Scenes from Clemson's Media Day

   The Clemson Tigers took their turn in front of the media spotlight on Thursday. The Media Event on the field of AT&T Stadium brought out a huge gathering of reporters and photographers in advance of Saturday's College Football Playoff Semifinal.

Scenes from Notre Dame's Media Day

   Although both teams have had daily press conferences, Thursday was the big Media Day presentations for Notre Dame and Clemson at AT&T Stadium.
   Media Day is a broader, lengthier period with the media. Players and coaches are at stations on the AT&T Stadium field. The setup allows more access to individual players and coaches, as opposed to a more traditional press conference set up where interview subjects are presented to all the media at one gathering.
   Of course, there are always players and coaches who are so popular that they draw a crowd no matter the set up. And there are always a few players that might talk to only a handful of reporters. But it still an honor for the players and it's important access for a media member whose story may focus on one particular player.

Welcome to the 83rd Annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Blog!

 
 Howdy from Texas! Welcome to the Official Blog of the 84rd Annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
   After hosting a "Rose Bowl East" matchup last year between Ohio State and USC, this year the Cotton is one of the semifinals for the College Football Playoff. The matchup between No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Notre Dame kicks off at 3 pm Central Time on Saturday, Dec. 29 at AT&T Stadium (also known as Jerry World, the home of the Dallas Cowboys) in Arlington, Texas.
   The other national semifinal pits No. 1 Alabama against No. 4 Oklahoma. Both semifinal games can be seen on ESPN. The national championship game is Jan. 7 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
   Being a part of the College Football Playoff bracket this year brings a different vibe to the Goodyear Cotton Bowl. For one thing, the game arrives a little earlier than the Cotton Bowl's traditional New Year's Day kickoff.
   Being a CFP game also lends an air of even greater importance to this year's Cotton Bowl. One of these two teams, Notre Dame or Clemson, will play for a national championship. While the Cotton Bowl is one of college football's legendary bowl games, this year there is more than pride, tradition and outstanding hospitality to think about.
   But that doesn't mean Goodyear Cotton Bowl Week isn't a lot of fun. The teams arrived on Sunday and have been practicing, and having fun, from the moment they touched down in North Texas.
   This blog will hopefully help you capture some of the spirit and traditions of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl leading up to, and through, the battle on the field.