Happy Monday, friends and fans!

It felt like it would never end, but the Oklahoma Sooners are finally past one of the longest bye weeks in recent memory. Coming off a loss and a major coaching change can make the seconds seem like hours. And while it’s never any fun to go through a loss, recent history shows that this is OU’s modus operandi en route to a College Football Playoff run.

Did the timing of this bye week help or hurt the team more? That’s still to be determined, but there is a slight differing of opinion within the locker room when it comes to the timing. As mentioned in the article, Heisman Trophy candidate Kyler Murray believes the off week has helped the team regroup, while guard Ben Powers would have rather played a game instead of resting on the loss beyond a week.

Now, just because Oklahoma has rallied for a playoff berth as a one-loss team twice before doesn’t mean it’ll be any easier this time around. Even in a relatively down year for the Big 12, running the table through what would have to be seven games will be an extremely steep challenge. That said, this group is capable of pulling it off, and that starts up top with the man calling the shots — Lincoln Riley.

Now onto this week’s Monday edition of Hot Links! Ben Powers and two freshmen receive mid-season honors, Adrian Peterson continues to do exciting things on the field, Conor McGregor threw shot put a football and more!

OU Links

• It’s officially TCU Week. Need a quick rundown of what the Sooners are up against in the 2018 Horned Frogs? The Transcript has you covered.
• Congratulations to starting offensive guard Ben Powers, who was named to ESPN’s Midseason All-America team.

• Additionally, Ronnie Perkins and Brendan Radley-Hiles made ESPN’s Midseason Freshman All-America Team.

• Adrian Peterson has run through, over, and around defenders on a routine basis, but have you ever seen him do this? Amazing!

• With the start of the college basketball season less than a month away, Lon Kruger, now entering his 33rd season as a head coach, is still driven by the same fiery passion that made him one of the game’s best.
• OU tight end commit Austin Stogner has received a scholarship offer from Stanford, which is a unique honor for a high school football player. I’m sure his family is proud!

Around the Sports World

• Texas’ starting QB Sam Ehlinger missed most of Saturday’s game against Baylor with what is now known as a first-degree shoulder sprain. The Longhorns are off this weekend, and head coach Tom Herman says he expects the QB to be throwing again by the end of the week. Backup passer Shane Buechele has two seasons worth of intermittent starting experience, making him a viable second option if necessary.
• After a chaotic Week 7 in college football, where do teams stand in the race for empirical supremacy?
• Moving forward, which games are the most important to the overall race to the College Football Playoff? There are a number of top 10 teams that are up against some serious challenges.
• SB Nation caught up with Iowa State’s band director to discuss how the dinosaur display at halftime came to life. Interestingly enough, it costs most to feed the band members than it did to purchase all those dino costumes.
• Former Nebraska coaches are taking over Ohio football teams left and right. Carl Pelini, Bo’s brother, is the latest example, as he has recently been named the interim head coach for Bowling Green State.
• I guess Conor McGregor deserves a pass for this. He’s from Ireland and is also a lefty, so it’s going to look a little funky no matter what. Still, this is hilarious.

Stick to Sports!

• The FDA says it’s not okay to vape Viagra. Noted.
• Jamie Lee Curtis, the star of the upcoming Halloween movie, dished on different treats, and you might be surprised by her No. 1. Also, I feel like I’m a bigger Snickers fan than most. It’s simple, but classic.

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