It's Monday, so that means a loaded links post. And we start with an exchange: it appears Mike Dearmond has officially handed over the Mizzou beat to Terez Paylor. We weak-minded Mizzou fans look forward to you telling us how we should feel about conference realignment, Terez. The power is in your hands.

Mizzou Football Links

This was a big recruiting weekend for Mizzou. There's a post coming later today on this topic, but it does appear the weekend made a nice impression on players like Lee's Summit's Evan Boehm (now basically deciding between Mizzou and Auburn, it appears) and David Perkins, a four-star athlete from South Bend, IN. Mizzou only officially scored two commits (Ka'Ra Stewart, Rickey Hatley), but aside from Boehm or perhaps defensive tackle Aaron Curry, no more immediate commits were probably truly expected. We'll see what happens in the coming weeks.

Also: Blaine Gabbert had a lovely bounceback game yesterday. Watch his pass to Marcedes Lewis. Nice to remember he can still do that.

• Recruiting
  The Trib (Dave Matter): Wave of recruits in for visit
  PowerMizzou: Dylan Cozens excited to see Missouri
  PowerMizzou: Dylan Cozens talks Missouri visit
  PowerMizzou: Ka'Ra Stewart talks decision
  Post-Dispatch: O'Fallon High's Stewart commits to Mizzou
  PowerMizzou: Visit solidifies Jordan Williams' decision
  PowerMizzou: Will Hines enjoys Missouri visit
  PowerMizzou: Jake Meador makes second Mizzou trip
  PowerMizzou: Missouri surprises David Perkins
• L'DW
  The Trib: MU's L'Damian Washington gets to go home
  PowerMizzou: PMTV-HD: Heading Home
  Post-Dispatch: Bowl game special for Mizzou sophomore
  

  If some don't see Mizzou's third trip to the Independence Bowl in nine years as a form of spiritual affirmation, Washington's appreciation is easy to understand.

  His family was in despair in the wake of his mother's death from a blood clot after collapsing at one of his basketball games when he was 15.

  With their father having been shot and killed years before, Washington and his three brothers (then 19, 17 and 5) vowed they would stay together and take care of each other.

  Hard times followed even as Washington graduated from high school with such personal distinction that the community held a day in his honor and he was bestowed a key to the city.

  During his redshirt season at MU, Washington wondered whether he should go back to help more with the youngest, Tomarious.

  "It takes time to get over deaths in the family," Washington said, adding, "We were scrambling for a while (with) financial problems. But right now my brothers are really on their feet."

• Friday Practice Report
  The Trib (Dave Matter): Tigers get back to work

  Free safety Tavon Bolden was back practicing with the team after being removed from the program earlier this season for academic reasons. After winning the team’s most improved safety award coming out of spring practices, Bolden was demoted to third team preseason camp and was suspended for the season opener. He was then dismissed from the team but stayed enrolled and has since worked an agreement with the coaching staff. He will not join the team in Shreveport but could go back on scholarship in January, Gary Pinkel said.

  "He’s doing very, very well academically on his own," Pinkel said. "That was the plan if he was doing well. This was an opportunity for him. He won't go to the bowl game, but the good news is that it turned out very positively."

  PowerMizzou: Bowl Practice Report
  PowerMizzou: PMTV-HD: E.J. Gaines
  PowerMizzou: PMTV-HD: Gary Pinkel
• Saturday Practice Report
  The Trib (Dave Matter): More from Saturday's bowl practice
  PowerMizzou: Saturday Practice Report

  Missouri is hoping to get left tackle Elvis Fisher back, which would give them four linemen who have started (along with Justin Britt, Travis Ruth and Jack Meiners). Fisher is awaiting word from the NCAA on an appeal for a sixth season.
  
  "Elvis, even if he doesn't play football, you're better off just having him in your program walking through the locker room because he's such a great leader. He's Mr. Comedy Man and it's very good to have his personality on any team," Pinkel said. "We certainly would want him to play. He's got to feel like it's the right thing for him."
  
  Fisher told us yesterday he would discuss his future with his family and his coaches if he does receive approval from the NCAA. There's no doubt where the coaches will stand.
  
  "It would be nice, we would really like to have Elvis do it," Pinkel said. "We haven't really hard-core recruited him yet. That's coming."

  The Missourian: Before preparing for Independence Bowl, Missouri looks toward future

  This weekend’s practices are focused on working with the program’s young players. It’s back to the same rotational drills, the same whistle blowing and the same air horns that were commonplace during the team’s preseason camp in August.

