How are things, everyone?

With the month of July nearing its end, USA Today’s coaches poll and the AP top 25 should both be released in a matter of weeks. Until then, college football fans everywhere can continue to speculate on where their teams could sit in the initial preseason rankings. One recent poll that might be a good indicator of how things could look going into Week 0 is CBS Sports’ preseason top 10. A full list of all 130 FBS teams will be revealed next Tuesday, Aug. 6.

The Oklahoma Sooners sit at No. 3, which is about as high as any team not named Clemson or Alabama could be going into the 2019 season. Personally, I think OU will open the campaign in the 4 to 6 range, but a solid argument could certainly be made for third in the nation.

As far as where the scheduled competition sits, the Texas Longhorns also made the top 10 at No. 9. No real surprise there, with UT winning 10 games including the Sugar Bowl last season. I do find it interesting that the Iowa State Cyclones received consideration for the top 10. Matt Campbell has done a masterful job with his program in Ames.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! Kyler Murray calls out Steve Smith Sr. for embellishing on his height, Dede Westbrook is heating up in Jacksonville, ‘Baby Shark’ is the greatest walk-up song ever and more!

OU Links

• Sports Illustrated’s Joan Niesen broke down the top storylines to watch in the Big 12 as the college football season draws near. Of course, much attention will be on Jalen Hurts at QB for OU and Alex Grinch’s defense.
• Horns 247’s Chip Brown explains a realistic scenario that could see four teams tied for first in the Big 12 by season’s end. In his scenario, Texas and Baylor make the conference title game, leaving Oklahoma and Iowa State on the outside looking in. He makes solid points, but I think he’s sleeping on Lincoln Riley’s offense a bit too much. Sure, Jalen Hurts is no Kyler Murray, but he’s a great player. I also have a little more faith in Bill Bedenbaugh’s ability to put together a formidable unit up front. I can’t wait to see how this all plays out.
• Retired NFL WR Steve Smith Sr. is great at conducting interviews, especially with young players like Kyler Murray. You have to check out this Q&A between these two. Excellent stuff and none of those generic questions or answers that you might typically expect.

• Former Sooner WR and Biletnikoff Award winner Dede Westbrook has been the biggest standout for the Jacksonville Jaguars in training camp so far. It would be awesome to see him have an absolute breakout type of season and become one of the bigger names in the game at his position.
• Oklahoma has added 7’1” center Rick Issanza to its 2019 class, making him officially the tallest player on the roster. The big man is a native of the Congo, and comes to Norman from Bella Vista Prep in Scottsdale, AZ.

• Including Issanza, OU Men’s Basketball has signed a top 20 recruiting class that gives the Sooners much needed depth and potential star power. With just weeks left before the fall semester begins, college basketball will be upon us before we know it. Boomer!

Around the Sports World

• The Florida State Seminoles need some help with their social media game. Scratch that, they need A LOT of help. On Monday, the Noles’ football Twitter account posted a perplexing countdown tweet that left all who came across it totally baffled. It wasn’t deleted until it had already received thousands of comments ranging from hilarious to confused. C’mon, intern.
• Legal depositions for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and three of the officials in last season’s NFC Championship game have been scheduled for September. The suit’s objective is reportedly not monetary related, rather it seeks the truth over whether there was any intentional motivation behind the controversial pass interference that went uncalled.
• Throughout NFL history, many of the all-time greats have made it to the league via the non-FBS route. What could a starting offense and defense look like if it was composed only with players who took the road less traveled? If you guessed pretty darn strong, you’re absolutely right.
• Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving has unveiled a new SpongeBob SquarePants themed shoe collection, and in honor of that wacky mash-up, SB Nation’s Harry Lyles Jr. has put together an All-Star team from the good folks of Bikini Bottom.
• Washington Nationals’ outfielder Gerardo Parra chose ‘Baby Shark’ as his walk-up music, and now Nats fans are way too hyped whenever the rotation comes around for his at-bat. If it’s going to be stuck in my head, it’s going to be stuck in yours as well.

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