Hot Links: National Championship reaction, Emmett Jones and more!

Jan 13, 2023 - 5:30 PM

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What’s good?

What did you do Monday night? If you were like most of the country, you sat down to watch David and Goliath. The little engine that could against the machine that chews up and spits out your dreams.

I have really, really, really enjoyed this TCU season. I have long prayed for one year that a team truly comes out of no where with far less talent to seize the moment. Shock the world and take down Bowser from the SEC. Did I think that was this year? Of course not. BUT I HAD HOPE. Which is more than most seasons. TCU had some explosion, fun players, good play calling and a star QB. Most importantly, though, they had luck.

TCU this year was one of the luckiest teams in college football. I know that sounds like an insult, but I promise I don’t mean it that way. A team can create chances for themselves to get lucky. They were great in critical downs. They were great in the red zone. They were great in fourth quarters and most of that was just giving themselves a chance to get lucky... something we saw a couple of local teams really struggle with this year.

It seemed like this might be the best chance for a team ranked outside the top 75 in the preseason and picked 7th in their confrence to climb the mountain and live in immortality. Admit it, you were just like me. “Yeah, I don’t think Michigan is very good... but they will probably push around TCU, we have just seen that story too many times!” But that is not what happened. TCU played better.

So again, headed into Monday, if I were being honest with myself would I have picked TCU to win? No. But I had hoped they had figured out an answer I couldn’t see yet. A solution that was so far above my intelligence that I would wrestle with it for months after trying to get my hands around it.

65-7. Bulldogs.

Back to your normal programming.

OU Links:

• The portal is firing on all cylinders. We got a ton of action, but one that took awhile to announce was David Ugwoegbu. What made him intresting was that everything was on the table for him. NFL. Staying. Portal. We now know that Ugwoegbu is headed to the protal.
• Just announced: OU’s Zac Selmon is headed to Mississippi State to be their new AD. When Joe C eventually rides off into the sunset, expect his long-time right-hand man to get a call.

• Sooners nearly took down Kansas in Lawerence for the first time since your gradmother’s aunt came over on the Mayflower. Seriously, it’s been awkwardly long (1993) since OU won there. Frankly, I don’t know what I will do for pregame shows on the air once they do win. It’s just such an instinct to bring it up. Regardless, with a little over five minutes left and a 10-point lead it seemed possible... then it all unraveled, finishing with a Sherfield heave that had no real prayer. Tough, tough third loss in the Big 12.
• Big news this week was Oklahoma annoucing the long term WR coach to replace Cale Gundy. Emmett Jones, who has spent a little bit of time at Tech and Kansas, lands in Norman. Jones is known for his connection with the DFW area. Seems like a fitting geographical hire as well as personality. As always, Brent only hires guys with “the juice” (and also Ted Roof). According to Brent, they were making an effort to keep Washington on staff after serving as an interim this past season, but he’s set to be the next WR coach at Western Kentucky. He’s a rising star, and we wish him luck!

• Jackson Arnold and Jaquaize Pettaway were making some splashes last week. Frankly, a ton of OU guys were. However, this might be something I get used to seeing in a few years if I was an Oklahoma team.

• Josh Eaton is headed to Texas State. I know that every transfer out seems like a statement on the program and on some level is one way or another but Eaton was clearly chasing playing time. Sooner’s must of made him believe it would be hard to come by.
• Sooners land themselves a big product out of the ACC this weekend in Wake Forest’s Rondell Bothroyd. A guy who has had some success at rushing the QB but what jumps out to me early is his ability to play the run and set the edge. Here is a nice play from him here last season.
• On offense, the Sooners have added Andrel Anthony. He struggled to get targets this past season at Michigan, but the potential is there.

• Sooners find a Texas State defensive lineman in the portal in Davon Sears. Depth up front is the name of the game. Mission accomplished.

• CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS ARE OUT. My favorite time of year when we bet on something we really know nothing about.

• Even when the Sooners lose, THEY WIN.

Is anything else going on?

• Praise God.

• Cam Rising, one of the funnest QBs doing it, announcing he is returning to Utah for one more ride is frankly perfect.

• Lovie Smith shoving the #1 pick directly into the owner’s face was pretty amazing on Sunday. 10 out of 10 move from ole’ white beard himself.

• Oklahoma State has landed thier new QB and its a familiar face. Alan Bowman is returning to the Big 12 after 2 years on the bench in Michigan. Reports are that he has one year remaining but as always, no one really has any clue.

• Alright, we have to admit that this was a great move by Rodriguez.

Talk to you soon knuckleheads