Happy Friday, friends and fans! Today is the first day of fall practice for the Oklahoma Sooners, which means actual football things are finally happening again!

2018 figures to be a year of transition for many teams in the Big 12. With the top three teams from last season (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and TCU) each having to replace starting QBs, the conference feels a little more wide open than it has in recent years. So what are opposing conference coaches saying about the Sooners in 2018?

I believe Kyler Murray will prove to be a much more competent passer than whoever that coach was that downplayed his throwing ability. I really wanna know who it was...

Now onto this week’s Friday edition of Hot Links! Construction on the north end zone video board is right on schedule, Orlando Brown showed out well in his preseason debut with the Ravens, WWE’s Kane is now a mayor and more!

OU Links

• Orlando Brown debuted for the Baltimore Ravens Thursday night in the Hall of Fame Game against the Chicago Bears, and Brown looked like he belonged on the field. That’s a great sign, especially considering the perception some had following the NFL Combine.
• With fall practice officially underway, what are some of the top storylines to keep an eye on as camp unfolds?
• Along with the storylines this preseason, Lincoln Riley has a series of items on his check list he must mark off by the time the season gets going.
• Don’t forget to check out Jack’s projected depth chart for the season opener. There are several spots, especially on defense, that likely won’t be sorted out until the team can get a scrimmage or two in this fall.
• Construction on the north end zone video board is coming along smoothly. All these upgrades to the Palace on the Prairie are big time, and I can hardly wait to see what this looks like once the season starts.

• Since the Atlanta Hawks selected Trae Young in the 2018 NBA Draft, the moves that the organization has made are clearly following a Golden State Warriors formula. Hey, if you’re going to emulate anybody, might as well be the champs, and Young isn’t a bad start if you’re looking to develop the next Steph Curry.
• Speaking of Trae Young, he doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. At the hoops camp he hosted on Wednesday and Thursday, Young spoke with some of the kids and offered them advice for both on and off the court. Young is genuine with his words, and his humility has helped him reach the NBA.
• If every college football program could put together their dream backfield that consisted of past players, what kind of tandems could we see and how would they stack up against each other? With Oklahoma being the premier running back school in the nation from an historical perspective, just how special could the Sooners look in this fantasy scenario?

Around the Sports World

• Former Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III made some noise in the NFL before injuries derailed his career. After not having appeared in a game for almost two years, Griffin’s participation in Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game was emotionally rewarding.
• One part of the Heisman Trophy process is campaigning. Typically, Heisman campaigns do little to influence the actual voting, but it’s still interesting to see how players’ seasons are creatively advertised. Check out some of the best and worst Heisman campaigns of all-time.
• Kentucky football head coach Mark Stoops announced that defensive end Joshua Paschal has been diagnosed with malignant melanoma. Further results are pending following foot surgery Paschal underwent on Wednesday.
• Former WWE Champion Kane has traded in his red pants for a suit after being elected mayor of Knox County in Tennessee, the third largest county in the Volunteer State. This is kind of mind-blowing because Kane was such a scary, monstrous man-creature in the ring, but hey, follow your dreams, kids.

• Inspired by the hit comedy Dodgeball, ESPN 8 ‘The Ocho’ is making a return to the airwaves for a second year in a row. For when and how you can catch all the obscure sports action, check this out!

Stick to Sports!

• At the Bà Nà Hills mountain resort in Vietnam, a pair of giant stone-carved hands are made to look like they are holding up the Gold Bridge. The bridge is part of a $2 billion investment into the area in efforts to attract tourists. Personally, I think this looks amazing. I just might have to check it out for myself!

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