Ohio State is focused on beating USC in the Cotton Bowl. All the other stuff, particularly the College Football Playoff snub, isn’t really on anyone’s mind right now.

That’s the message Buckeyes defensive lineman Sam Hubbard wanted to send to fans of the Scarlet and Gray as the Cotton Bowl approaches. He wanted to reassure any worried fans that he and his teammates are locked in for Friday’s matchup.

“We’ve got so much invested in this game,” Hubbard said, per 247Sports. “This game is all that is on our minds. We’ve stopped thinking about the playoff weeks ago. We want to win this game because it means the world to us. We want to go out there…and all these guys who have put so much into this program, we want to send them off the right way.

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“So, any fan that is worried about us taking it lightly should definitely calm those worries. Because we’re working hard to win this game.”

Both Ohio State and USC were left on the outside looking in of the College Football Playoff, though the Buckeyes were the first team out of the mix. Ohio State and USC both finished the year as conference champions and ended the season with 11-2 records.

So while the Buckeyes might have a gripe about missing out on the national title picture, the Trojans could make just as much of a complaint.

However, that doesn’t seem to be important to either team right now. Instead, both are hoping to end the year on a strong note and claim a Cotton Bowl title.

Ohio State and USC will square off at AT&T Stadium on Friday with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.