Editor's Note: This article was published Dec. 21, 2020 and updated Dec. 29 with the preview video embedded above.
The matchup for the 85th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is set as the No. 7 Florida Gators faces the No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN Radio.
The primetime clash at AT&T Stadium marks just the second meeting between Florida and Oklahoma. The only previous meeting was the 2009 BCS National Championship in Miami when the Gators defeated the Sooners, 24-14.
"We are thrilled to have Florida and Oklahoma in the 85th Classic," said Bry Patton, Chairman, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association. "The 2020 college football season has presented many obstacles for both these storied programs. These players, coaches and administrators have overcome so much, and they deserve to be recognized for an incredible season."
The Sooners will be making their third appearance in the Classic and their first since 2013 (Texas A&M 41, Oklahoma 13). Oklahoma’s first Classic appearance was a 10-3 victory over Arkansas in 2002. Oklahoma (8-2, 7-2 in Big 12 Conference) earned a 27-21 win over Iowa State in the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium. The Sooners secured their 50th football conference title.
Oklahoma is led by freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler. The Phoenix native ranks ninth nationally with 2,784 passing yards and is tied for eighth nationally with 25 passing touchdowns.
The Gators are making their first appearance in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl. The Gators are coming off a 52-46 loss to No. 1 Alabama in the SEC Championship in Atlanta. Florida, 8-3 in SEC play, are making their 46th bowl appearance. Last year, the Gators defeated Virginia, 36 - 28, in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
Florida is led by Heisman contender, Kyle Trask, who passed for 408 yards and three scores against the Crimson Tide in the SEC Football Championship Game. Trask ranks No. 1 nationally in passing yards (4,125) and passing touchdowns (43).
A limited number of tickets for the 85th Classic are available for purchase online at GoodyearCottonBowl.com or by calling (888) 792-BOWL (2695). Ticket holders for this year's game must use the Cotton Bowl Classic app, available for download on iOS and Android devices, to manage tickets and parking via the wallet functionality and enter AT&T Stadium on game day.
The 85th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is the 12th to be played at AT&T Stadium. The Classic returns to primetime for the first time since Ohio State defeated Southern California 24-7 in the 82nd edition.
The 85th Classic marks the fourth-straight year and sixth time all-time the game has been played in December – 1966 (SMU vs. Georgia on December 31), 2015 (Michigan State vs. Alabama on December 31), 2017 (Southern California vs. Ohio State on December 29), 2018 (Notre Dame vs. Clemson on December 29) and 2019 (Memphis vs. Penn State on December 28).
AT&T Stadium, Entertainment District, MyArlingtonTV
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