Happy Friday, friends and fans!

It’s become an annual tradition of sorts ‘round these parts as the one and only Blinkin Riley has once again dropped a fresh mega-thread of mind-blowing Bedlam stats and facts that will have you ready for this biggest game in the state. Any self-respecting fan of the Oklahoma Sooners ought to be familiar with this man’s work, but if this is your first time, buckle up and enjoy the ride.

I highly recommend that you check out the full thread for all of Blinkin’s hilarious yet stupefying statistics at the expense of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. While OSU has enjoyed a relatively fine season thus far in 2020, history has not been so kind to OU’s little brother.

Here are a handful of my favorites from this year’s Bedlam stats batch:

As you can see, Blinkin Riley has found true harmony between Oklahoma football stats and entertainment. If you’re on Twitter, make sure you share this amazing thread and give the man a follow if you haven’t already done so. Boomer!

Now onto this week’s Friday edition of Hot Links! Lincoln Riley delivers his final thoughts ahead of the big game, the Sooners have a number of budding stars up front on defense, a former UT commit picks the real OSU and more!

OU Links

• It’s Bedlam Eve, ladies and gentlemen. The biggest game of Oklahoma’s season is nearly upon us, and soon the Palace on the Prairie will have the attention of the college football world.

• Lincoln Riley offered his final thoughts on Friday ahead of this rivalry matchup that has all the makings to become an instant classic. Hear what the coach had to say on preparing for OSU’s Chuba Hubbard and Tylan Wallace, as well as how his team is handling the magnitude of this game going into Saturday.

• The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel writes that Bedlam — although it’s been largely one-sided historically — has quickly become a game of national importance on almost an annual basis, often having as much if not more relevance that the Red River Showdown and other rivalries of similar prominence.
• Sooners Wire’s Josh Callaway collected his top storylines surrounding this year’s Bedlam matchup. Mike Gundy needs a win in a bad way for multiple reasons, but Oklahoma looks like it just might be the cream of the Big 12 crop, once again.
• ESPN’s Sam Khan Jr. went through the archives to highlight some of the biggest Bedlam games in history. Of course, most of the all-time classics still resulted in OU victories, but several OSU teams made this game far more interesting than many expected.
• After missing the first half of the season, junior DE Ronnie Perkins has hit the ground running while leading his teammates on the sidelines and on the field. OU Insider’s Joey Helmer recently caught up with the pass rushing artist to discuss what the last few months have been like for the St. Louis native.
• SI Sooners’ Parker Thune recently noted the continued rise of sophomore DE Marcus Stripling. After a solid 2019 campaign, the Houston product is gradually earning more playing time by making the most of his snaps in a reserve role.

Around the Sports World

• Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss his team’s upcoming game against the Philadelphia Eagles and possibly the next game.
• Quinn Ewers, the No. 1 QB recruit in the class of 2022, has verbally committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes after backing away from his original pledge to the Texas Longhorns last month.
• Miami Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz has recently revealed that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and will remain in isolation until he’s been cleared to return to the team. The ‘U’ is currently 7-1 on the season and ranked No. 12 in this week’s AP Poll.
• With Drew Brees currently on the mend, the New Orleans Saints are reportedly set to roll with Taysom Hill as their starting QB against the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday as opposed to Jameis Winston.
• Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward has opted out of his contract’s player option and has chosen to become a free agent. He could still decide to re-sign with the C’s, but he’s likely going to test the NBA market first.

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