Happy Monday, friends and fans!

After completing a thorough Bedlam beatdown, a pair of Oklahoma Sooners who both don the No. 7 jersey have earned themselves conference honors for this week. Redshirt freshman QB Spencer Rattler was named Big 12 Offensive Player and Newcomer of the week, while junior DE Ronnie Perkins was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.

Last Saturday, Rattler was magnificent against Oklahoma State, accounting for five total touchdowns while completing 17 of 24 passes for 301 yards. On defense, Perkins also played like a star as he recorded two sacks, three tackles-for-loss and applied relentless pressure on the Cowboys’ quarterbacks.

Over the last four and a half games, OU has looked like a completely different team than it was to start the 2020 season. Much of the credit for the Sooners’ resurgence belongs to Rattler and Perkins for their elite play that has propelled Oklahoma to its now five-game winning streak.

Now onto this week’s Monday edition of Hot Links! the Undertaker retires from the WWE and more!

OU Links

• Oklahoma’s ‘Speed D’ really lived up to its name on Saturday, virtually shutting down everything Oklahoma State wanted to do on offense. There isn’t a hotter defense playing in the Big 12 right now, and possibly the nation. Boomer!

• In this week’s AP Top 25 Poll, Oklahoma rose up to No. 14 after destroying the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Bedlam. The Sooners are now the second-highest ranked two-loss team (behind the No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs) in the nation, and they are the top-ranked team from the Big 12. Also from around the conference are the Iowa State Cyclones at 15th, the Texas Longhorns at 20th and OSU at 21st.
• OU Basketball tips off this Wednesday, but before you take in all the hoops action on the court, catch yourself up on all the latest team news in this 2020-21 season preview.

• CeeDee Lamb continues to amaze with his superhuman athletic ability. On Sunday, he made this incredible touchdown reception that has to be seen more than once. In the end, his Dallas Cowboys defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 31-28.

• Baker Mayfield said the words, and BreakingT put them on a t-shirt. After Oklahoma annihilated OSU last Saturday, little brother was indeed put back in his place. Now, all you Sooners fans can let him know about it this holiday season with this exclusive tee from the fine folks at BreakingT. It’s worth a lot more than a year of bragging rights, so place your order as soon as possible and let the world know which side of Bedlam you stand on.

Around the Sports World

• On Sunday, Cincinnati Bengals rookie QB Joe Burrow suffered a torn ACL and possibly more damage in his team’s 20-9 loss to the Washington Football Team. The former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick is expected to miss the rest of the 2020 NFL season.
• This week’s Apple Cup rivalry game between the Washington Huskies and the Washington State Cougars has been canceled due to Wazzu not having enough players available for COVID-19 contact tracing reasons.
• In NBA free agency news, the Boston Celtics have extended guard Jayson Tatum with a five-year, $195.6 million contract extension.
• The Clemson Tigers’ Dabo Swinney believes the Florida State Seminoles’ administration is to blame for why their game was ultimately canceled at the last minute. The two-time national champion head coach doesn’t buy the idea that COVID-19 is the reason why the contest was called off, rather he feels the virus was used as an excuse to not play the game.
• After 30 years of world wrestling dominance, the Undertaker has officially called it a career. Even the most casual WWE fans know who ‘The Deadman’ is. His storied history inside the ring will leave a lasting legacy among the greatest to ever grace the mat. Farewell, ‘Taker.

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