Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables is always tight-lipped about injuries, but his two simple words he slipped during Monday's press conference at least created a glimmer of hope for the Sooners' biggest concerns before hosting Alabama on Friday night in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Defensive end R Mason Thomas and center Jake Maikkula, both starters, missed the Sooners' regular-season finale against LSU on Nov. 29. With no game or real update since, fans have been worried about missing a key piece on both sides of the ball in a rematch against Bama with the season on the line.