USC will face Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl Dec. 29 in Arlington, Texas in the traditional Rose Bowl matchup of the Pac-12 and Big Ten champions, the College Football Playoff announced Sunday.
The game will be the second Cotton Bowl appearance for the Trojans, who defeated Texas Tech, 55-14, in 1995.
USC will be facing the Buckeyes for the 24th time, including seven Rose Bowl matchups. The Trojans lead the series, 13-9-1, winning each of the past seven games dating back to the 1975 Rose Bowl.
When not hosting semifinals, the matchups for the Cotton, Fiesta and Peach bowls are determined by the 13-member playoff selection committee, which consists of five former coaches, four athletic directors, two former administrators, a college president and a former sports reporter.
The Rose Bowl, the usual destination for Pac-12 and Big Ten champions, is being used as the site of a College Football Playoff Semifinal this season.
