Ohio State Buckeyes Now Cotton Bowl Underdogs vs. Missouri Tigers After Kyle McCord Transfer Portal Entry

The Buckeyes opened as 6.5-point favorites in the Cotton Bowl against the Missouri Tigers but after the departure of Kyle McCord to the transfer portal, Ohio State now finds itself an underdog.

Kyle McCord added his name to the list of multiple Ohio State Buckeyes players who are departing the team via the transfer portal. 

“I am extremely thankful for my time at Ohio State. Playing in the scarlet and gray was truly an honor," Mccord said in a statement. "I’m grateful for all of the lifelong relationships I’ve made along the way here in Columbus. My teammates, my brothers, I’m appreciative for each and every one of you.

That announcement and those departures have now had massive betting implications on the upcoming Cotton Bowl between the Buckeyes and the SEC's Missouri Tigers. 

Kyle McCord / Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State opened as 6.5-point favorites over the Tigers. Now, with the starting quarterback uncertain for Ohio State, the spread is slipping the other way. As of the time of this writing, Missouri is now a 2.5-point favorite. And that's not good news for the Ryan Day-led Buckeyes.

While Ohio State has historically played well as an underdog, winning eight of its last 12 when its opponent is favored, under Day, the team is just 1-4. That includes its most recent matchup against Michigan, in which the Bucks were 3-point dogs. 

Also complicating the betting line was the departure of wideout Julian Fleming, and the fact that even some of the current players who will be departing for the NFL could opt out of the Cotton Bowl.

Ohio State Transfer QB Kyle McCord In Contact With Nebraska

With the exit of McCord, the options at quarterback are limited for Day. He could conceivably go with redshirt freshman Devin Brown or true freshman Lincoln Keinholz. 

The Cotton Bowl will be played on Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. ET.