Happy Thursday, friends and fans!

According to Lincoln Riley, senior linebackers Caleb Kelly and Mark Jackson will not take part in the Oklahoma Sooners’ Senior Night celebrations this Saturday. The Oklahoman’s Ryan Aber has more details:

On the surface, this obviously tells me that both Kelly and Jackson are planning to redshirt this season, albeit for different reasons. Since April, Kelly has been on the mend rehabbing a leg injury, but was medically cleared late last month. As for Jackson, while’s he’s made three appearances in 2019, the first part of his season was spent in the dog house. With the way the redshirt rule has been rewritten, he could still show up in one more game while preserving his final year of eligibility and potentially having grad transfer options in front of him (if he were to choose to take that route).

Now for today’s Hot Links! CeeDee Lamb’s playing status remains questionable, Oklahoma’s defense looks to close the regular season strong, the NBA world caught Russell Westbrook Shaqtin’ a fool and more!

OU Links

• Jalen Hurts and CeeDee Lamb have been named semifinalists for the 2019 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award — an honor for the nation’s best player with a connection to the state of Texas. Hurts is originally from Houston, and Lamb is from Richmond, Texas. Baker Mayfield was given the Campbell Award in 2017, while Kyler Murray followed him up last season.

• Lon Kruger and Oklahoma will aim to improve to 5-0 on the season against Maryland Eastern Shore. The Sooners have been great in second halves, but tonight’s contest should be a prime opportunity to play a full 40 minutes of solid ball. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT, and if you won’t be at the LNC this evening, you can catch all the hoops action on FSOK.

• Speaking of Kruger, OU’s ninth year head coach spent his Thursday morning taking part in a little #Fansgiving festivities and handing out turkeys to Oklahoma families one week away from Thanksgiving. Also, it looks like Boomer and Sooner were also in attendance!

• Lincoln Riley was asked again on Wednesday about CeeDee Lamb’s availability for Saturday’s game against TCU. He says there have been no new updates since his “up in the air” comments from Monday’s presser, but with this likely being Lamb’s final opportunity to play on Owen Field, the issue would have to be quite serious for No. 2 to remain on the sidelines.

• Speaking of receivers, Oklahoma’s pass-catching corps stepped up when Jalen Hurts needed them the most. Without Lamb’s elite services in Waco, guys like Lee Morris, A.D. Miller, Austin Stogner and Theo Wease showed that they were ready to take on the challenge with the team’s back against the wall.
• The second half of the Baylor game might have been Alex Grinch and the defense’s finest (half) hour of football since the 2019 season kicked off. With two games remaining on the schedule, the goal is to build off that momentum and finish strong.
• The Tulsa World’s Eric Bailey writes that placekicker Gabe Brkic has received praise from past OU specialists after coming up clutch against Baylor and really all season for that matter. Since he took over field goal duties, the Sooners haven’t missed a single beat.
• The Athletic’s Jason Kersey reported that redshirt freshman HB Coby Tillman has entered the transfer portal. The Bixby native was a preferred walk-on and a modern day Viking in the weight room.

• There aren’t a ton of marquee matchups in college football’s Week 13, but in this crazy sport there’s always plenty of intrigue in the month of November. Listen to Allen and ‘The Skinny’ make their gambling picks in the latest edition of the Blatant Homerism Podcast.

• In case you missed it, BreakingT commemorated Oklahoma’s historic comeback win over Baylor with these sweet ‘28-3’ t-shirts and hoodies. Holiday season is just around the corner, and I know a lot of Sooners who would gladly rock this look.

Around the Sports World

• The NCAA has made an official ruling on the James Wiseman situation. The Memphis Tigers’ basketball phenom is suspended for 12 games and must donate $11.5K to charity. Appeals are set to process.
• The Portland Trailblazers waived 18-year veteran center Pau Gasol on Wednesday as he’s now in rehab mode for a recent foot injury. Reports also indicate that the big man could step into a coaching role with the Blazers.
• New York Jets RB Le’Veon Bell says because he’s been selected for random drug testing five times over the last 10 weeks, he refuses to take another one in 2019. I’d be frustrated if I were him, too, but not because of those “dirty ass needles.” J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets!
• Staying in the Empire State, the New York Yankees released Jacoby Ellsbury in a flurry of unexpected roster moves. What’s more is that particular move also came with a $21 million payout as Ellsbury is still in the midst of a substantial contract. Ouch (but not really because the Yankees are ridiculously loaded).
• Russell Westbrook is having a ball with the Houston Rockets, but on occasion he’s also keeping the ball well past the point of his own detriment. It’s true, no one is safe from ‘Shaqtin’ a Fool’, not even a former MVP.

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