ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Defending national champion Ohio State is going to the Cotton Bowl for the third year in a row, this time for a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game on New Year's Eve against Miami or Texas A&M.

The Big Ten runner-up Buckeyes (12-1) won their CFP semifinal last January at the Cotton Bowl over Texas, then went on to beat Notre Dame for the national championship.

Ohio State got a first-round playoff bye when the final CFP rankings that came out Sunday, a day after its 13-10 loss to undefeated Indiana in the Big Ten championship game Saturday night. The Hoosiers had been No. 2 in the penultimate CFP rankings, but flipped spots with the previously top-ranked Buckeyes in both those and the new AP poll.

Seventh-ranked Texas A&M (11-1) from the Southeastern Co

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