Late Night Links – 7.30.12

Don’t doze off just yet. There were plenty of stories/tweets you might have missed, and we cannot simply let you go to sleep without knowing a few tidbits from around Sooner Nation.

Top Stories:

Jason Kersey of The Oklahoman: Landry Jones has never wavered from his public support for the short-yardage package that relegates him to the sideline and bears his backup’s name. The quarterback, who, in many ways, is the most prolific in Sooner history, wants to win football games above all else. If it means occasionally swallowing his pride and trading places with Blake Bell, so be it.

Jake Trotter of ESPN: Bob Stoops has never been afraid to call out his players when he feels they haven’t worked as hard as he thinks they should. In 2009, Stoops ripped his offensive line in the spring for falling to match the intensity of the other position groups. Not surprisingly, the offensive line struggled the following season, as OU finished with a disappointing 8-5 record. This week, however, Stoops praised his club for the way they’ve worked through the offseason.

Michael Baldwin of The Oklahoman: Curtis Lofton will replace Jonathan Vilma, the New Orleans middle linebacker who is appealing a one-year suspension for his role in the Saints’ bounty scandal. It’s such a hot button topic that Lofton’s grandmother, Terrell, was curious why her grandson, a free agent, willingly signed a five-year deal with a team that will play this season without its head coach, Sean Payton, who is also suspended for a year.

OnlyOneOU of Crimson and Cream Machine: In college football, the debate of which conference is the best from top to bottom rages on. Many of the talking heads will say hands down it is the SEC. Now, after a bit of the realignment dust has settled, it would appear that the Big XII is gaining steam and could make a push for the top conference in the nation sooner rather than later.

Top Tweets: