Hot Links: Sooners coming off bye, traveling to Iowa State

Sooners look to get first confrence road win versus Iowa State this week.

What’s good?

Last week I was sick as a dog starting Tuesday night. Sorry about missing the links on Friday but we are back at it now. Frankly, got a little lucky with the bye week.

The Sooners are coming out of Brent Venables’ first bye. Everything this season will be a first for Venables has a head coach and each presents its own conversation points. The bye week is no different. Does this Oklahoma team adjust? Adjustments can obviously be a lot of things, but that could be scheme (which I doubt) or personnel (feels more likely). Do we see Gentry Williams? What about first-half Kanek? What about a Robert Spears-Jennings three safety look? I hope all of it. Jayden Gibson deep shots? Hell, run a fake field goal with Nick Evers as the holder for all I care. Just allow the future of this team grow because nothing will be more pointless than playing guys who are 5% better in games that don’t matter.

Let the young guys eat.

OU Links

• On Monday, we heard from Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. Eli Lederman gives us the takeaways and main quotes including Jayden Gibson, backup QB, and Ted Roof weighs in on the thing no one has done against Iowa State — Slow down Xavier Hutchinson.

• What can a bye week do to recharge your batteries? Can the rest be the spark that you need to rally on the back half of a tough Big 12 schedule? Bob Przyblo makes a case that the Sooners could have used this time well.
• If you are trying to be as rosey as possible about this defense following a 42-point outing aginst the Kansas backup QB, one thing you can say is Key Lawerence is healthy and back to his old explosive ways. What can help OU the rest of the year? An explosive playmaker. Ryan Chapman makes the case.
• Sooner injury report brought to us by Dean Blevins. Yes. I know what I just typed but you can decide how much you want to make of it.

• Josh Heupel is one of the biggest names in coaching right now. He will start swirling and have to buy more storage for his voice mail box this offseason. Berry Tramel talks about the man who once did the same thing for Oklahoma as a player now pulling off a turnaround as a coach.
• How do Brent Venables’ defenses usually look coming out a bye week? Good, really good. Ryan Aber did the homework to show you.
• Orlando Brown took a man’s soul on Sunday for Kansas City.

• Stewery Mandel did some digging on Brent Venables’ contract. We all know that Oklahoma coughed up a massive amount for him but here is a more detailed look from The Athletic.
• Oklahoma will have to wait to see when they will kick off against Baylor. I assume the Baylor loss to West Virginia two weeks ago and the (checks own notes) crappy way OU started confrence play complicates this for the TV networks.
• DON’T SCHEDULE ANYTHING IN 2027, 2029, and 2031. Oklahoma is tracking up to San Diego State. I know, I know, little late notice but Oklahoma has added some noncon games and one nice road trip for you.
• Oklahoma’s new comer Grant Sherfield is named to the Cousy Award watch list. This is given to the nations top point guard, frankly feels a little steep for me, but who I am to put a ceiling on a guy.
• Speaking of the men’s basketball team, OU opened with an exhibition win over OCU last evening.

Anything else going on?

• I mean, I honestly can’t believe this has gotten to this point. Look at this. Don’t turn away. The Pac 12 is really calling superiority to the Big 12 with THIS.

• Ya know, the Bailey Zappe freak out on Monday night I generally found pretty silly. Then I saw this. I am ordering a jersey.

Talk to you knuckleheads Friday