Happy Monday, friends and fans!

You can take the QB out of Alabama, but you can’t take Alabama out of the QB. After the Crimson Tide beat Tennessee on Saturday, the Oklahoma Sooners’ Jalen Hurts celebrated his former team’s win with a cigar as per Bama tradition.

If you’re unfamiliar with the tradition, it’s one that began in 1961. On the third Saturday in the month of October, Alabama and Tennessee square off, and the winners light up cigars in celebration. Obviously, the Vols haven’t been on the winning side of this rivalry for quite some time.

It won’t happen, but I would pay to see Hurts whip one of these bad boys out during a postgame interview, purely for the memes of course.

Now onto this week’s Monday edition of Hot Links! Oklahoma opens as a three TD favorite over K-State, Kyler Murray ties the Cards’ win total from 2018, Tua undergoes ankle surgery and more!

OU Links

• Assistant AD Mike Houck is back to drop some knowledge on anyone who needs the education. After the first few weeks, some may have thought there was no way Jalen Hurts could keep up his scintillating offensive pace, but now that we’re over halfway through the season, it looks like at least a couple of all-time records are in jeopardy of being broken.

• Toby Rowland aka ‘The Voice of OU Football’ is also spitting facts about this year’s Oklahoma squad through seven games. No, you’re not dreaming, the Sooners are No. 28 in total defense so far. I still remember days when fielding a top-50 unit seemed like a pipe dream, but Alex Grinch has practically been a football miracle worker.

• According to Lincoln Riley, RUSH LB Jon-Michael Terry is out for the season with a lower-leg injury. This is a rough development for a guy who was beginning to play a major role as a redshirt junior.
• After embarking on its fourth consecutive morning kickoff, plus facing a potential letdown with just a week removed from the Red River Shootout, Oklahoma could have understandably slept-walked through the opening stages of the West Virginia game. Fortunately for the Sooners, the team’s leaders are simply not allowing that kind of negativity to infect this group, writes John Rohde.
• OU is one of the best rushing teams in the nation, and a big reason for that is the talent in the backfield. Although Jalen Hurts leads the team in yards per game, Lincoln Riley is finding ways for running backs Kennedy Brooks, Trey Sermon, Rhamondre Stevenson and T.J. Pledger to all share the load, writes the Norman Transcript’s Tyler Palmateer
• Oklahoma opens up as a 21-point favorite over Kansas State this week. The Wildcats have been hot and cold through eight weeks of college football, but Chris Klieman’s team could make things interesting for a while if taken lightly.
• Kyler Murray led the Arizona Cardinals to a third-straight victory, this time over Daniel Jones and the New York Giants. Even in a downpour, K1 was tough to catch. Cards win, 27-21.

• Now in his second season as a pro, former Sooner Trae Young has high hopes of leading his Atlanta Hawks to the NBA Playoffs. Now, all of his fans will be able to follow along in his journey as he chronicles every significant step along the way with a video diary. The Undefeated typically produces some pretty great content, and this carries on that tradition.

Around the Sports World

• On Sunday, Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa underwent surgery for an ankle injury sustained against Tennessee. The Crimson Tide’s season could be in the balance if he’s not able to return before facing LSU on Nov. 9.
• Clemson CB Andrew Booth had to take the seven-hour bus ride home instead of catching the flight with his team after his involvement in a fight during the Tigers’ win over Louisville. I’ve never heard of such a thing, but not bad, Dabo.
• Florida Atlantic Owls coach Lane Kiffin was fined $5,000 by C-USA for tweeting out a picture of blind refs accompanied by seeing-eye dogs and tagging the conference in the post. Kiff doesn’t give a hoot about your silly fine. Point. Made.
• The NBA is implementing a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to fan abuse towards its players. In the past, some fans have received year-long bans from arenas, while other punishments have extended far beyond that.
• Jason Day won the MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins, and Tiger Woods finished just behind him for second place.

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