Happy Monday, friends and fans!

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens host Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. This epic clash features the league’s last two MVPs, as well as the reigning Super Bowl champs. Oklahoma Sooners fans ought to be especially intrigued for this game, with several former OU gridiron stars on the field.

For the Ravens, you’ve got TE Mark Andrews, WR Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, OT Orlando Brown Jr. and OG Ben Powers. For the Chiefs, look out for LS James Winchester. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Now onto this week’s Monday afternoon edition of Hot Links! Oklahoma plummets in the AP Poll, Baker’s Brownies win again, da Bears bench Mitch for Nick and more!

OU Links

• Following the shocking loss to the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday, Oklahoma dropped 15 spots in the latest AP Top 25 Poll, going from No. 3 in the nation to No. 18.
• On Monday, Lincoln Riley talked about how his OU teams in the past have responded well following mid-season losses, and that this Oklahoma squad needs to learn from adversity moving forward. Sooner Scoop’s Bob Przybylo has more in his notes.
• SI Sooners’ Parker Thune relays Riley’s explanation on his decision to punt on fourth down with just under three minutes remaining against the Wildcats. At the time, the fourth-year head coach says he felt it was the right call to make.
• Pro Football Focus’ Anthony Treash writes that Oklahoma’s loss to K-State has blown the College Football Playoff race wide open, but also warns folks not to write off Spencer Rattler as a star in 2020 just yet.
• Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns improved to 2-1 after a 34-20 win over the Washington Football Team on Sunday. This is the first time the Browns have been above .500 since December of 2014. On the day, Mayfield completed 16 of 23 passes for 156 yards, two touchdowns while committing no turnovers.

• In case you missed it, 2021 four-star WR Jalil Farooq out of Upper Marlboro, Maryland announced his verbal commitment to Oklahoma on Sunday.

Around the Sports World

• It’s official. The 2020 NBA Finals will be a best-of-seven series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat. Can LeBron James and Anthony Davis keep up their dominant postseason play, or will Jimmy Butler and his upstart underdogs continue to make history? Game One is set to tip-off on Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT on ABC.

• Speaking of the NBA Finals, one player is actually guaranteed to receive a championship ring when it’s all said and done, no matter which team wins the series. That player is Dion Waiters, and SB Nation’s James Dator explains how this strange loophole works in favor for the Lakers shooting guard.
• Former USC Trojans QB JT Daniels has been cleared to start for the No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs this weekend when the No. 7 Auburn Tigers come to Athens for a top 10 SEC showdown.
• Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell is expected to return to the sideline for FSU this Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19 early last week.
• The Chicago Bears are planning to start QB Nick Foles ahead of Mitchell Trubisky this week against the Indianapolis Colts after benching the former No. 2 overall pick in Sunday’s epic comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons.
• Doc Rivers is reportedly out as the Los Angeles Clippers head coach, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

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