| Game Name: | Cotton Bowl Classic |
| Subheader: | 85th Cotton Bowl Classic |
| Title Sponsor: | Goodyear |
| Date Game Played: | December 30 |
| Year Game Played: | 2020 |
| Football Season: | 2020 |
| Stadium: | AT&T Stadium |
| City: | Arlington, Texas |
| Visitor School: | University of Florida |
| Visitor Name Short: | Florida |
| Visitor Nickname: | Gators |
| Visitor Record: | 8–3 |
| Visitor Conference: | SEC |
| Visitor Rank Ap: | 10 |
| Visitor Rank Coaches: | 10 |
| Visitor Rank Cfp: | 7 |
| Visitor Coach: | Dan Mullen |
| Visitor 1Q: | 3 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 10 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 7 |
| Home School: | University of Oklahoma |
| Home Name Short: | Oklahoma |
| Home Nickname: | Sooners |
| Home Record: | 8–2 |
| Home Conference: | Big 12 |
| Home Rank Ap: | 8 |
| Home Rank Coaches: | 7 |
| Home Rank Cfp: | 6 |
| Home Coach: | Lincoln Riley |
| Home 1Q: | 17 |
| Home 2Q: | 14 |
| Home 3Q: | 10 |
| Home 4Q: | 14 |
| Mvp: | Offense: Rhamondre Stevenson (RB, Oklahoma) Defense: Tre Norwood (DB, Oklahoma)[1] |
| Odds: | Oklahoma by 8.5 (O/U: 65.5) [2] |
| Referee: | Chris Coyte (Pac-12)[3] |
| Attendance: | 17,323 |
| Us Network: | ESPN and ESPN Radio |
| Us Announcers: | ESPN: Joe Tessitore (play-by-play) Dusty Dvoracek (analyst) Holly Rowe (sideline) ESPN Radio: Brad Sham, Jordan Rodgers, Ian Fitzsimmons |
The 2020 Cotton Bowl Classic was a college football bowl game played on December 30, 2020, with kickoff at 8:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. local CST) on ESPN.[4] It was the 85th edition of the Cotton Bowl Classic, and was one of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season. Sponsored by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, the game was officially known as the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
As one of the New Year's Six bowl games, the participants of the game were determined by the College Football Playoff selection committee. The committee matched No. 7 Florida of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) against No. 6 Oklahoma of the Big 12 Conference.[5] The teams had only met once previously, a 24–14 Florida victory in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game.[6] Several players from both teams opted not to participate in the game, choosing to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft. The opt-outs included three of Florida's receivers: Trevon Grimes, Kyle Pitts, and Kadarius Toney.[7]
See main article: 2020 Florida Gators football team. Florida entered the bowl with an 8–3 record. The Gators were 8–2 in SEC play, then lost the SEC Championship Game to top-ranked Alabama. The Gators' other losses were to Texas A&M and LSU. Florida defeated one ranked team during the season, Georgia. This was the Gators' first appearance in a Cotton Bowl.
See main article: 2020 Oklahoma Sooners football team. Oklahoma entered the bowl with an 8–2 record. The Sooners were 6–2 in Big 12 play, then won the Big 12 Championship Game over Iowa State. The Sooners had lost earlier in the season to Iowa State; their only other loss was to Kansas State. Oklahoma defeated two ranked teams during conference play; Texas and Oklahoma State. The Sooners had played in two prior Cotton Bowls, winning in January 2002 and losing in January 2013.