3, 2, 1: The Departed Matt Dimon

Oklahoma finds themselves in their 24th top-10 matchup under Bob Stoops with No. 8 OU traveling to Morgantown to face No. 9 West Virginia this Saturday. In the Sooners previous 11 such contests where they were the higher ranked team, Stoops' teams have gone 8-3.

A seventh-consecutive victory following a 1-2 start produced a more jovial Stoops when he faced the media following his team's 45-24 win over Baylor - his 100th home victory as head coach for Oklahoma to just nine losses. The Sooner head coach even joked that he was still "pissed at the nine I didn't get." However, in what has become almost sadly routine, there was news of another OU player leaving the program.

Here is what we learned on and off the field from the Oklahoma head coach's weekly press conference.

1. Matt Dimon's football career at Oklahoma is over.

It was a strange development in what has been a strange year off the field for Oklahoma when Bob Stoops announced that defensive end Matt Dimon would not only miss the rest of this season, but that his time as an OU football player was over.

"Matt Dimon won’t be back this year and actually won’t be back the following year. Matt is going to finishing his team here playing for us."

Dimon has been struggling with injuries all year, but Stoops would not say that was the sole reason for the two parting ways.

"It's multiple issues. The injury has led to some other things and in the end of the day, it's just not working anymore."

When pressured to offer more on the situation, Stoops offered this "clarity" on if the split was even amicable in nature.

"It’s kind of mutual. Just sort of mutual."

There was some positive news for Oklahoma on the defensive line, though, as Stoops announced that nose tackle Matthew Romar would return to action this Saturday after not playing against Baylor.

"Matt (Romar) was scheduled to play. Just didn’t feel he had enough work during the week that we felt he was going to be more effective than what we were going with. Just didn’t have that confidence yet. He’ll be better this week having not played. Hopefully, yes, we’ll be getting him back."

Stoops also announced that both Dimitri Flowers and Jordan Thomas, who left last week's game with injuries, should also be good to go at West Virginia.

"From last week’s game, Dimitri (Flowers) was fine once we evaluated him after the game. Jordan Thomas will probably miss today and maybe tomorrow, but they don’t expect it to last real long. He was much better Sunday than he was after the game. So he’s improving quickly."

2. Oklahoma really enjoys playing on the road.

The Sooners have won an impressive 10-consecutive true road games, dating back to their 37-33 loss in Fort Worth in October of 2014.

That success and its connection to the timing of Lincoln Riley and Baker Mayfield's arrival in Norman is no small coincidence. According to Stoops, instead of the noise intimidating OU's offense, they thrive on it.

“You can ask Lincoln - I don’t want to speak for him - but there’s always a certain challenge and energy to playing on the road to a rowdy crowd. The guys kind of unify, and bond, and it’s sort of you against all of them, and you can get a charge out of that.”

3. Nick Basquine being the third walk-on to earn a scholarship on this team is actually a historically good sign for a Stoops team.

With the recent announcement that Basquine would be placed on scholarship, the wide receiver now joins Connor Knight and Erick Wren from this year's team who are walk-ons no more.

First, it should come as no shock to anyone who has watched the redshirt sophomore play this year. Basquine is fifth on the Sooners in both receptions and receiving yards, while being a security blanket for Baker Mayfield in critical situations.

"Really excited for Nick in that he’s earned it. He’s come through in a lot of clutch, tough situations in third down and he’s an important guy in what we’re doing now. Whenever anyone has gotten into that position where they’re starting or they’re in a position where they’re playing significant minutes and significant plays, we’ve put them on scholarship. He’s earned that and the only thing is he’s going to continue to get better too."

Stoops was asked about what how unusual it was to have three walk-ons earn scholarship in one season.

"I think when I first got here Roger Steffan and Cory Heineke I put on (scholarship) Those are mainstays in our ’99/2000 defense that I can remember putting them on in the same year. It doesn’t happen all the time but these guys have earned it."

1. Morgantown is as close to Stoops country as it gets in the Big 12.

It's just over a two-hour drive from Bob Stoops' hometown of Youngstown, Ohio to Morgantown.

On Monday, he revealed that when Oklahoma travels to play West Virginia, a group of his family and friends travel as well to come see him.

"It’s the best. Yeah, it’s great. I believe they’re planning on bringing another bus this year. Love seeing family, friends, I got extended family that’ll all come, and a bunch of friends. So it’s great. Great to spend 30 minutes or whatever it is before we pull out and see everybody and enjoy their company."

2. Bob Stoops offered some fatherly advice for his sons and all football players.

There may be no purer advice than that offered by someone at the pinnacle to those just beginning their journey.

When Bob Stoops was asked about his two sons, Drake Stoops and Isaac Stoops, and their high school playoff run for undefeated Norman North, the Oklahoma head coach had this to say.

“I just love that they’re out there for their team playing hard. That’s all I care about. I tell them play hard, have fun. That’s what you should be doing at that age, and really, any age. Play as hard as you can, and the chips fall where they may. Play hard and enjoy the game.”

Stoops wouldn't back down when asked if he ever made the types of impressive catches his son Drake has been making at wide receiver all season.

“Sure. You want me to pull out some of my tape?”

1. Dede Westbrook could be the perfect payback for Tavon Austin's 2012 performance.

It was November 18, 2012, and even though Oklahoma would ultimately come away with a 50-49 victory over West Virginia in Morgantown, there are many whose vivid memory from that game is still Mountaineer wide receiver Tavon Austin's surprise switch to running back where he rushed for 344 yards.

Today, Stoops learned for the first time that his star receiver in 2016, Dede Westbrook, wears No. 11 because of his affinity for Austin's game.

"Well, they're similar body types. That explosive speed and quickness, great at attacking the football. All of those things. If I didn't have those two running backs, we might put him at running back."

Stoops may have been half-kidding, but who knows, it could have rattled an idea lose in his mind.

At the very least, I wouldn't be shocked to see Westbrook involved behind the line of scrimmage in some capacity, as OU continues to get creative in finding ways to get their electric weapon involved.