Linked Up: What's Going On Around SB Nation United?

Black Heart Gold Pants hits rock bottom with Kirk Ferentz.

Calling for Kirk Ferentz's termination is shortsighted and futile, because Gary Barta has made that completely impossible. After the 2009 season -- the only season in which Iowa lost fewer than 4 games since 2004 -- Barta inexplicably signed Ferentz to a 10-year, $40 million contract so huge that Kirk could never be fired. In total compensation, it was the biggest contract in the history of the sport, and is larger than extensions given to Nick Saban and Les Miles in 2011 (only Mack Brown has received more). Ferentz is scheduled to receive $3.875 million in compensation this season. The University of Iowa will cut him a check for $370,000 on October 1 for a "recurring supplemental payment" regardless of whether his team beats Minnesota the day before. If Barta fired Ferentz tomorrow, we would still be obligated to pay him $250,000 a month until January 2020, a total buyout in excess of $21 million. This contract was offered despite the fact that Ferentz was already making $2.8 million per year through 2012 on his previous contract and had long since stopped receiving calls from the NFL. In his six years as Iowa's athletics director, Gary Barta already almost killed Iowa basketball, and he knew a botched football hire would cost him his job. So Barta did the best thing for self-preservation: Lock in everyone's favorite coach for life.

This is just sad to read.. It's one thing to overpay a guy who's being underpaid severely, but this is a whole other animal. Let's be honest though, while the reminder of Todd Lickliter makes you laugh, it quickly turns to tears when you realize we had McDermott during that time.

Crimson & Cream Machine checks out Oklahoma's Bad Play Day. On Landry Jones' fumble that made it 7-3 KSU:

The play should have never rolled to the right. A young and inexperienced quarterback tries to roll near his own end zone to make something happen but a seasoned veteran steps up into the pocket and either makes a pass or eats the ball.

So your redshirt senior supposed NFL prospect is now making freshman mistakes. This probably bodes well for his draft stock, right? This is only part 1 in their complete meltdown against Kansas State, so more sadness to come!

Burnt Orange Nation and Cowboys Ride For Free are previewing their big matchup this weekend. Both are playing the nice-off game, complimenting each other as much as possible. CRFF is terrified of their own defense against Texas' speedsters (especially Marquise Goodwin)

OSU fans should become well acquainted with YAC (yards after catch), as lots of it will be very bad for OSU. UT will put LOTS of pressure on the edges, thus opening holes up the middle.

Meanwhile, BON and Mack Brown are all about Oklahoma State being better than anybody else they've faced so far (EVEN OLE MISS, AN SEC TEAM?!?!)

Even though the Cowboys dropped a contest to Arizona in the second week of the season, head coach Mack Brown didn't mince words talking about the strength of Mike Gundy's squad and the stakes at hand:

"Oklahoma State will be the best team we've played to this point," Brown said on Monday during his gameweek press conference. "Stakes are higher. Every week is like a playoff because we don't have a conference championship game. You can't afford to lose during the year and have that chance to win at the end.

And as for that game the Cyclones have against Texas Tech this weekend, Viva The Matadors is breaking down the TTU press conference quotes. The Red Raiders' offensive coordinator is not taking the Cyclones' defense lightly.

They are by far the best defense we've played. I think they are going to be one of the better defenses in our league. With those guys, it always starts with the two linebackers, Klein and Knott, are as good as anybody in our league. They are physical kids. They do a great job in the pass game, getting in their zone drops. They also got a kid, Washington, who is a safety that's played the last two years against us, and I think he's an NFL talent. I think he's very, very good. And probably their most underrated, they play about four or five d-tackles inside. But they are all big guys, I mean, they are 280-plus and they do a good job of really pushing the pocket and getting a surge in the run game, also.