Happy Friday, folks! Aside from the Army-Navy game last weekend, it’s been a long couple weeks without on-the-field college football. That changes tomorrow as bowl season gets underway. The Oklahoma Sooners still have another 17 days before they can line up against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Rose Bowl, but that doesn’t mean we should have to wait to watch some other teams try to finish their seasons as (insert obscure bowl name here) champs!

Here are some things to look out for in today’s edition of Hot Links: after 15 years, Roy ‘Superman’ Williams fulfills his promise to his mother as he earns his college degree, Colin Cowherd calls Baker Mayfield “pudgy,” a UCF player calls the SEC slow and a whole lot more!

OU Links

• Baker Mayfield is on the cover of Sports Illustrated again. The dude is the face of college football, truly.

• FS1’s Colin Cowherd doesn’t believe Mayfield should be compared to the likes of Russell Wilson or Drew Brees. Cowherd even went as far as calling him “pudgy.” When will they ever learn? People keep doubting this man, but all he’s ever done is get the job done and then some. It’s astounding.

• Baker Mayfield saw this and responded with as many characters as I would have imagined him to. Sorry, Georgia. If you were banking on the distractions of winning the Heisman to weaken Mayfield, you know he’s dialed in now.

• If you’re like me, you’re sick and tired of hearing about how “Oklahoma hasn’t seen a defense like Georgia’s”. How come I haven’t heard nearly as much about the flip side to the matchup? The film and numbers aren’t lying — Georgia definitely has not seen an offense like Oklahoma’s. Oklahoma not only has the best offense in the nation, it has the most efficient offense in at least the last 12 years, if not all time.
• Better known to Sooner fans as ‘Superman,’ Roy Williams kept a promise to his mother — he graduated from college. Nearly 16 years after he left the University of Oklahoma for the NFL, Williams will walk across that stage dressed in a cap and gown instead of a helmet and cape, and his proud mother will be in attendance.

• Lincoln Riley admits that he thinks the early signing period could have started next season to allow recruits the opportunity to take advantage of the early official visit dates. Also, the team has finally started using the new practice fields.

Around the Sports World

• The Cavaliers beat the Lakers last night, and cameras caught LBJ talking to Lonzo Ball after the game. I think LeBron was giving Lonzo some veteran wisdom about working hard, ignoring the noise, etc. Nothing earth-shattering, in my opinion.

• West Virginia QB Will Grier has opted to return for his senior season. The Mountaineers’ offense was one of the best in the nation before Grier gruesomely injured a finger on his throwing hand.
• Ahead of the Peach Bowl, UCF running back Adrian Killins Jr. said Auburn hasn’t seen speed like the Knights have. Comments like these are perfect subplots, which make the bowl games that much more fun.
• In this breakdown, creating your own bowl game seems rather simple. I mean, you still need a boatload of money and a sponsor and a field and stuff, but beyond that, it’s a piece of cake!
• Bowl game trophies come in all shapes, sizes and types of strangeness. Take a look at many of the trophies you will be seeing this bowl season.
• The Sam Houston State Bearkats find themselves in Fargo to take on the North Dakota State Bison in the FCS playoffs tonight. NDSU has been an FCS dynasty over the past six seasons, but after winning the national championship five years in a row, the Bison were upset last year by the eventual champion, James Madison.

Stick to Sports!

• NASA’s Kepler Mission has been discovering earth-like planets for years, and now a new system with as many planets as our own solar system has been discovered. The main problem: it’s 2,500 light years away. I’d probably have to make a couple of pit stops along the way.

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