Happy Monday, friends and fans!

If you’ve perused social media over the last couple months, you’ve probably seen or heard of Rayden Overbay — a Yukon boy who was severely bullied by other children who go to his school. After Saturday night’s thrilling finish between the Oklahoma Sooners and Iowa State Cyclones, Lincoln Riley wanted to give a special shout-out and a game ball to this brave OU fan. Just watch.

QB Jalen Hurts also signed Rayden’s game ball and offered some words of encouragement.

If that doesn’t make you even more of a fan of Riley, Hurts and Oklahoma Football as a whole, I don’t know what will. For a lot of young people, watching this team is like watching their favorite superheroes in action. In Rayden’s case, the Sooners are one of his escapes from the daily ugliness in life that happens with all too much regularity. This was an incredible moment for an amazing young person, and it puts this game that so many of us wouldn’t miss for the world into true perspective. Well done, Sooners.

Now onto this week’s Monday edition of Hot Links! Oklahoma is more than a TD favorite this week, Bill Bedenbaugh dishes on the keys to his technique, a referee was actually held accountable for a change and more!

OU Links

• In the Week 12 AP Top 25, Oklahoma fell a spot from No. 9 to No. 10 after a close call against Iowa State and being jumped by Minnesota. Keep in mind that the rankings that matter will be released Tuesday night by the College Football Playoff committee. Baylor, Texas and Oklahoma State are the other Big 12 representatives in this week’s poll.
• Next up, Oklahoma goes down to Waco to face an undefeated Baylor team on an 11-game winning streak dating back to the 2018 season, and ESPN’s College GameDay will be there to heighten the energy. The last time the Sooners battled the Bears on the Brazos, a wild shootout broke out as OU needed a last minute stop to hold on for a 49-41 win.

• Speaking of which, according to Sports Betting Dime, Oklahoma opened this week as a 9.5 point road favorite over Baylor. If I’m a gambling man, I’m leaning on those points right now because this OU team has been so hot-and-cold lately.
• O-line whisperer Bill Bedenbaugh knows how to recruit and develop offensive linemen, plain and simple. His track record is as good as it gets considering his pupils’ achievements in college and at the next level. The OU Daily’s George Stoia poses a question — what’s the key ingredient to his approach?
• The Oklahoma men’s basketball team is practicing up at the Portland Trailblazers’ facility ahead of its Tuesday night game against Oregon State in the Phil Knight Invitational. The Sooners are looking to plant their flag in Rip City.

Around the Sports World

• The Arkansas Razorbacks have fired head coach Chad Morris in his second year with the program. The SEC bottom dwellers went 4-18 under his guidance, and most recently were outclassed by Western Kentucky.
• Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters has been suspended 10 games without pay for conduct deemed detrimental to the team. This is already the second time in this young NBA season that Waiters has been suspended.
• The Pac-12 Conference has suspended a referee for one game after it was determined that said official incorrectly penalized Washington State when the call in question should have been given to Cal. How does that even happen with other refs on the field?
• In all my years of watching football (not that many, relatively speaking), I’ve never seen a QB warm-up like this. I’m pretty sure I just dislocated my own hip watching Dak Prescott do nearly the same thing over and over again.

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