OU’s Lincoln Riley headlined Day One of Big 12 Media Days inside AT&T Stadium.

On Wednesday, Lincoln Riley fielded questions during the Oklahoma Sooners’ presser portion of the 2021 Big 12 Media Days. Below are highlights of some of the fifth year head coach’s answers from today’s address. In case you missed it, you can check out the full press conference through this link.

Riley on getting over the hump in the postseason

It’s no secret that OU has had its share of struggles on the stage of the College Football Playoff, going 0-4 in such games. Better than anyone, Lincoln Riley understands the importance of flipping the script after being part of each of the aforementioned contests (one as a coordinator, three as a head coach).

“You know, this is Oklahoma. Every year is the year to do that. It takes a lot to get it done, there’s no question about it. I think for us and our team right now, I think we have a genuine excitement and confidence about the people in the room right now. We have enough ability in the room, and we have people who are invested wholly in what we can be as a team. Then for us, I think our focus kind of zeroes back in on getting to the best version of ourselves. If we do that, then things will happen the way they’re supposed to happen.”

Riley on what Eric Gray brings to the team

It’s been a bit of a tumultuous offseason for backs in Norman, losing one RB to the draft and two more would-be ball carriers to dismissals. Yet, since arriving to the team in January, former Tennessee transfer running back Eric Gray has thoroughly impressed both his teammates and his coaches at Oklahoma with his abilities as a dynamic playmaker at a position of sudden need. Riley touched on his impression of Gray.

“I can’t say enough about (Gray). Walking in here, day one, he’s a true professional. I told somebody earlier, it feels like he’s been in our program for months or years already. It literally felt like that the day he walked in the door. Just a very business-like attitude. He’s done and exceeded honestly everything that we’ve put in front of him. He learned the offense quickly. He really got acclimated with his teammates and with the university quickly. He does everything right. You can see why the guy’s had some success early on in his career. You combine that with some good experience, and we’re thrilled to have him.”

Riley on the proposal for playoff expansion

Last month, a sub-group from the CFP management committee presented a proposal that would increase the number of playoff qualifying teams from four to 12. It should be noted that an official change cannot be made until after the 2025-26 season, but the topic has generated differing opinions that are either for or against the proposal. Riley was asked for his thoughts on the polarizing subject.

“I think the expansion that’s been proposed is a great start. I commend the committee that put it together because you gotta put yourself out there. You gotta start somewhere. I think their proposal was really good in a lot of ways. I think it addressed maintaining the bowls which are so important to the history of our game. I think it addressed getting the conference champions in the playoff, which needed to happen. I think it addressed a pathway for a Group of Five member to be able to get into the playoffs which honestly hasn’t been realistic under the current system. In my mind all of those are great things.”

Riley on the moment the defense took the next step

Not long after Alex Grinch was hired to take over Oklahoma’s defensive coordinator duties in 2018 did that side of the ball begin to show dramatic improvement. Fast-forward three years, and the Sooners are now believed to have one of the top defensive units in the nation going into the 2021 season. Riley was asked about if there was a moment he and his staff recognized a significant turn for the better, defensively.

“Defensively, yeah I don’t know that there was the eureka, Hollywood moment. I think it felt like, just kind of constant improvement from day one. We’ve made some big, big plays in big games, especially to close out games over the last few years, and I think those in particular do something for the psyche and confidence of an individual player or side of the ball that are hard to duplicate. I think it’s just been a real consistent process. I really point to the defensive line becoming a strength of this team and one of the best defensive lines in college football. That really stands out to me.”

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What has changed for Steve Sarkisian? Why does OU struggle with leads? And more.

Ah, conference media days – that special time of year when college football coaches and players talk more than ever and yet manage to say very little.

The chances that Oklahoma Sooners head Lincoln Riley or player representatives Jeremiah Hall and Nik Bonitto will set off any fireworks with their comments at the Big 12’s annual shindig in Arlington this week are about nil. So instead of previewing a likely non-event for the Sooners, let’s talk about questions. Specifically, let’s delve into one question for every coach that we’d like to hear asked (and answered) when they’re talking to reporters this week.

Going in alphabetical order…

Baylor’s Dave Aranda: Have you faced any challenges at this job that were tougher than you expected?

