"We're talking about presents? Not the game, not the game, we're talking about presents?"

• The attorneys for Oklahoma State and attorneys for Texas offensive line coach Joe Wickline bickered in court on Thursday, reports Mike Finger of the San Antonio-Express News. The battle over Wickline's buyout and eventual role in the Longhorns offense continues to wage on. The entire ordeal has actually overshadowed a pretty solid job from Wickline during his first season in Austin. With injuries and dismissals destroying his offensive line group, Wickline was still able to help the unit slowly improve during the home stretch of the season including a pair of 200-yard rushing games.

• Oklahoma State's Bedlam win over Oklahoma might have meant more to Cowboys running back Desmond Roland than any other person on the field. The senior lost his mother Carolyn to cancer during the season and told The Oklahoman's Kyle Fredrickson "It felt like a spirit hit me" as the game headed into overtime. It was good to see something positive happen to Roland after all the sadness and disappointment that he overcame during his final season.

• It's been a frustrating scenario for Oklahoma receiver Sterling Shepard, who has been trying to overcome a groin injury since early November, writes Eric Bailey of the Tulsa World. A critical part of OU's passing game, Shepard tried to play against Baylor, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State but simply couldn't accelerate or be as explosive as normal, forcing him to miss the bulk of those games. He remains questionable for the Russell Athletic Bowl but is confident he could return to action after having some time to rest the injury. Trevor Knight's return to the Sooners offense is key but Shepard's potential return is even more important. The junior receiver brings game-breaking ability to the perimeter and was one of the nation's best receivers before his injury.

• West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett has been cleared to play in the Autozone Liberty Bowl after missing WVU's final game due to a concussion. Coach Dana Holgorsen called the Mountaineers' bowl game starter a "game-time decision" and even mentioned a "rotation" during his pre-bowl news conference on Thursday. It's a smart move for Holgorsen to consider using both quarterbacks. Skyler Howard had a strong game to lead WVU to a win over Iowa State in the Mountaineers final game and could be the starter in 2015 yet Trickett's improved play is one of the main reasons for his team's bowl berth. It seems like the right move to reward both guys with snaps in the bowl game.

• TCU didn't make a playoff but the Horned Frogs are No. 1 on this list of College Football's Top 25, ranked by academics. Kansas State is ranked No. 10, Baylor is No. 16 to round out the Big 12 schools in the ranking. It should be a nice tip of the cap to Gary Patterson's program, which clearly values off-the-field excellence in addition to its on-field success this fall. No wonder Patterson has been pulling in the coach of the year awards on a regular basis since season's end.