Football feels pretty trivial at a time like this.

On this Monday evening, as the Oklahoma Sooners prepare to open the 2021 college football season against the Tulane Green Wave, we here at Crimson & Cream Machine want to extend our thoughts and well wishes to the people living in Southeast Louisiana and neighboring areas that are being impacted by Hurricane Ida. Whether you’re from the heart of Tornado Alley or the edge of the Gulf, history has shown us that devastation does not discriminate.

If you or someone you know would like to help those who have been affected or displaced in the wake of Hurricane Ida, the American National Red Cross Organization is currently accepting donations for a Disaster Relief Fund.

Now onto this week’s Monday edition of Hot Links! Tanner Mordecai is a starter, Baker Mayfield gears up for the regular season as the preseason comes to an end, the Lions cut a veteran wideout and more!

OU Links

• As you’ve likely heard by now, the Tulane Green Wave will travel up to Norman to face the Oklahoma Sooners this weekend. Time and TV details remain unchanged. TU will also remain the home team (as it should) and receive the game’s ticket revenue (as it also should). OU’s season ticket holders will have first dibs amongst the crimson contingent, with remaining tickets going on sale to the general public on Friday. It’s also worth mentioning that OU and Tulane are working to arrange a return trip to New Orleans (most likely in 2024 when Tulane was set to come to Norman).

• On Sunday, former Oklahoma QB Tanner Mordecai was named the starter for the SMU Mustangs entering the 2021 season. The ex-Sooner has three years of eligibility remaining. The Dallas Morning News’ Joseph Hoyt has more.
• A panel of writers from ESPN have offered up their takes on which player they feel will win the Heisman Trophy, which team will win the national championship and more, and Spencer Rattler and OU emerged as some of the favorite picks for each category, respectively.
• In a 19-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Baker Mayfield saw some preseason action for the Cleveland Browns. During his run, he dropped this absolutely gorgeous dime on WR KhaDarel Hodge. That pass was a thing of beauty.

• Rhamondre Stevenson has continued to star for the New England Patriots during the NFL Preseason. On Sunday, he scored on this play from nine yards out in a 22-20 win over the New York Giants.

• Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has reached an agreement to team up with Eastbay and its line of athletic gear. Stay tuned for a line of products featuring the ‘untamed’ and ‘rare breed’ mantras of the former Alabama-turned-Oklahoma signal caller.

Around the Sports World

• The Texas Longhorns are going with redshirt freshman QB Hudson Card as the Week One starter against the No. 23 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, but head coach Steve Sarkisian is on record in stating that redshirt junior QB Casey Thompson will be rotated into the game at some point.
• Over the weekend, Alabama Crimson Tide redshirt freshman LB Quandarrius Robinson was arrested for DUI after his involvement with a multi-car accident.
• New York Mets pitcher Noah Snydergaard has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 after he was set to begin rehab following Tommy John surgery.
• Minnesota Vikings starting TE Irv Smith Jr. is expected to miss at least the start of the 2021 NFL season after recently suffering a meniscus injury.
• On Monday, the Detroit Lions made the decision to release veteran wide receiver and former first round pick Breshad Perriman.

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Damage from Hurricane Ida forced the Sooners and Green Wave to move their season opener to OU’s home field.

The impact of Hurricane Ida on the city of New Orleans has forced the Oklahoma Sooners and Tulane Green Wave to move Saturday’s game to Norman.

Tulane athletic director Troy Dannen announced the change Monday. The game remains scheduled for an 11 AM CT kickoff and will be nationally televised on ABC.

According to details provided by the OU athletic department, the Green Wave will be the designated home team for the game and will receive the net proceeds from ticket sales. OU is handling ticket sales, which are being sold separately from season ticket packages. OU is only opening seating in the lower bowl of Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium.

Tickets purchased through Tulane will not be honored. Dannen indicated fans who purchased tickets through Tulane will have an opportunity to donate the value of the tickets to hurricane relief in lieu of requesting refunds.

The Tulane players and coaches left campus last week for Birmingham, Alabama, in advance of the storm, which hit Louisiana and Mississippi Sunday. They will remain based out of Birmingham “until it is safe to return to New Orleans,” Dannen said in a statement.

For Sooner fans who were looking forward to a road trip to New Orleans, OU said the schools are working on scheduling a future game between the teams at Tulane.

The change of venue means the Sooners will open the season with four straight home games before traveling to Kansas State on Oct. 2.

