How’s it going, everybody?

While most of us around here are focused on the happenings with the Oklahoma Sooners, part of that attention has also been spent on Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns. Though the No. 1 overall pick has given the fledgling franchise a spark, there is still A TON of room for improvement on that roster. So how about bringing in another Sooner for reinforcement?

I’m not sure if this is realistic, but the idea of Sterling Shepard possibly be reunited with Mayfield in Ohio is fun to think about. Could it happen? Well, considering how poor the New York Giants have been, and the end of the former Oklahoma receiver’s contract drawing near after 2019, I suppose a trade is certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

With the 2018 NFL trade deadline approaching fast (Tuesday, October 30th), many teams will be looking to position themselves for either a post-season run or they’ll be looking to build for the future. At this point, the Browns’ playoff outlook is low, but if Cleveland were to acquire a young and experienced receiver like Shepard, that would be a huge boost for that offense. Plus, a Mayfield-Shepard reunion would go over extremely well in Sooner Nation. For starters, those two actually know how to win in OT. Sorry, not sorry, Browns and Vols. Remember the “Rocky Top Thriller”.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! Oklahoma Basketball is raring to return, Trae Young dazzled once again, UCF isn’t rising up the rankings but is rising through the atmosphere and more!

OU Links

• Lon Kruger and members of the Oklahoma men’s basketball team were in attendance for Big 12 Media Days in Kansas City on Wednesday. The team says they are focused on playing more sound defense and have more chemistry now than they had last season.
• Here’s a glimpse of what the day was like for seniors Christian James, Jamuni McNeace and Rashard Odomes.

• 33-year-old Adrian Peterson has logged a ton of miles in his career for any player, especially for a workhorse running back like him. Because of this, Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden doesn’t want him practicing on Wednesdays. Instead, he wants AD to use that day of the week to rest and recover his body. Naturally, Peterson would rather be on the field, but he understands the merits of resting.
• Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks rallied from an early 26-point deficit to defeat fellow lottery pick Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Young finished with 17 points, including this sizzling-hot move to the bucket.

• In case you missed it, the OU Board of Regents approved a pilot program for the expansion of alcohol sales at Oklahoma men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as baseball and softball games. Also, here’s what AD Joe Castiglione had to say on the landmark approval. What stands out is the fact that feedback from other schools has indicated a decrease in alcohol-related incidents, and Joe C explains why that seems to be the case.
• Make sure you read up on Allen’s inside look at how Ruffin McNeill’s defense was different than what the Sooners had been employing previously. Some players saw their roles tweaked, and the overall scheme saw its share of refining.

Around the Sports World

• In case you missed it, the official kickoff time and broadcast details for the Big 12 Championship game have been announced. On Saturday, December 1st, the game will kick off at 11:00 a.m. CT, and will be televised on ABC. The fact that ABC/ESPN has chosen Clemson vs. Whoever over an OU-Texas rematch for prime time tells you an awful lot about the pushovers who run the conference.

• It’s almost Halloween, so in preparation for the most candy-filled and frightful of nights, check out SB Nation’s 10 sports-themed horror story shorts. Being taken over by computers seems scary enough, but dealing with a mysterious man in a mascot suit? No thanks.
• Michigan State was fined $10K for starting a scuffle between Michigan players pre-game. The fine is technically for violating the Big Ten’s sportsmanship policy, but to me this seems just a tad excessive. It’s a rivalry game, and nothing but feelings and egos were hurt.
• Beginning with tonight’s games, this next four week stretch of football will quite literally be non-stop. No days off from either college or pro ball if not both on the same night from now until the Tuesday of Thanksgiving. It’s like a mini-bowl season!

• UCF’s ‘Citronaut’ is back! The No. 10 Knights will rock these stellar uniforms next Thursday night against Temple. Fully equipped with real constellations and intergalactic patterns, these might be some of the season’s very best alternates.

Stick to Sports!

• Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have worked together on a number of blockbuster films, including the critically acclaimed Wolf of Wall Street. Now the two are reteaming to film Killers of the Flower Moon, an adaptation of David Grann’s New York Times best-selling novel. The story takes place in Oklahoma, before the 1930s Dust Bowl, and revolves around the conspiratorial murdering of the Osage Nation. Production is expected to begin in the summer of 2019.

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