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Aranda is one of the more engaging thinkers in the sport, so inquiring minds may want to know the ex-LSU defensive coordinator’s thoughts on the current upheaval at his previous place of employment. He would never answer that. After more than a year on the job, however, Baylor’s head coach probably would give an interesting response to a question about the surprises that came with taking the gig in Waco.

Iowa State’s Matt Campbell: How does your team avoid penalties so well?

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The Cyclones’ ascendance means someone will invariably ask some version of the “hunter-versus-hunted” question. Boring. Let’s amp up the excitement with a topic that is sure to get the juices flowing: penalties. Specifically, ISU’s lack thereof.

The Clones have averaged fewer penalty yards per game than any other team in the Big 12 in three of the last four years. That speaks to team discipline instilled by Campbell and his staff. What’s their secret?

Kansas’ Lance Leipold: Is it really that bad?

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The Jayhawks have amassed a record of 18-99 in the last 10 years. The shocking part: That is even better than would be expected, given KU’s long-running futility.

Leipold now gets the chance to undo the damage caused by predecessor Les Miles, who somehow managed to put the program in an even deeper hole. A report over the weekend about a purported whistleblower painted a picture of a rudderless program plagued by infighting.

So… how would Leipold sum up the situation?

Kansas State’s Chris Klieman: Are you skittish about your quarterback room?

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The Wildcats held together initially after veteran QB Skylar Thompson was lost for the year early on in 2020. They closed with five straight losses once teams caught up to the limitations of backup Will Howard, though the freshman was far from K-State’s only problem down the stretch.

Thompson will presumably reclaim the job in what seems like his eighth season in Manhattan. His injury history raises questions about his ability to finish out the year, however. If Klieman has to turn to the bench again to play substantial snaps behind center, are the Wildcats looking at another lost season?

Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley: How do you help your team hold a lead?

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OU had leads in the fourth quarter of its two losses last year versus ISU and KSU. The Sooners blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter of the Red River Shootout before beating Texas in overtime. OU barely held on when the Cyclones came storming back from a 17-point deficit in the Big 12 title game.

Nebulous platitudes about maturity and killer instinct doesn’t offer satisfying explanations for why the Sooners struggled to put teams away. So let’s hear what Riley thinks the issue is. More importantly, what can he do to fix it?

Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy: How strong is Spencer Sanders’ grip on the QB spot?

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Sanders’ erratic career with the Cowboys has seen flashes of brilliance combined with backbreaking mistakes. Notably, he has tossed 19 interceptions in the 20 games in which he has played at OSU, and that’s despite the Pokes throwing about 10 fewer passes per game than usual in the last two seasons.

Shane Illingworth wasn’t dazzling when called upon to fill in for Sanders last year, but he did keep the Cowboys out of trouble. That reliability may eventually win out over Sanders’ athleticism if the upperclassman can’t clean up his mistakes.

TCU’s Gary Patterson: Is this the end of the line?

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Patterson is an institution at TCU, but 2021 will be his 22nd season as head coach of the Horned Frogs. His team is 18-17 overall in the last three seasons. At some point, the end comes for us all. Has that time come for Patterson?

TCU again looks like a potential dark horse in the Big 12 race. A strong season would give the head coach a chance to leave on a high note.

Texas’ Steve Sarkisian: What makes you a better head coach now than at your previous stops?

Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

If we were to judge this hire just on Sark’s record as a head coach, it would seem fair to ask Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte if he has lost control of his faculties. Sarkisian put together an unspectacular run of five seasons at Washington that ended with a 34-29 overall record. He coached just 18 games at USC before issues with substance abuse resulted in the loss of his job there.

Sark did get the benefit of a two-year stint as offensive coordinator at Nick Saban’s reform school for wayward coaches, which obviously played a major role in landing his new job. Did that opportunity to watch the master in action give him anything to build on for his new gig? And did he learn anything about mistakes he made in his two previous stops?

Texas Tech’s Matt Wells: If David Yost was the problem, are you sure Sonny Cumbie is the solution?

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Wells received a reprieve from athletic director Kirby Hocutt after a disappointing 2020 campaign, but it required a blood sacrifice. The Red Raiders opted to can Yost, their offensive coordinator, in a bid to pump some new life into the program.

