Happy Friday, friends and fans!

For many of us, Halloween involved handing out candy and eating even more of it. Okay, maybe I’m only speaking for myself, but I digress. Anyway, dressing up is always part of the fun, especially for the kids. Speaking of which, the children of the Oklahoma Sooners football coaching staff brought to life their renditions of their fathers, and the resemblances were terrific.

Lincoln Riley’s daughter, Sloan, did her old man proud by recreating his look and demeanor down to some of the most minute details. She’s got that pensive expression, the hand on the hip, the visor, the headset, and even the stance down to a T. Dare I say ‘head coach-in-waiting Sloan Riley’? You heard it here first.

The reason why this next one is my favorite is because all of Shane Beamer’s kids did a wonderful job of mimicking their dad’s signature look. Those crossed arms and sneaky smiles are just so Beamer. Let’s just hope they’re not also out here headbutting any fullbacks.

Make sure you check out the entire thread for all the amazing transformations from these cool coaching kiddos. And with October officially behind us all, OU can begin its annual run in Championship November.

Now onto this week’s Friday edition of Hot Links! Kyler Murray made strides on Thursday night, Earl Thomas is an honorary Sooner, OSU’s Tylan Wallace is reportedly out for the year and more.

OU Links

• Oklahoma starting QB Jalen Hurts has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award. By all accounts, he not only gets it done on the field, he handles himself professionally and respectfully off of it. He’s definitely as deserving of this honor as anyone else is. Vote for Jalen!

• OU Insider’s Collin Kennedy took a look at the state of the Sooners during this off week. The loss to K-State leaves a bad taste in the mouth of the players and coaches, and there are still some questions surrounding the health of some key starters.
• Kyler Murray took part in his first Thursday Night Football action as a pro, and even though his Arizona Cardinals came up just short of beating the undefeated San Francisco 49ers, the rookie QB made some amazing plays and showed continued growth.

• Former Texas Longhorns safety Earl Thomas — now with the Baltimore Ravens — apparently lost a bet to his DB teammate and former Sooner Tony Jefferson. I must say, it’s a good look for him.

• If junior forward Brady Manek continues to follow the same trajectory he’s been on since he arrived at OU, he’ll likely find himself in some rarified air by the end of his Sooner career. He’s already in a similar club as Buddy Hield and Trae Young when it comes to scoring in the Lon Kruger era with this amazing stat. I can hardly wait to see what he does this season as he tries to expand his game.

• In case you missed it, make sure you give the latest episode of the Oklahoma Breakdown Podcast with Jack and Kamiar a listen this week. The guys sifted through the fallout from OU’s loss at Kansas State, discussed potential College Football Playoff scenarios and answered your Twitter questions. As your usual warning, there is some NSFW language used on the pod.
• Half of the top 10 is on a bye this week, including Oklahoma, but that isn’t stopping Allen and ‘The Skinny’ from delivering their college football gambling picks in the Week 10 edition of the Blatant Homerism Podcast. Check it out to see how close they come as we enter the month of November.

Around the Sports World

• Oklahoma State WR Tylan Wallace has reportedly suffered a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the 2019 season. The Cowboys pass catcher was fourth in the nation in receiving yards through nine weeks. This is a tough break for an incredible player, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

• Michigan State senior LB Joe Bachie has been ruled ineligible after it was discovered that the Spartans team leader tested positive for a performance enhancing substance.
• Months ago, MMA star Conor McGregor was recorded on video striking a man in the head inside an Irish establishment. On Friday, it was ruled that the UFC lightweight would receive a fine for the assault but would not be given jail time.
• The college basketball season is nearly here, and once again there are plenty of marquee matchups scheduled for the non-conference portion of the regular season. Check out the top 50 games right here!

Stick to Sports!

• With today being the first day of November, over 300 new or updated laws have taken effect in the state of Oklahoma. Some of them are quite interesting too, such as the Rosette Nebula being named the official state astronomical object and the ribeye steak being named to the list of official state products. Check out some of the other noteworthy changes so you aren’t be left behind the times ‘round these parts.

Follow Crimson & Cream Machine on Twitter!