Happy Friday, friends and fans! The bowl season is moving right along, and the Big 12 is representing itself well with a nice record of 4-2. The Oklahoma Sooners will look to give the conference its biggest win in years on Monday, but first I want to highlight a little something that happened yesterday evening.

Mark Schlereth, who you may know for being an NFL analyst on major sports networks such as ESPN and Fox Sports, has not been shy about his feelings towards the Heisman Trophy:

Baker Mayfield chimed in, and I’d say he feels a bit differently than Schlereth does:

Yep, it’s pretty obvious that Schlereth doesn’t watch the games. The only “garbage” out of all of this is his obvious ignorance of Mayfield’s ability and style. Toss it in with all the other chips.

Schlereth then backpedaled faster than an NFL DB:

For today’s edition of Hot Links, Charles Barkley wears a No. 6 Sooners jersey on TV, people are kind of freaking out about Baker Mayfield’s illness, and more!

OU Links:

• Charles Barkley, an Auburn alum, has a good reason to root against Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Because the Bulldogs beat the Tigers and kept them out of the final four, Barkley has been openly rooting for Baker Mayfield and the Sooners to defeat UGA. ‘NBA on TNT’ host Ernie Johnson, a Georgia alum, wasn’t going to just sit there and take it, and now we have this awesome moment in television history:

• Although Oklahoma opened up as the Rose Bowl favorite, the line has shifted towards Georgia. Baker and Oklahoma seem to relish in the underdog role, so I don’t see this as a negative at all.
• Anonymous coaches were asked about the matchups between Oklahoma and Georgia, and there’s just a boat-load of interesting information and perspective here. Something in particular that stuck out to me was the part about UGA’s d-line. If those guys aren’t as effective, allowing OU’s OL to win the battles, then it’s going to be a very long day for the Bulldogs.
• I was going to talk about Baker Mayfield’s illness, but instead I’ll suggest you talk to Coach Riley:

• It appears Lincoln has this topic on lockdown. This sort of run-around is kind of amusing, but in all seriousness I hope Mayfield’s truly fine. Reports are that he has practiced with the team but has been instructed to stay back during the team outings to Disneyland and now apparently media pressers.

• Okay now this is getting a little absurd:

• Alright, I’m officially off the Baker Mayfield bandwagon. Personally, I’m an avid proponent of the Squirtle Squad. I just can’t believe he would limit himself like that when he could have picked Charmander. (these are the jokes, people.)

• Honestly, if this is going to become a thing, I’m here for it:

• Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm definitely knows who Jamelle Holieway is now. If the Bulldogs win out, Fromm would become only the second true freshman QB ever to guide his team to a national championship. After 1985, Holieway remains the only player to ever accomplish this.
• Mike Stoops has carried a calm confidence with him in Pasadena. The often-criticized defensive coordinator should be relieved that he doesn’t have to face an air-raid style offense against Georgia, but Georgia runs the ball better than most, so there are challenges still ahead.
• Linebacker Caleb Kelly has done all the right things to re-establish the Fresno-to-Norman pipeline. After past Fresno natives failed to pan out, Kelly is asserting his presence on the team and making a name for himself.
• Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Caleb Kelly have taken two different paths to reach the positions they are in now. Ogbo was not so highly recruited, while Kelly was a five-star coming out of high school. Coming to Oklahoma has brought the two together. Now they are both great friends and playmakers on the field.
• Orlando Brown, how’d you get so fly?

• He’s a man you’ve probably never heard of, but if it wasn’t for Kelly Damphousse, it’s highly possible that Baker Mayfield’s Sooner career would not have made it this far. Damphousse was instrumental in amending the rule that once affected the eligibility of walk-on transfers.
• This is actually a really great metaphor. Well done, Brooke Pryor:

• In an interview, West Virginia men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins said he believes the Sooners are the best team in the Big 12 Conference right now. He cited the combination of Lon Kruger, Trae Young and the veteran cast around him. He also confessed that if he were allowed to re-vote today, he’d pick Oklahoma to win the conference. OU was picked to finish 6th in the preseason.

Around the Sports World

• Check out four reasons why this year’s CFP will be the best one yet.
• So after TCU defeated Stanford in the Valero Alamo Bowl last night, a TCU fan, wearing a purple sweater, ran over to Cardinal running back Bryce Love for a selfie. Plot twist, the fan removed his purple sweater to reveal a red shirt underneath. That’s a bold move, my friend.

• A large contingent of the West Virginia fan base is thoroughly convinced that the Mountaineers could do way better than Dana Holgorsen. Is it pure delusion, or is there actually something to it? Oh, and a Rich Rodriguez return is not completely out of the question.
• Penn State head coach James Franklin’s wife joked about leaving him and taking the kids with her if the Nittany Lions lose to the Washington Huskies in the Fiesta Bowl.
• Check out 4,700 words worth of Mike Leach genius. You’ll find quotes on breakfast, in-laws, running up the score and a whole lot more gems. Great stuff, here.
• Ogbo wasn’t the only person to get scared on this ride. Look at this face! I would never question the macho of Georgia running back Nick Chubb, but this is hilarious. Good luck in the Rose Bowl, my dude! Never mind, don’t have good luck. Whatever, you know what I mean.

Stick to Sports!

• This is pretty cool. Those sweaters might be a little uncomfortable to sit down in, but they sound great!

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