally in total defense (213.5 yards per game), scoring defense (8.2 points) and passing yards (129.1). He is third on the team with 60 tackles (40 solo) with five tackles for loss, two interceptions and a sack. He will start in the playoffs for a third straight season; he was a freshman at Alabama in 2023.

BABY JESUS

The country will get to know Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney is this season’s version of Smith, setting the school single-season record for catches with 89. He’s just a freshman, but his reputation is enormous.

Nicknamed “Baby Jesus,” Toney scored the game-winning touchdown at Texas A&M.

He has 992 yards and eight touchdowns — also Miami freshman records plus 20 carries for 98 yards and a TD while averaging 15.8 yards on 17 punt returns.

“He’s their gadget guy,” Ohio State defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. said. “He can do everything. I mean, just coming in as a freshman, he’s supposed to be in high school right now.”

–Field Level Media

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Deadspin | Larry Fitzgerald thanks all of Arizona: ‘You gave me a home’ Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee Larry Fitzgerald and his son Devin Fitzgerald unveil his bust during the Class of 2026 enshrinement ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 8, 2026. One day after being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, longtime Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald paid for a full-page ad in the Arizona Republic to thank everyone who made a Minnesota native feel welcome in the state he calls home. After being selected by the Cardinals with the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Fitzgerald spent all 17 years of his NFL career in Arizona. He caught 1,432 passes for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns while earning 11 trips to the Pro Bowl. Fitzgerald ranks second to Jerry Rice on the NFL’s all-time lists for receptions and receiving yards. He stands sixth in touchdown catches, trailing Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Chris Carter and Marvin Harrison. Here’s the message Fitzgerald penned for his Arizona Republic ad: People have asked me countless times what it felt like to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The truth is, it was one of the greatest honors of my life. But this really isn’t a Hall of Fame story. It’s a thank-you letter. I arrived in Arizona as a 20-year-old kid who didn’t know a single person. I had no idea this desert would become the place that would shape me into the man I am today. The day I landed was the same day the nation learned Pat Tillman had lost his life. Pat is one of America’s great heroes. I stepped off the plane into a state where its people were carrying real grief, and something inside me grew quiet. I started paying attention. You learn quickly what loyalty looks like when it isn’t just a word. For the next 17 seasons, I quietly measured myself against the standard Pat Tillman set. I’m still not sure I ever lived up to it. Somewhere along the way, Arizona stopped being the place where I lived and became the place I was from. It happened through a thousand ordinary moments until one day, I realized this was simply home. Not because I was a Hall of Famer. Not because I was a wide receiver. Just because the people of this state allowed me to be Larry. You don’t fall in love with a place because of its stadiums. You fall in love on quiet mornings hiking Camelback Mountain. On crisp fall afternoons walking a golf course. During summers in Flagstaff and standing among the red rocks of Sedona that remind you just how small you are in the best possible way. When I stopped playing football, I walked away quietly. I’m known for my Irish goodbyes. Arizona even gave me that. Yet you kept showing up for me anyway, especially through the work of my foundation. Your support was never conditional. You never asked me to be anything other than myself, and somehow that was always enough. Arizona gave a kid from Minneapolis something he didn’t even know he was searching for. Belonging. And that sense of belonging changed me. After a while, you weren’t cheering for a wide receiver anymore, you were cheering for one of your own. So this isn’t really a story about 17 years in a Cardinals uniform or a bronze bust in Canton. It’s the story of a young man who was welcomed by a state that owed him nothing and gave him everything. Thank you, Arizona. Thank you for letting a kid from somewhere else become one of your own. Thank you for embracing not just the player, but the man. You gave me far more than a career. You gave me friendships that will last a lifetime. You gave me purpose beyond football. You gave me a place where my children will always know they belong. Most of all, you gave me a home. With love and gratitude, (signed) Larry Fitzgerald HOF 26 –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Larry #Fitzgerald #Arizona #gave #homePro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee Larry Fitzgerald and his son Devin Fitzgerald unveil his bust during the Class of 2026 enshrinement ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 8, 2026.

One day after being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, longtime Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald paid for a full-page ad in the Arizona Republic to thank everyone who made a Minnesota native feel welcome in the state he calls home.

After being selected by the Cardinals with the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Fitzgerald spent all 17 years of his NFL career in Arizona. He caught 1,432 passes for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns while earning 11 trips to the Pro Bowl.

Fitzgerald ranks second to Jerry Rice on the NFL’s all-time lists for receptions and receiving yards. He stands sixth in touchdown catches, trailing Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Chris Carter and Marvin Harrison.

Here’s the message Fitzgerald penned for his Arizona Republic ad:

People have asked me countless times what it felt like to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The truth is, it was one of the greatest honors of my life.

But this really isn’t a Hall of Fame story.

It’s a thank-you letter.

I arrived in Arizona as a 20-year-old kid who didn’t know a single person. I had no idea this desert would become the place that would shape me into the man I am today.

The day I landed was the same day the nation learned Pat Tillman had lost his life. Pat is one of America’s great heroes.

I stepped off the plane into a state where its people were carrying real grief, and something inside me grew quiet. I started paying attention.

You learn quickly what loyalty looks like when it isn’t just a word.

For the next 17 seasons, I quietly measured myself against the standard Pat Tillman set. I’m still not sure I ever lived up to it.

Somewhere along the way, Arizona stopped being the place where I lived and became the place I was from.

It happened through a thousand ordinary moments until one day, I realized this was simply home. Not because I was a Hall of Famer. Not because I was a wide receiver. Just because the people of this state allowed me to be Larry.

You don’t fall in love with a place because of its stadiums. You fall in love on quiet mornings hiking Camelback Mountain.