Takeaways from a season-opening loss by OU’s marquee non-conference opponent.

The “week zero” slate of college football games played Saturday included one matchup of special interest to the Oklahoma Sooners. The Nebraska Cornhuskers opened their season with a trip to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in advance of their date with the Sooners in Norman on Sept. 18. Based on what NU showed against the Illini, the marquee non-conference game on OU’s schedule doesn’t look particularly daunting.

Here are a few quick takeaways from Nebraska’s 30-22 loss:

*Season openers often give faulty impressions. Big Red fans need to hope that what we witnessed Saturday was an aberration.

The biggest red flag of the game had to be the general lack of focus on NU’s part. The Illini were playing their first game under new coach Bret Bielema, but the Cornhuskers looked more like the team under new management. NU committed a litany of disappointing errors, including multiple penalties that negated key plays and an instance of the coaches not realizing down and distance.

This was a revenge game in which Nebraska essentially had the national stage to itself. The Cornhuskers were playing a bad Illinois team that lost its starting quarterback in the first half. They couldn’t take advantage of a tailor-made opportunity to get what should have been an easy win to start the season on a high note. Instead, they stumbled around for four quarters.

Bottom line: NU offered little reason to believe the program is improving after four years under coach Scott Frost and his staff.

Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

*No player embodied NU’s lack of progress better than quarterback Adrian Martinez, who was making the 28th start of his career on Saturday.

On a 75-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, Martinez showcased the tantalizing explosiveness that made him a compelling prospect years ago. He ran for a total of 146 yards on 11 carries in the game, excluding sacks.

But the fourth-year signal caller sprayed the ball all over the field when throwing it. For the game, he completed 16 of his 32 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. That’s not horrible; however, he missed a handful of easy throws that kept points off the board. He also coughed up a ball that Calvin Hart Jr. of Illinois took to the house in the closing minute of the first half.

The reality is that Martinez hasn’t changed much from year one to year four with the Huskers. He’s most dangerous running the ball, and he won’t find much room to operate versus the OU defense.

*The NU offensive line in general had a rough day. Illinois plugged up the Huskers’ running lanes, allowing about three yards per carry to every Husker not named Adrian Martinez. Meanwhile, the Illini sacked Martinez five times.

The OU defensive line presumably liked what it saw on Saturday.

*Not all of those sacks should be pinned on Martinez and the OL. The NU receiving corps doesn’t appear to have any options who will keep defensive coordinators up at night.

Junior Oliver Martin did the most damage of any NU receiver, catching six passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. (Note that Martin previously walked on at Iowa and Michigan before transferring to Lincoln last year.) Lanky Montana transfer Samori Toure (6-3, 190 pounds) could turn into a matchup issue at some point for defenses, but he had three receptions for 36 yards versus the Illini.

*As discombobulated as the NU offense was, you could make the case that the group formerly known as the Blackshirts gave an even more disappointing effort.

Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Illinois didn’t seem to be doing anything special in the run game, but RBs Mike Epstein and Reggie Love churned out 120 yards on 28 attempts. The most dispiriting drive of the game had to be Illinois’ first possession of the second half, a 14-play TD drive that covered 75 yards in a little more than eight minutes. For Bielema’s squad, it was a borderline erotic combination of power running and play-action passing by QB Art Sitkowski to put the Huskers in a deep hole in the second half.

In an especially concerning development for NU, Illinois appeared to win on the edges. Given the disparity in athleticism between the two teams, that shouldn’t happen.

*Lastly, the NU special teams produced a series of debacles. Senior kicker Connor Culp missed two extra points out of three attempts. Meanwhile, the Illini got their first points of the game on a safety when the knee of returner Cam Taylor-Britt touched down in the NU end zone after fielding a punt inside the Cornhuskers’ own two yard line. Adding insult to injury, Taylor-Britt threw an illegal forward pass when he realized he had wandered into disaster.

All in all, the sequence summed up a nightmarish day for an NU team that will have a hard time staying competitive when it visits Oklahoma in a few weeks.

Depth along the offensive line and in the running back room are concerns entering a season of high expectations.

This is the first installment of three preseason roundtable sessions pertaining to the 2021 Oklahoma Sooners. Eight days before opening kickoff, we’ll focus on the offense.