That makes sense, but replacing Yost with Cumbie is a questionable response. Sure, Cumbie is a hero around Tech from his playing days under Mike Leach. But did anyone in Lubbock see what happened at TCU when Cumbie was calling the shots?

West Virginia’s Neal Brown: There’s good attrition and bad – which kind is this?

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

The transfer bug hit WVU harder than any other team in the country this offseason. With key players on both sides of the ball departing from Morgantown via the portal, it raises questions about unrest around the program as Neal Brown enters his third year as head coach of the Mountaineers.

Of course, cutting loose of any dead weight holding the program back would be a plus. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Brown’s team is gaining by subtraction.

The eyes of the college football recruiting world will be focused on five-star 2023 QB Malachi Nelson this weekend.

Happy Monday, friends and fans!

The Oklahoma Sooners have unsurprisingly made the cut for 2023 five-star QB prospect Malachi Nelson, who recently announced the top seven schools he’ll be choosing from live on CBSSports HQ on Sunday, July 18.

According to recruiting experts over at 247 Sports and elsewhere, OU is currently slated as the favorite to land the pledge of the 6’3” signal caller out of Los Alamitos, California. If Nelson chooses the Sooners, he will officially be the first commit for Oklahoma’s 2023 class.

Recently, Lincoln Riley and his staff have seen a boom on the recruiting trail, picking up six verbal commitments for the class of 2022 in the last three weeks. So far, none of the current class’ commits are projected to play quarterback for OU, but there’s still plenty of time to change that if the numbers call for it. Having said that, even years are a tough sell for QB prospects, as is seems inevitable that they’ll be sandwiched by No. 1 QB recruits from odd years.

Now onto this week’s Monday edition of Hot Links! Pat Fields earns academic honor, K1 is regarded as a top 10 QB and more!

OU Links

• Whenever I hear Porter Moser speak, I get a little bit better at playing basketball. This team might not win it all in next March, but it sure looks like it’ll be a lot of fun to watch.

• According to William Hill’s latest 2021 Heisman Trophy odds, Spencer Rattler remains the favorite to claim the coveted individual honor this December.
• Sooners Wire’s John Williams relayed Pro Football Focus’ take on the five most important OU players going into the 2021 college football season.
• Veteran safety Patrick Fields has been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Football Second Team for his outstanding performance both in the classroom and on the field. Congrats, Pat!

• A collection of NFL executives, coaches and players have made their picks for who they believe are the top quarterbacks in the league today, and Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray made the cut at No. 10. Baker Mayfield also received an honorable mention. Heads up, you need an ESPN+ subscription in order to read this article in its entirety.
• It was a pretty big day for the Sooners in the MLB Draft, as 1B Tyler Hardman, pitcher Wyatt Olds and pitcher Jason Ruffcorn were selected in the 5th, 7th and 8th rounds, respectively.

Around the Sports World

• On Sunday night, the Milwaukee Bucks bullied the Phoenix Suns en route to a 120-100 win in Game Three of the 2021 NBA Finals. Giannis Antetokounmpo was virtually unstoppable on the court as he racked up 41 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. The series now stands at 2-1 in favor of the Suns.

• After suffering a gruesome broken leg injury in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier on Saturday, UFC superstar Conor McGregor has reportedly undergone successful surgery and says he’s confident that he will eventually make his return to the Octagon better than ever.
• A former Kansas Jayhawks football player under ex-head coach Les Miles has come forward about being offered money from KU in order to maintain his silence about harassment he faced from some of his teammates.
• Former British Open champion Zach Johnson has been ruled out for this year’s golf major after he recently tested positive for COVID-19.
• On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Louisville Cardinals catcher Henry Davis with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.

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NORMAN – For the second straight year, Oklahoma assistant men’s golf coach Bill Allcorn has been named one of four finalists for the 2021 Jan Strickland Award Presented by TaylorMade Golf, awarded annually to the nation’s top assistant coach.

Also, Jeremiah Hall and Nik Bonitto will represent OU at Big 12 Media Days.

Happy Thursday, friends and fans!