On crisp fall afternoons walking a golf course. During summers in Flagstaff and standing among the red rocks of Sedona that remind you just how small you are in the best possible way.


When I stopped playing football, I walked away quietly. I’m known for my Irish goodbyes. Arizona even gave me that. Yet you kept showing up for me anyway, especially through the work of my foundation. Your support was never conditional. You never asked me to be anything other than myself, and somehow that was always enough.

Arizona gave a kid from Minneapolis something he didn’t even know he was searching for.

Belonging.

And that sense of belonging changed me.

After a while, you weren’t cheering for a wide receiver anymore, you were cheering for one of your own.

So this isn’t really a story about 17 years in a Cardinals uniform or a bronze bust in Canton.

It’s the story of a young man who was welcomed by a state that owed him nothing and gave him everything.

Thank you, Arizona.

Thank you for letting a kid from somewhere else become one of your own.

Thank you for embracing not just the player, but the man.

You gave me far more than a career. You gave me friendships that will last a lifetime. You gave me purpose beyond football.

You gave me a place where my children will always know they belong.

Most of all, you gave me a home.

With love and gratitude,

(signed)

Larry Fitzgerald

HOF 26

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Larry #Fitzgerald #Arizona #gave #home">Deadspin | Larry Fitzgerald thanks all of Arizona: ‘You gave me a home’ Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee Larry Fitzgerald and his son Devin Fitzgerald unveil his bust during the Class of 2026 enshrinement ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 8, 2026. One day after being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, longtime Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald paid for a full-page ad in the Arizona Republic to thank everyone who made a Minnesota native feel welcome in the state he calls home. After being selected by the Cardinals with the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Fitzgerald spent all 17 years of his NFL career in Arizona. He caught 1,432 passes for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns while earning 11 trips to the Pro Bowl. Fitzgerald ranks second to Jerry Rice on the NFL’s all-time lists for receptions and receiving yards. He stands sixth in touchdown catches, trailing Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Chris Carter and Marvin Harrison. Here’s the message Fitzgerald penned for his Arizona Republic ad: People have asked me countless times what it felt like to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The truth is, it was one of the greatest honors of my life. But this really isn’t a Hall of Fame story. It’s a thank-you letter. I arrived in Arizona as a 20-year-old kid who didn’t know a single person. I had no idea this desert would become the place that would shape me into the man I am today. The day I landed was the same day the nation learned Pat Tillman had lost his life. Pat is one of America’s great heroes. I stepped off the plane into a state where its people were carrying real grief, and something inside me grew quiet. I started paying attention. You learn quickly what loyalty looks like when it isn’t just a word. For the next 17 seasons, I quietly measured myself against the standard Pat Tillman set. I’m still not sure I ever lived up to it. Somewhere along the way, Arizona stopped being the place where I lived and became the place I was from. It happened through a thousand ordinary moments until one day, I realized this was simply home. Not because I was a Hall of Famer. Not because I was a wide receiver. Just because the people of this state allowed me to be Larry. You don’t fall in love with a place because of its stadiums. You fall in love on quiet mornings hiking Camelback Mountain. On crisp fall afternoons walking a golf course. During summers in Flagstaff and standing among the red rocks of Sedona that remind you just how small you are in the best possible way. When I stopped playing football, I walked away quietly. I’m known for my Irish goodbyes. Arizona even gave me that. Yet you kept showing up for me anyway, especially through the work of my foundation. Your support was never conditional. You never asked me to be anything other than myself, and somehow that was always enough. Arizona gave a kid from Minneapolis something he didn’t even know he was searching for. Belonging. And that sense of belonging changed me. After a while, you weren’t cheering for a wide receiver anymore, you were cheering for one of your own. So this isn’t really a story about 17 years in a Cardinals uniform or a bronze bust in Canton. It’s the story of a young man who was welcomed by a state that owed him nothing and gave him everything. Thank you, Arizona. Thank you for letting a kid from somewhere else become one of your own. Thank you for embracing not just the player, but the man. You gave me far more than a career. You gave me friendships that will last a lifetime. You gave me purpose beyond football. You gave me a place where my children will always know they belong. Most of all, you gave me a home. With love and gratitude, (signed) Larry Fitzgerald HOF 26 –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Larry #Fitzgerald #Arizona #gave #home

When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.

The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.

The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.

That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.

On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.

Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.

But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.

I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.

One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.

Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.

In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.

There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.

I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.

Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it.

#Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making">Larry Fitzgerald’s Hall of Fame induction is 25 years in the making When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it. #Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making

Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.

TOSS

Tiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.

PLAYING XIs

Nellai Royal Kings: Athish SR(w), D Santhosh Kumar, Ajitesh Guruswamy, U Mukilesh, Rithik Easwaran, Sonu Yadav(c), Muhammed Adnan Khan, Ramalingam Rohit, Emmanuel Cherian, NS Harish, Rocky Bhasker

Tiruppur Tamizhans: Tushar Raheja(w), Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore(c), M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, Esakkimuthu A, T Natarajan

Published on Aug 09, 2026

#TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings">TNPL 2026 Live: All-round batting display propels Nellai Royal Kings to 206/8 Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.TOSSTiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.PLAYING XIsNellai Royal Kings: Athish SR(w), D Santhosh Kumar, Ajitesh Guruswamy, U Mukilesh, Rithik Easwaran, Sonu Yadav(c), Muhammed Adnan Khan, Ramalingam Rohit, Emmanuel Cherian, NS Harish, Rocky BhaskerTiruppur Tamizhans: Tushar Raheja(w), Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore(c), M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, Esakkimuthu A, T NatarajanPublished on Aug 09, 2026 #TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings

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