What’s up, Sooner fans? So the Trae Young Show is over, and it ended in a quiet thud. You can read more about that lousy game here, in case you missed it.

In more interesting news, it looks like Lincoln Riley wasn’t finished making additions to the coaching room, as former Nebraska defensive coordinator Bob Diaco is expected to join the staff as a defensive analyst. It’s too early to tell how much involvement Diaco will have with any changes in scheme or how hands-on he’ll be with the players, but I suppose it doesn’t hurt to have another experienced defensive mind in the room. Whether or not he is actually a fit is another question entirely.

Before Diaco was a defensive coordinator at Nebraska last season, he was defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Notre Dame from 2010 to 2014. There he won the Broyles Award for the nation’s top coordinator in 2012, during the Fighting Irish’s run to the national championship game. From 2014-2016 he was head coach at Connecticut (and not a good one).

While Diaco has had success in the past, he also has been criticized for some underwhelming units and incessant excuse-making. Hopefully him not being in a high-profile position on the staff will allow him to do what he does best and not have outside responsibilities.

Now for this evening’s edition of Hot Links. Baker Mayfield has a deal with Nike, a private investigator followed Mayfield around Norman, Spencer Rattler is an Elite 11 QB and more!

OU Links

• Oklahoma didn’t have the basketball season it wanted, and now the season is officially over. Check out the post-game press conference to hear what Lon Kruger and Trae Young had to say about the tough loss to Rhode Island in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

• The Sooners failed to win a game away from home since the calendar changed from 2017 to 2018. That’s just... sad.
• On Wednesday, Oklahoma held its annual Pro Day, and Baker Mayfield was decked out in Nike gear. Afterwards, he revealed that it was because he has joined the Nike family through sponsorship. Congratulations, Baker!

• After Texas QB Sam Ehlinger threw a not-so-subtle jab at Orlando Brown’s bench press mark from the NFL Combine, Baker Mayfield was asked for his thoughts about Ehlinger’s comment. Yeah, I think Baker gets the mic drop on this one.

• Lots of prominent people in the NFL scouting business have had glowing reviews about Baker Mayfield as a football player, but one NFL team hired a private investigator to follow Baker Mayfield around Norman to see what he’s like off the field in his day-to-day life. Is that some kind of ethical breech, or just really creepy?
• Like that private investigator, you can also follow Baker Mayfield, as he will be starring in a docuseries chronicling his journey from the end of his collegiate career to the 2018 NFL Draft. It looks like it’s going to be a sweet show, so I’m definitely tuning in.

• 2019 QB commit Spencer Rattler has been invited to join the Elite 11 club, exclusively for the top high school QBs in the nation. It’s a great opportunity for Rattler to receive special instruction and test his ability against the best of the best. Congratulations, Spencer!

• 2019 four-star Stephon Wright is a defensive end out of California and has trimmed down his long list of offers to 10 schools, with the Oklahoma Sooners making the cut.

Around the Sports World

• The first buzzer-beater upset in the NCAA Tournament belongs to Loyola-Chicago over Miami. Wow, what an incredible shot!

• Who are the best professional athletes to play on terrible teams for their entire career? Barry Sanders is an obvious pick for this list, but is he No. 1?
• Owner of New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans Tom Benson, 90, has passed away after an extended battle with the flu.
• Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson has suffered a fractured thumb, but is expected to return before the end of the month.
• This poor pup isn’t allowed to watch his Butler Bulldogs play in the Big Dance, per NCAA rules about live animals or something to that effect. No fun, people. Let the dog in!

Stick to Sports!

• Astronaut Scott Kelly has returned to earth after spending a year in the International Space Station, and there were reports going around that claimed his time in space genetically modified his DNA, so he was no longer identical to his once-identical brother. That has since been clarified and is actually not the case. Rather, while seven percent of his gene expression has indeed changed, his DNA has remained the same.

Follow Crimson & Cream Machine on Twitter!