Happy Friday, friends and fans!

Several defensive players have made names for themselves through the first four games of the season. First year guys like Brendan Radley-Hiles and Ronnie Perkins are making noise, and senior Curtis Bolton is finally showing what he brings to the equation.

I say all this to mention another player who was expected to contribute at or near the same level as those guys, but saw his season end before it ever began due to a blood clotting issue. Freshman DE/OLB Jalen Redmond arrived in the spring and showed a ton of potential, and while it was crushing news to him and his family that he’d have to overcome this kind of adversity from the jump, he’s already making progress on his comeback.

The Oklahoma Sooners are quite young on defense across the board this season, so many of the names and faces you see on the field now should be back in 2019. If everything works out, Redmond could insert himself into that mix and begin to make a real impact on the team. Though he’ll have to overcome missing out on a year’s worth of experience, he’s certainly talented enough that I wouldn’t put it past him to do so.

Now let’s move right on to all these Hot Links! Lincoln Riley thinks the new redshirt rule could use some tweaks, Bob Stoops and Vince Young are linking up on OU-Texas weekend, and more!

OU Links

• Don’t forget to read up on Allen Kenney’s preview of Baylor’s offense and how the Bears will want to attack Oklahoma’s defense. BU may not be as explosive as they were under Art Briles, but you better believe they still have plenty of dudes that can make big plays.
• Check out this detailed film breakdown previewing Baylor’s defense versus Oklahoma’s offense from Sic ‘Em 365’s Sam Bradshaw. The Bears have shown defensive improvement over the course of the season, but how will they hold up against the Sooners who yet again have one of the nation’s most potent offenses?
• Lincoln Riley says the new redshirt rule has been mostly positive, but he also recognizes that it has unintended consequences. So far, he doesn’t suspect any upper classmen on the team will choose to sit out, and he credits a lot of that to proper communication.
• Oklahoma’s third-down defense absolutely has to tighten up moving forward. Both Iowa State and Army had a lot of success converting the crucial down, even in long-yardage situations. Shoring up those woes begins this weekend against Baylor, and if nothing changes, brace yourself for the ensuing panic.
• Baker Mayfield is about to start an NFL game for the first time on Sunday, but looking back on his debut in last week’s Thursday night thriller, his two-point conversion catch was awesome for many reasons.
• Five-star wide receiver commit Theo Wease Jr. is one of the most gifted pass-catchers on the high school level, but he’s also a complete player. Check out this epic block he puts on a defender (that also takes out another player) to help spring his teammate to pay dirt.

• Speaking of commits, four-star 2020 running back commit Jaylan Knighton out of Deerfield Beach, Fla. is breaking records and taking names. Could he be the next Sooner workhorse? It’ll be a while between now and then, but so far it seems like he has the right stuff.

• In a meeting with the Board of Regents, OU president Jim Gallogly will re-address the topic of selling beer in the football stadium at the end of next month. Gallogly and AD Joe Castiglione continue to reiterate that the decision will not be based on any potential financial gains (lol).
• Bob Stoops and former Texas QB Vince Young will join the FOX Pregame Show ahead of the OU-Texas game next Saturday. It’ll be interesting to hear from Oklahoma’s all-time winningest head coach before the rivalry game he had a ton of success in.
• Oklahoma, along with 14 other teams, honor the life of the late Iowa State women’s golf champion Celia Barquin Arozamena with these yellow ribbons.

• In case you missed it, I wrote on why Trey Sermon and Kyler Murray should have success in the run game this weekend. Baylor’s defense is improving, but there are still weak spots that OU can exploit.
• C&C Machine caught up with Sic ‘Em 365 for a Q&A ahead of Saturday’s contest between Baylor and Oklahoma. Find out what the boys from Waco have in store for Murray and the Sooners.
• Just a friendly reminder, but if you haven’t already, make sure you check out the OU-Baylor preview on Oklahoma Breakdown before the game kicks off tomorrow. In this podcast episode, there is discussion on the Bears with special guest Shehan Jeyarajah of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football among other fun things. Note: there is occasional NSFW language.

Around the Sports World

• Life in the Big 12 is something you have to be part of to truly understand. It’s a club that’s unlike any other, because while its fan bases all hate on it constantly, its a family that finds a way to keep on keeping on. Joe Buettner used one of the most classic “Key & Peele” bits to perfectly capture the hilarity and dysfunctional unity that makes the Big 12 what it is.

• The biggest game of Week Five in college football is Ohio State at Penn State. The Nittany Lions will look to take down the scorching hot Buckeyes, but while there’s a huge game going on in Happy Valley, there’s also a number of huge recruiting targets expected to be in attendance.
• Shareef O’Neal, son of the one and only Shaq, was in line to play his first season at UCLA this year, but doctors recently discovered he has a dangerous heart condition. Now his first season will have to wait as he undergoes and rehabs from surgery.
• Tennessee fans have dealt with some bad times on the football field as of late, but what does that actually look like on the faces of Vols Nation?
• Beards are definitely ‘in’, and they have magical powers. Don’t believe me? Just look at what’s going on in Lubbock. Ever since Kliff Kingsbury started sporting more facial hair, his Red Raiders have won three straight games. Now the question becomes: will he look like a Vogue Grizzly Adams when Oklahoma and Texas Tech match up in November?

Stick to Sports!

• So Six Flags over St. Louis is celebrating its 30th Fright Fest anniversary this Halloween season, and to make it extra special the park is challenging selected volunteers to participate in a 30-hour Coffin Challenge. It’s pretty self explanatory. One would remain in a “slightly used” coffin for 30 hours, and if successful, they would come away with $300 and two 2019 season Gold Passes (which estimates at over $400 itself). Regular meals will be provided, and bathroom breaks are permitted. The rules also allow phones to be charged at a charging station, but I think that’s giving the volunteers too much of an out. Make ‘em suffer without their devices, Six Flags!

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