Happy Monday, friends and fans!

The last two Heisman Trophy winners for the Oklahoma Sooners showed out in the NFL this Sunday. Both Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray led their respective teams to exciting comeback wins through some particularly clutch performances.

Against the Cincinnati Bengals, Mayfield paced the Cleveland Browns with a season-high 297 passing yards and a career-high five passing touchdowns. After trailing for most of the afternoon, the Browns needed a score in the final minute to either tie the game or take the lead. Baker, being the fearless leader that he is, was feeling especially dangerous, and delivered the game-winning 24-yard strike to Donovan Peoples-Jones, sealing the 37-34 victory.

Later that same evening, Murray and his Arizona Cardinals took on Russell Wilson and the previously unbeaten Seattle Seahawks. The Cards found themselves down by 10 with under three minutes remaining in regulation, but their dynamic dual-threat behind center made all the right plays, eventually culminating in an electric OT rally. Like the aforementioned contest featuring a Sooner signal caller, this game also ended in a 37-34 final. In doing so, K1 notched a career-high 427 yards of total offense and four total TDs (three passing, one rushing).

Much to Mayfield and Murray’s credit, both Cleveland and Arizona are now sitting at 5-2 on the 2020 season, and find themselves in position to make the NFL Playoffs should they continue to win at this clip.

Now onto this week’s Monday edition of Hot Links! Oklahoma’s star freshman earns national recognition, OU loses a verbal commitment from its class of ‘21, OBJ is done for the year and more!

OU Links

• The Sooners’ six-week voyage away from home is set to officially end on Nov. 7 at 2:30 p.m. CT, when the Kansas Jayhawks come to Norman. The game will be broadcast on either ESPN or ESPN2.

• After winning its last two contests following a 1-2 start to the 2020 season, Oklahoma is officially back among the ranks of the top 25, checking in at No. 24 in the latest AP Poll. Also around the Big 12 are Oklahoma State at No. 6, Kansas State at No. 16 and Iowa State at No. 23.
• First year WR Marvin Mims may be fresh out of high school, but he’s already established himself as one of OU’s greatest weapons on offense. After hauling in four catches for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the TCU Horned Frogs, he was named True Freshman of the Week by Pro Football Focus: College. Boomer!

• In the five years that outside receivers coach Dennis Simmons has been with Oklahoma, he’s developed some of the best pass-catchers to ever come through Norman. OU Insider’s RJ Young recently took a close look at his resume five years in, and addressed the question of whether or not Simmons has received the proper credit for the amazing work he’s done.
• Speaking of former Sooner receivers, in some rather unfortunate news, 2016 Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy finalist Dede Westbrook has reportedly suffered a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ season.
• On Monday, class of 2021 three-star two-way player Caleb Johnson out of Greenville, Texas announced his de-commitment from Oklahoma. The speedster had been verbally committed to OU since July 17 of this year.

Around the Sports World

• Cleveland Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr. has officially been ruled out for the remainder of the 2020 NFL season after suffering a torn ACL during Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
• Washington Football Team LB Jon Bostic will reportedly not be suspended by the league for a hit against Dallas Cowboys backup QB Andy Dalton. The hit in question sent Dalton to the locker room for the remainder of the day and disqualified Bostic from the game. Washington went on to defeat Dallas, 25-3.
• The NBA is reportedly working toward a pre-Christmas tip-off date for the 2020-21 season. Also, if all goes according to plan, the regular season will be scheduled for 72 games, ten contests shy of the typical season length.
• Clayton Kershaw led the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-2 World Series advantage over the Tampa Bay Rays with a 4-2 victory on Sunday. L.A. can seal the deal next time out, while TB will try to extend this series to seven games. Game Six is set to begin Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 7:08 p.m. CT on FOX.

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