1. Barry Odom is offering Missouri fans a pretty nice Black Friday deal.

Pretty cool gesture from Odom, and also needed considering the attendance issues this year (and in recent years). No judgment from me for the fans not going to games — it has become more and more of a commitment, and the longer I live in Kansas City, the longer that drive becomes.

But, if now you’ve got more incentive to consider heading to Columbia next Friday. Call TSF and see about those free tickets.

2. Speaking of Odom, here’s the most compelling reason for why Missouri should extend him.

If you can not rush to judgment based on the headline, Gabe DeArmond lays out a compelling reason for why Missouri has to give Odom an extension, regardless of what happens the next two games.

From DeArmond’s column:

Missouri football is at a fork in the road. The path that involves firing Barry Odom has almost certainly been abandoned at this point, barring something shocking in the next couple of weeks.

The other path involves investing in him and betting on the future. If you’re wrong, it will cost you a few million to correct the mistake. But being wrong is better than not making a decision. If Missouri continues to try to walk down the middle of the road, it will find itself in the woods.

It is a crazy time in college sports where, even if Jim Sterk doesn’t 100-percent believe Odom is the right guy for the job, he’ll have to potentially cost the school a few million dollars to give the PERCEPTION that he is. Either that, or just fire him and move on, regardless of blow-back. But I can’t say I disagree that those are the two options.

3. Drew Lock makes another cut for a national award.

Lock is officially a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

And if you’re like me and just thought, “Man, who has won this award recently?” — well, pal, you’re in luck because I have the ability to Google things:

• 2008 — Graham Harrell, Texas Tech
• 2009 — Colt McCoy, Texas
• 2010 — Scott Tolzien, Wisconsin
• 2011 — Andrew Luck, Stanford
• 2012 — Collin Klein, Kansas State
• 2013 — AJ McCarron, Alabama
• 2014 — Marcus Mariota, Oregon
• 2015 — Connor Cook, Michigan State
• 2016 — Deshaun Watson, Clemson
• 2017 — Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State

4. What’s on tap for Mizzou sports this weekend?

A lot! Here’s the rundown:

• Friday

We’ve got Mizzou men (2 p.m., Kennesaw State) and Mizzou women (6 p.m., Green Bay) basketball action. In addition, No. 7 Missouri wrestling hosts No. 10 Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. We’ve also got the Mizzou Invite for the men and women’s swim and dive teams, which begins Friday and goes through Saturday.

• Saturday

Of course you know about the football game in Knoxville (CBS, 2:30 p.m.). But Mizzou wrestling as another meet at Lindenwood.

• Sunday

Round out your weekend with volleyball hosting No. 11 Kentucky (3 p.m., SEC Network).

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Yesterday at Rock M

• Missouri can’t overlook Tennessee’s last-place offense
• Missouri’s defense practices safeties in numbers
• Jeremiah Tilmon is the early focal point for Missouri

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More Links:

• ESPN basketball analyst breaking news about football coaching moves?

And then, this:

• Congratulations to Albert Okwuegbunam, a semi-finalist for the Mackey Award! Now he just needs to come back for 2019 to make sure he wins it...