Linking Up: Media Days Edition

Most coaches and teams use media days as a chance to either "control the narrative" (see: Saban, Nick) or compete to see who can give the most non-answer answers. Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops is celebrated as a master of latter.

Surprisingly, though, Stoops and the OU players in attendance at the Big 12 Media Days actually handed out some telling tidbits.

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*Notes from Stoops' press conference:

• Stoops' take on the status of Adrian Taylor sounded promising. However, Taylor being on the field for two-a-days and being effective when the ball is snapped are not one and the same.

• It came off like a throw-away line, but the only name Stoops mentioned when talking about the OU receivers besides Ryan Broyles was Kenny Stills. I still think the freshman wideout will run with the second team for at least the first few games. However, Stills will make his presence felt sooner than later this season.

• Stoops saying he thinks the offensive line will be "better than people anticipate" makes for a nice change of pace from last year. The addition of Donald Stephenson clearly has OU's coach feeling far more confident in the unit.

*So, DeMarco Murray could be in line for an Adrian Peterson-like number of touches this season, huh? Murray himself says he's up for it. At full strength, AD averaged about 30 carries and catches combined per game. Throughout his career at OU, Murray has touched the ball an average of 15 times per game. Given Murray's lengthy injury history, does doubling his workload seem reasonable?

*Speaking of running backs, one of my big questions for Stoops would have been about Jermie Calhoun's role in OU's backfield this season. Turns out that incoming freshman Roy Finch is actually the runner to watch, according to Murray.

*How many times can columnists repackage the same article? (I will give Berry Tramel credit for an inspired motorcycle crash metaphor.)

*If Landry Jones really is "chewing out" teammates and whatnot in practice this summer, I feel about a hundred times better about him.

*Texas coach Mack Brown's ESPN "car wash" on Monday pissed off our buddies at Big Red Network something fierce. (Colin Cowherd puts Chasey Lain to shame when he's giving Mack the once over.)

Seeing as Texas was scheduled for its media session on Wednesday, the fact that Mack would pick the opening day of the Big 12 media days to plaster his mug all over the Worldwide Leader is pretty obnoxious. Then again, who's going to stop him – Dan Beebe?

Anyone honestly think the Big 12 Lite lasts more than five more years?