Amongst the receiver group, who is most likely to be 2021’s breakout star? (Note: This should probably exclude Marvin Mims, who broke out as a freshman)

Allen: Mario Williams. Frankly, OU’s receivers didn’t quite live up to billing last season, so I’ll go with a newcomer. The buzz around the five-star freshman has been too loud to ignore, anyway.

Think fellow Floridian Marquise Brown here. Williams may not have quite as much speed, but good luck checking him in one-on-one coverage. Lincoln Riley used an empty offensive set in the spring game that would create plenty of room for Williams to operate in space and exploit favorable matchups. We’ll soon see if that was an experiment or a preview of what is to come for Williams in the fall.

Seth: My pick for a breakout star at the receiver position is Jadon Haselwood. Though he’s entering his third year, he still hasn’t produced at the level he’s capable of, and that’s mainly due to the injury he dealt with in 2020. By all accounts, he’s now at full strength, and by the end of the season, I predict he’ll be OU’s leader in both receiving yards and touchdowns receptions.

Stephen: As much as I’d love to pick Jadon Haselwood, I do have concerns as to both his physical ability and confidence coming off his knee injury. So I’ll go with true-freshman Mario Williams.

The former composite 4-star and no.4 ranked WR in the 2021 recruiting class has impressed throughout fall camp. Outside of Marvin Mims, I think he has the most ability to make plays after the catch with his overall speed and lateral ability. You also have to add-in that because of several known-playmakers returning for the Sooners, Williams should find himself in plenty of one-on-one matchups throughout the season.

Jack: I’ll take the leap of faith and go with Haselwood. If he’s even close to fully recovered from his knee injury, he’s going to be a matchup nightmare for any secondary he faces. His agility for his size was always one of the things that stood out prior to 2020, so provided that this hasn’t gone away, he could end up being the biggest big-play threat for a group that isn’t exactly lacking in that department.

What aspect of the offense is your biggest area of concern, and why?

Allen: Depth on the offensive line. I have faith that offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh can put together one of the best starting fives in the country up front. What happens if the Sooners have to dip down into the second unit, though? OU has avoided significant injuries on the OL in recent years. Hopefully, luck doesn’t turn this fall.

Seth: While I have high hopes for the running backs, there are still more questions than answers for me with that group, especially after the news of Marcus Major’s ineligibility and Tre Bradford’s untimely departure. Will Kennedy Brooks pick up where he left off as a back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher, or will he need a lot of time to knock off the rust after opting out in 2020? Will Eric Gray be as dynamic as he showed in the spring game? There is plenty to like about the state of the position under DeMarco Murray’s watch, but only time will tell if the backs will be as reliable as they have been in years past.

Jack: As much as running back depth concerns me, it still has to be the offensive line. I have plenty of confidence in Anton Harrison, but the fact that Wanya Morris hasn’t quite seized the other tackle spot (for whatever reason that may be) gives me a bit of pause. If Erik Swenson ends up with one of the spots, this group simply isn’t maximizing its potential.

As far as center is concerned, I’m not short on confidence in Andrew Raym. Having said that, he’s about to fill the shoes of a guy who is set to start at the position for the Kansas City Chiefs. Expecting that transition to be seamless simply isn’t realistic.

Even when Bedenbaugh has returned a large chunk of his contributors, it has typically taken his groups some time to gel. Fortunately, sailing should be fairly smooth for the Sooners in the early going, which should ease the transition.

Who ends the season with more rushing yards — Eric Gray or Kennedy Brooks?

Allen: Gray. It bears mentioning that Brooks was operating in the same backfield in 2018 and 2019 as Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts, two superb running quarterbacks. He did serious damage on option plays in which defenses arguably preferred he get the ball over the alternative of the QB keeping it. That’s not a knock on him so much as recognizing the reality of what it will be like for him playing in an offense run by a more conventional quarterback in Spencer Rattler.

Gray’s versatility probably means he will see more snaps than Brooks, too, so he will be in position for more carries.

Seth: Kennedy Brooks will lead the Sooners in rushing this season, but I also predict Eric Gray will combine for more rushing and receiving yards than any of OU’s current RBs. Even with so much hype around Oklahoma going into the season, I believe the national pundits are still sleeping on Brooks. I could very well see him rush for north of 1,200 yards this fall.

Stephen: Eric Gray. We’ve all got questions about Oklahoma’s offensive line heading into the season. When I watch what Eric Gray did during his time at Tennessee, I don’t find those questions as glaring.

Jack: It’s a tough call, but I’ll go with Brooks for rushing yards by just a hair. I also think Eric Gray will be the most impactful player on this offense not named Spencer Rattler. Both can be true!

Which aspect (or aspects) of Spencer Rattler’s game would you like to see him improve upon in 2021?

Allen: Pocket discipline. Rattler throws extraordinarily well on the move – so much so that he seems prone to drifting and bailing too early. That raises the likelihood of self-inflicted errors.

Seth: I just want to see the game continue to slow down for Rattler. The bullets were flying fast against K-State, and even more so in the first half of the Texas game. Down the stretch, you could see a noticeable change in his field presence. I’d like to see him build on that this year.

Schematically, what would you like to see a bit more of this season?

Allen: I’d always like to see more jet motion, although that’s probably as much of an aesthetic preference as anything else. It just looks cool.

Seth: I’d like to see more power looks in short yardage situations. I know Rhamondre Stevenson isn’t walking through that door, but OU has the pieces along the offensive line and a veteran H-back group that should make picking up a 3rd and 2 or 4th and 1 all but automatic.

BONUS: What’s your go-to pregame meal?

Allen: OU plays so many early games that it’s usually coffee and some kind of breakfast sandwich/burrito.

Seth: I tend to switch it up quite regularly, but my favorite pre-game meal has to be tamales. I’ll eat a dozen in one sitting if I’m not careful.

Jack: At a tailgate, it’s any form of smoked meat (pork butt is a favorite) on a roll. At home, it’s Chick-fil-a breakfast. At a bar, it’s cheese fries with a fried egg on top.

DOUBLE BONUS: What’s the best show you’ve watched this summer?

Allen: I liked the second season of Lupin on Netflix. They kept it light, and the plotting was clever. I’d give it somewhere in the range of a B+.

Seth: I haven’t really watched anything new lately, but I did re-watch Breaking Bad and the first five seasons of Better Call Saul. BB is still a perfect show, and BCS is wildly underrated.

Stephen: Like many this summer, I’ve been on the Disney + craze, so I’ll go with the Loki series. A retro-futuristic, quirky art style. The dynamic between Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson was enjoyable to watch. And unlike many shows, the finale didn’t disappoint.

Jack: The White Lotus is one of the best things I’ve watched in some time, and Stiffler’s mom deserves an Emmy. I also love the fact that it’s going to be an anthology series, with each season taking place at a different location of the luxury hotel chain. I think Charleston would be the perfect location for a second season. A southern setting is a bit of a murder mystery cliche, but I don’t think anyone minds. I sure as hell don’t!

OU loses another member of a thin group at running back.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ thin depth at running back apparently got event lighter on Thursday. According to multiple reports (including one from the OU Daily), sophomore Tre Bradford and the Sooners have gone their separate ways.

Bradford’s short time with the team came to abrupt end after he transferred from LSU to OU in the spring. The Daily reported he missed multiple practices this week before departing.

Major attrition at running back had put Bradford in position to contribute with the Sooners right away. Five other scholarship running backs have left the team since the end of the 2020 season:

• Rhamondre Stevenson was drafted by the New England Patriots;
• TJ Pledger transferred to Utah;
• Marcus Major was declared academically ineligible; and
• Coach Lincoln Riley dismissed Seth McGowan and Mikey Henderson in connection with charges they allegedly participated in an armed robbery.

Fortunately, the Sooners have a strong one-two punch atop the depth chart at RB. Tennessee transfer Eric Gray has earned rave reviews as a dual threat coming out of the backfield. Gray rushed for a total of nearly 1,300 yards and eight touchdowns in two seasons with the Volunteers.

Kennedy Brooks also has rejoined the team after sitting out a year ago. The redshirt junior went over the thousand-yard mark on the ground in 2018 and 2019, finding the end zone a combined 18 times.

Bradford, a blue-chip prospect out of Lancaster, Texas, would have been third in line for snaps behind Gray and Brooks. Running backs coach DeMarco Murray is now searching for new candidates to tote the rock this fall. Diminutive walk-ons Todd Hudson and Jaden Knowles (aka “Weatherman J” due to the fact that he’s a meteorology major) may get a shot at a spot in the rotation. H-back Jeremiah Hall could find himself in position to add to his career total of seven carries. Sophomore receiver Brian Darby moonlighted as a running back in high school, so giving him a chance to audition at RB could be an option.