  "That’s the young players who don’t really get coached during the year that much," Pinkel said Friday after practice. "They’re down there doing scout team and all that stuff. Now what they’re doing is they’re working on our plays, our defenses. We have the veteran players back off in several of the periods, and we just focus on coaching those young players. And they don’t get the coaching like that when they’re on scout team. That’s really the benefit you get from it."

  KC Star: MU injury news: Elvis Fisher's knee feeling better, Henry Josey on crutches
• Bowl Tickets
  The Missourian: Cheap Independence Bowl tickets sell out in 45 minutes
• Freshmen
  PowerMizzou: Redshirt report: Corbin Berkstresser
• NFL'ers
  NFL.com: Gabbert to Lewis 62-yard connection
  NFL.com: Gabbert's last-second score
  Jacksonville.com: Blaine Gabbert delivers improved effort
  NFL.com: William Moore picks off Cam Newton
  Philadelphia Sun-Herald: Father recalls ordeal of Jeremy Maclin's puzzling illness

Other Football Links

• WOOOOOOOO, HOT TUB
  SI.com (Stewart Mandel): Robert Griffin's Heisman helps transform long-suffering Baylor
  Dr. Saturday: Robert Griffin III's status shatters the Heisman mold
  SB Nation: VIDEO: Robert Griffin III's Heisman Win Triggers Celebration At Baylor
• Weis
  KC Star: Weis says he was sold on opportunity to turn KU football around
  Lawrence-Journal World: Charlie Weis 'recruited' Sheahon Zenber
• A&M
  Dr. Saturday: Texas A&M enlists Kevin Sumlin to lead its SEC invasion by air
  

Mizzou Basketball Links

• The Missourian: Missouri trying not to buy into hype
• The Trib: Early on, Haith's first team reminiscent of Anderson's '08-09 Elite Eight squad
• Navy
  KBIA Sports Extra: Mizzou's Frank Haith post game interview
• Tickets
  MUtigers.com: Special Ticket Offer Available for Final Non-Conference Games
• LET'S ALL RAVE/COMPLAIN ABOUT THE ANTLERS
  KBIA Sports Extra: The Antlers: Helping the home team by rattling the visitors
  KBIA Sports Extra: Not Mizzou's best example of good sportsmanship
  

SEC

• Senator Blutarsky: What is this nine-game conference schedule you speak of?
• EDSBS: Scouting the (New) Enemy: A Visit to Columbia, MO

  Since we had time to burn, we went to a place called Flatbranch for lunch. Y'ALL. Ohmahgawd. The place is an awesome microbrewery with fantastic food. Our buddy/chauffeur who lives in Columbia was amazed we were able to get parking there--at 1 on a Sunday afternoon. They have about two dozen beers, keep about 10 of those on tap, plus seasonals and short-runs that you may get if you're lucky enough to be there the day they're released. I got a brown ale, which was superb and blurred the line a little bit between ale and stout.

• SimmonsField.com: Southern Exposure: Getting to know the SEC

Other Mizzou Links

We have a stud 125-pounder! And, evidently, a stud freshman gymnast.

• Mizzou Wrestling
  MUtigers.com: Mizzou Pins Their Way Past No. 20 Kent State, 34-12

  Opening at 125 pounds, [No. 5 Alan] Waters got the Tigers on the board in a big way, knocking off No. 2 Nic Bedelyon by a 12-1 major decision to improve to 8-0 on the year and 3-0 in duals. About halfway through the first, Waters hit a takedown for the first points of the match. He'd turn Bedelyon to his back twice in the first period to take a commanding 8-0 lead. After a scoreless second period, Waters scored an escape and another takedown in the third. Bedelyon would get a late escape but nothing more, as riding time gave Waters the win to put the Tigers up 4-0.

• Mizzou Gymnastics
  MUtigers.com: Gold Squad Takes Intrasquad Title
  The Trib: Missouri gymnasts enjoying new home
  The Missourian: PHOTOS: Black and Gold Meet is tuneup for Missouri gymnastics
• Mizzou Women's Basketball
  MUtigers.com: Tigers Breeze Past North Dakota, 69-52
  The Missourian: Eye's 3-point shooting leads Missouri women's basketball team
  KBIA Sports Extra: Mizzou's Robin Pingeton post game interview
• Mizzou Baseball
  SimmonsField.com: Mizzou in the Minors & Majors: Doug Mathis & Ian Kinsler

Other

• Balotelli
  Dirty Tackle: Part of a school in South Sudan named after Mario Balotelli
• Next Iron Chef
  Food Network Humor: Next Iron Chef: Just The Good Stuff