Hot Links: A emotional opener for Sooners

Brent Venables got his first win and it wasn’t lost on him

Whats good?

The Oklahoma Sooners are 1-0. Brent Venables got his first win and his first game ball.

Brent continues to show that this is chapter of his life is not lost on him. I don’t know Brent personally and can’t speak to his character off the field.. but… things like this sure make him likable.

Sooners did the thing Saturday. They won.

Oklahoma handled UTEP pretty easily and took care of business. Is this some 70-3 rout where the story starts like a children’s book? No, but it was sound (which is a welcome change).

Do I need to remind anyone of Tulane last year? Nebraska? Nah, I probably don’t. Oklahoma looking normal is something I just haven’t seen in awhile. I think it is a great sign of a healthy program. BE NORMAL. FOR ONCE.

And they did. What do I complain about this on the air?

OU Links

• It was fun to read all the different angles on how people took in Coach Venables first game. Here was a great one from Ryan Aber of the Oklahoman from Saturday.
• OU’s offensive line going into week 1 was set in stone once the Wanya Morris suspension came down. Overall, middle of the road performance, and one of those factors was the rotation of left guard. Man, were we confused in the press box why it was happening. Well? We got our answer. I think the Ruf Neks need to start using the smoke as a weapon against opposing offenses instead of on the OU players.
• Nothing like a visual representation of a change of culture? This was fun to take in on Saturday.

• Offensive was fast, sometimes too fast leading to a couple of procedure penalities, but man was Oklahoma moving. Dillon Gabriel ran the offense smooth and didn’t have any turnovers. Safe, competent QB play is a lower bar than the New York-bound signal callers OU fans have known as of late. However, after last season the Sooners will take a clean game with some tempo as lined out here by Bobby P.
• Nothing like a surprising true freshman making an impact. Obviously we all know Jaren Kanak but Saturday the freshman that flashed the most was R Mason Thomas. Ted Roof agrees.
• Honestly, I missed this last week. But my guy Eli Lederman from the Tulsa World wrote a great piece here over coach Venables. 10 out of 10 worth the read.
• Happy birthday, Micah Bowens!

Is anything else going on?

• Stephen A Smith doesn’t know much about college football.. but even I have to admit that this was funny. Stephen A is making a point that is valid on some level, but Paul just not knowing how to react is what really does it for me. He laughs at the start and then for the next 40 seconds is thinking “is this guy still talking?”

• I mean, think was a little too easy right? Also NO ONE TRY THIS AND FOR SURE DON’T DM A VIDEO OF ATTEMPTING THIS. FOR SURE DON’T DO THAT.

• #BigTenReady

Am I allowed to post other stuff? Ya know what, ask forgiveness not permission.

• I mean. Come on. I saw the fans who wore these jerseys to the game together but the actual players..? It’s just too good.

Talk to you knuckleheads Friday.