Looking ahead, OU has two blue-chip recruits committed to its 2022 class in Raleek Brown and Gavin Sawchuck. Losing Bradford will put the heat on Murray to add another runner to the ‘22 group, especially given that Brown will likely split time between RB and WR. Count on OU to scour the transfer portal for a couple seasoned ball carriers in the offseason, too.

According to Carey Murdock, running back Marcus Major has been ruled academically ineligible.

Happy Tuesday, friends and fans!

In some rather unfortunate news, Sooner Scoop’s Carey Murdock has reported that Oklahoma Sooners redshirt sophomore running back Marcus Major has been ruled academically ineligible for the 2021 college football season.

Major, an Oklahoma City product out of Millwood HS, was expected to take on an increased role in OU’s backfield this fall, and was likely the third RB on the depth chart going into the 2021 campaign. Over the course of his first two seasons, he recorded 215 yards and three touchdowns on 45 total carries.

Of course, this goes down as yet another blow to Oklahoma’s running back depth. With Rhamondre Stevenson now playing for the New England Patriots and Seth McGowan’s offseason dismissal (along with hybrid H-back Mikey Henderson), it’s quickly becoming an area of concern as the season is less than two weeks away from kicking-off.

As it stands now, redshirt junior Kennedy Brooks and junior Tennessee transfer Eric Gray are the only Sooner RBs who have any amount of significant experience at the collegiate level. Outside of that, sophomore LSU transfer Tre Bradford logged a small amount of reps during his lone season in Baton Rouge, but that might have to change quickly with this latest development surrounding Major.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! Spencer Rattler finds himself on yet another awards watch list, Lincoln Riley talks about some interesting depth chart developments, CFB’s latest alliance is as lame as it sounds and more!

OU Links

• This offseason, there are a number of Sooners who have garnered preseason All-American attention. Here’s a comprehensive rundown of all the reputable publications and organizations that have recognized the likes of Nik Bonitto, Gabe Brkic, Kennedy Brooks, Marvin Mims, Spencer Rattler, Jalen Redmond and Perrion Winfrey. Simply put, this team is LOADED.

• On Tuesday, redshirt sophomore QB Spencer Rattler was named to the 2021 Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List — an annual honor that recognizes the nation’s top upperclassman quarterback. Heisman Trophy winner Jason White (2004) is the lone OU player to claim this coveted award in program history.

• Lincoln Riley recently shed some light on the state of the QB depth chart going into the 2021 season. Apparently, there will be a surprise third stringer after Rattler and Caleb Williams in the form of walk-on true freshman Ralph Rucker. Also, Tanner Schafer seems to be going the Riley route in his QB journey, as he’ll apparently be serving as more of a student coach than he is as a player.

• Looks like sophomore WR Marvin Mims will continue his duties as Oklahoma’s top choice at punt returner. Also, Drake Stoops will see more reps there as well, while the kick return situation is still developing.

• The NFL recently rated its top 100 active players, and three former Sooners have made this year’s cut. The Cleveland Browns’ Baker Mayfield is slated at No. 71, the San Francisco 49ers’ Trent Williams checks in at No. 42, and the Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray has climbed up to No. 39. Boomer! Personally, I believe both Mark Andrews and Joe Mixon deserve some consideration for this list, but I digress.

Around the Sports World

• It’s official. The Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC conferences have formed a future scheduling alliance across all sports. This is no doubt in direct response to the SEC’s recent acquisition of Oklahoma and Texas — unofficially making it the first super conference of the modern era. On the surface, it’s hard not to look at this as a desperate attempt at power relevancy, and in all reality, this does next-to-nothing to add real strength to any of the schedules involved. Also, IT’S NOT EVEN AN OFFICIAL ALLIANCE, JUST A HANDSHAKE DEAL.
• On Tuesday, the Texas Tech Red Raiders have named Oregon Ducks transfer Tyler Shough as their next starting QB entering the 2021 college football season.
• Jacksonville Jaguars rookie RB Travis Etienne has been ruled out for likely the entire 2021 NFL season after suffering a mid-foot sprain (Lisfranc injury) against the New Orleans Saints on Monday night.
• Orlando Magic guard Michael Carter-Williams has recently undergone surgery on his left ankle and is expected to miss at least the start of the 2021-22 NBA season.
• Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Caleb Smith has been suspended by the MLB for 10 games after it was determined that he applied an illegal foreign substance on his glove last week against the Philadelphia Phillies.

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