2013 Cotton Bowl Classic

2013 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic
77th Cotton Bowl Classic
1234 Total
Texas A&M 77207 41
Oklahoma 31000 13
DateJanuary 4, 2013
Season2012
StadiumCowboys Stadium
LocationArlington, Texas
MVPOffensive: Johnny Manziel (QB – Texas A&M)
Defensive: Dustin Harris (DB – Texas A&M)
FavoriteTexas A&M by 3[1]
RefereeTom Zimorski (ACC)
Attendance87,025
PayoutUS$7.25 million
United States TV coverage
NetworkFOX
Fox Deportes
AnnouncersGus Johnson (play-by-play)
Charles Davis (commentary)
Julie Alexandria (sideline reporter)
Petros Papadakis (sideline reporter)
Nielsen ratings7.5 (11.2 million viewers)[2]
Cotton Bowl Classic
 < 2012  2014

The 2013 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic was a post-season American college football bowl game held on January 4, 2013, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas in the United States. The 77th edition of the Cotton Bowl Classic began at 7:00 p.m. CST and aired on Fox Sports. It featured the Texas A&M Aggies from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) against the Big 12 Conference co-champion Oklahoma Sooners and was the final game of the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams. Both the Aggies and the Sooners accepted their invitations after finishing the regular season 10–2.[3]

The pre-game buildup was primarily focused on the two high-powered offenses, both of whom were led by strong passing attacks led by quarterbacks Johnny Manziel and Landry Jones respectively. Both teams also had several quality wide receivers, but both were average to below average defensively. Experts were split in their prognostications, but most predicted a high-scoring game.

Texas A&M defeated Oklahoma 41–13 to win the Cotton Bowl Classic and to finish the season with an 11–2 record. Manziel rushed for 229 yards during the game, a bowl record, rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for two more. Though the halftime score was 14–13 Texas A&M, the Aggies went on to score 27 unanswered second half points to win the game.

  1. ^ Bowl Schedule, Los Angeles Times, January 4, 2013
  2. ^ Burch, Jimmy (January 5, 2013). "Cotton Bowl beat Orange, Sugar in TV ratings". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  3. ^ "It's Official: No. 9 Texas A&M vs. No. 11 Oklahoma in 77th AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic". Cotton Bowl Classic. December 2, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2012. From 1996 until 2011, the Aggies and Sooners played together in the Big 12 Conference before the Aggies left for the SEC.