Happy Thursday, friends and fans!

Just when it seemed like all the bulletin board material was only going to come from the oddsmakers and talking heads, LSU Tigers junior LB Patrick Queen was apparently still caught up in the Christmas spirit because he just gave the Oklahoma Sooners actual gold wrapped in a bow. Just watch and listen:

Alright, to his defense, the definition of “great” is subjective, and it really all comes down to who he’s comparing OU’s offensive line and running back room to. It’s been well-documented how the O-line had to replace four of five starters coming into 2019, but this is the end of the season and those replacements have settled in. Even with so many moving parts, the Sooners are fourth in rushing yards per attempt (6.1) and ninth in total yards on the ground (3,266). That’s compared to the rest of the 130 teams that make up the FBS, so I don’t really know where he was going with that trash take.

Combining the numbers with the fact that this unit is led by center Creed Humphrey — a Second Team All-American by several publications — and coached by Bill Bedenbaugh, who is widely regarded as the top O-line coach in the nation, then Queen’s comments quickly look foolish at best.

Also, RB Kennedy Brooks has only received 27% of the team’s carries this season, yet is only 24 yards away from the second 1,000 yard campaign in his career. If the LSU defense is overlooking him, I almost feel bad for them. Nobody on this Oklahoma team needs to throw stones at their opponent in order to convince themselves of how good they are or boost their own self-confidence. The maturity and experience gap between these two squads is showing.

So yes, Patrick Queen made a mistake saying what he said in this clip, and only those morons wearing purple & gold blinders will say they’re in favor of it. At the end of the day, it likely won’t have as much of an impact as fans of either side will hope. It just adds one tiny extra layer to an already entertaining matchup, but if the Sooners pull this one off on Saturday, get ready to have your mentions blown to smithereens, Queen.

Here’s how Parnell Motley responded:

Now for today’s Hot Links! Another Tiger talks trash, the Sooners say all the right things on media day, and more!

OU Links

• LSU’s 2019 Biletnikoff Award winner Ja’Marr Chase followed teammate Patrick Queen’s example in how he approached his media session by throwing even more shade at the Sooners, further fueling the fire. I guess to his credit, he didn’t say everybody in the secondary was slow. Also, I’m pretty certain he isn’t including Tre Brown in that mix, unless Chase is just dumber than I thought he was.

• Alex Grinch was at the SEC Network table discussing how he’s turned the Oklahoma defense into a top 25 group and his emphasis on playing fast with effort.

• Laura Rutledge caught up with QB Jalen Hurts during the Oklahoma media session on Thursday to talk about making it back to this stage with a new team and the challenges LSU presents.

• Holly Rowe tracked down LB Kenneth Murray to get his thoughts on the suspensions (and DYT injury) for this game and how the team is coping with the consequences.

• DE LaRon Stokes sat down with the SEC Network crew during the media period, and they asked him what he thought about a particular article that all but wrote off the Sooners entirely.

• Oklahoma won the Peach Bowl Week Title Belt, 2-1. Even though the Sooners came up short on the basketball court against LSU’s football team, OU claimed victories in Football Feud and on the race track. Now there’s just one very important game left to play between these two to see who the real champs of this week will be. Boomer!

• CeeDee Lamb’s career at OU is winding down fast, but he expects Jadon Haselwood to be a guy that can take his place after he moves on to the next level.

• After 26 years at Oklahoma as a player and an assistant, Cale Gundy is more than comfortable with the position he’s in. As a recruiter and developer of talent, he’s proven himself an invaluable commodity for the growth of this program. Sooners Wire’s Kegan Reneau has more.
• ESPN’s Ivan Maisel wrote this awesome piece on Jalen Hurts and how he’s captured the hearts of Alabama and Oklahoma fans, which just happen to be two of the deepest and most passionate in all of collegiate athletics.
• Toby Rowland shared an update on Merv Johnson on Christmas evening. I sounds like he’s doing well and ready for this Peach Bowl like the rest of us. Keep on going strong, Coach Merv!

Around the Sports World

• With so many games and so much talent across the association, it’s tough to call any upset in the NBA major, but when the Golden State Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets, 116-104 on Christmas, that was pretty significant.

• LeBron James injured his groin after a collision with Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley on Wednesday. A timetable for his return is still a bit unclear, but it looks like the Los Angeles Lakers will have to move on without their leader for at least a few games.
• Ben Roethlisberger has missed the majority of the 2019 season, and while the 37-year-old QB has dealt with a number of injuries in his career, he intends to come back even stronger in 2020. I suppose we all shall see, but if he does, more power to him.

• The New Orleans Pelicans hosted the Denver Nuggets on Christmas, and JJ Redick proved that the bank was indeed open for the holiday. What a shot. Pels went on to win, 112-100.

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