After joining the West Virginia Mountaineers in 2019, former Oklahoma Sooners QB Austin Kendall is reportedly transferring for the second time in his collegiate career. Now, the ex-OU signal caller is expected to suit up for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. This also means that we should get a showdown between Kendall and now-SMU QB Tanner Mordecai this season.

Kendall’s extensive journey as a college quarterback continues to grow with this latest development. After starting nine games for WVU, the Waxhaw, North Carolina native was eventually surpassed on the depth chart by Jarret Doege. Including his redshirt season, Kendall is now embarking on his sixth collegiate season as he heads to Ruston, Louisiana.

In total, Austin Kendall has completed 226 of 366 (61.7 percent) passes for 2,418 yards and 17 touchdowns while also throwing 10 interceptions throughout his career.

Now for today’s Hot Links! Oklahoma tops annual preseason poll, OU names its Big 12 Media Days participants, the Olympics will host zero fans this summer and more!

OU Links

• On Thursday, Oklahoma was picked as the overwhelming favorite to win the Big 12 this fall after receiving 35 out of 39 first-place votes from the media’s annual preseason poll.

• On Wednesday, media members who cover the Big 12 Conference tabbed a total of 10 Sooners with preseason honors. QB Spencer Rattler, H-back Jeremiah Hall, WR Marvin Mims, OL Marquis Hayes, OL Wanya Morris were each named to the All-Big 12 Offensive Team. Meanwhile, DL Isaiah Thomas, DL Perrion Winfrey and EDGE Nik Bonitto were selected for the All-Big 12 Defensive Team. Additionally, PK Gabe Brkic was chosen as the league’s top kicker, and RB Eric Gray is the choice for Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

• Speaking of redshirt senior H-back Jeremiah Hall and junior EDGE Nik Bonitto, the two team leaders will join Lincoln Riley at AT&T Stadium next week for the 2021 Big 12 Media Days. The OU crew will field questions from the media on Wednesday, July 14.

• Two of four PFF analysts have picked the Sooners to win it all in 2021. With the way things are shaping up, this certainly appears to be the best chance for a national title in quite some time.

• CBS Sports’ Ben Kercheval ranked Lincoln Riley as the Big 12’s top head coach entering the 2021 college football season, but says Iowa State’s Matt Campbell is beginning to close the gap.
• During the 2022-23 season, the Oklahoma men’s and women’s basketball teams will compete in the first-ever Jumpman Invitational. The All-Jordan Brand event will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Around the Sports World

• Because of a recent state of emergency declaration in Japan, no fans will be allowed to attend any of the events during the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
• Former five-star WR prospect Demetris Robertson is now teaming up with the Auburn Tigers as a ‘super senior’ after beginning his collegiate career with at Cal before transferring to Georgia.
• After tabling partnership talks with the CFL, the XFL is reportedly planning on making its official return in the spring of 2023.
• Coming off the team’s first postseason appearance in 17 years, the Miami Marlins have picked up manager Don Mattingly’s contractual option to retain him for at least another season.

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Oklahoma has received five verbal commitments in as many days.

Lincoln Riley is reconnecting with a pipeline that has been good to Oklahoma in the past, as the Sooners now have another commitment from Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. Of course, probably the most impressive figure to play for the Sooners from Bishop Gorman is Demarco Murray, but now Lincoln Riley and Bill Bedenbaugh have secured the commitment of Jake Taylor, another high-profile offensive lineman. Taylor is nationally respected and committed to the Oklahoma Sooners over other institutions such as Alabama, Notre Dame, USC and several others.

Taylor stands tall at a frame of 6’6, 290lbs with a commitment to play in the HS All-American Bowl. The talented athlete will play tackle and despite being already massive, still has plenty of room to fill out and lose bad weight. He has very long arms, is a punishing force in the run game, and has quick enough feet to secure the edge. It’s no shock that he’s very well coached and technically polished, coming from one of the more premier private schools in the country.

Taylor is now the Sooners’ 13th commit of the 2022 recruiting cycle and is the second offensive lineman that Bedenbaugh has been able to secure since the holiday weekend. Currently, Jake Taylor is rated as the No. 286 overall player in the country, the No. 27 offensive tackle, and the No. 8 player in the state of Nevada according to 247Sports Composite rankings.