LOS ANGELES -- Despite being absent from another non-football activity, Baker Mayfield remained the hot topic.
Mayfield practiced on Friday, but he missed a previously scheduled news conference with the media on Friday morning. Oklahoma officials said the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback continues to battle an undisclosed illness.
Mayfield practiced Thursday but didn't attend a team function at Lawry's Beef Bowl later in the evening. Mayfield also wasn't with the team for its visit to Disney California Adventure Park on Wednesday.
Oklahoma will face Georgia on Monday in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual.
Mayfield's teammates were clearly told not to comment Friday on the quarterback's status, deferring instead to Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley, who wasn't scheduled to address reporters until Saturday.
Only All-American tight end Mark Andrews would offer any clarity on Mayfield's condition. When asked if people should be worried about Mayfield's availability for the game, Andrews finally said, "Nah, no, Baker will be good to go."
By Friday, word of Mayfield's absences had made its way to Georgia's players.
"Honestly, I want to play against him. I love competition," Bulldogs defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter said. "He's a Heisman Trophy winner, and I would love to see if my skill set could hold up against that. That would be a great moment for me to measure where I'm at."
Georgia's Roquan Smith, who won the Butkus Award as the top linebacker in college football, echoed the same sentiment.
"It's going to be big playing against the Heisman Trophy winner, a decorated player like that," Smith said. "I'm sure he's a competitor. Regardless of what's wrong with him, he's going to do his best to play in that game, and I'm sure he'll be in that game, so we're definitely looking forward to that."