Forgive me if this has already appeared on BON.  I've been watching the second half of the RRS, and I saw something that I completely missed on Saturday.  My father alerted me to one of the many fascinating features of the victory over OU.

It appears Colt McCoy and his receivers have been taking some improv classes.  Or maybe they've been studying film on baseball coaches.  With a three point lead in the fourth quarter, 1 and 10 at the Texas 36, 4:46 on the clock, Chris Ogbonnaya took what appeared to be a fairly standard handoff (possibly zone read?) to the right and hauled down the field for 62 yards.  It was a great run, springboarded by fantastic blocking.  Two linemen released and led the way, and the Sooner defenders were caught off guard, so to speak.  It was a nice play all around, and it led to the final touchdown of the day.

Now, if you have DVR, watch this play again.  Rewind to pre-snap and watch Colt McCoy.  Before the snap, Colt stepped forward, looked to his left and seemed to adjust the play call.  Colt got the attention of Shipley and made a twirling motion with his arm -- something along the lines of "spinning wheel" or "move it forward" or "let's keep it going".  He motioned deliberately, as if he wanted someone other than Shipley to see.  Shipley, upon receiving the signal, then turned to his left and made the same signal to Quan Cosby.  This signaling from QB to WR to WR clearly caught the attention of at least three OU defenders. 

I have concluded that this was an act of deception.  It was an inside joke that carried a special message: "They have no clue what's about to hit them."  Sure enough, some OU defenders flinched (perhaps suspecting a pass to the left), Texas executed, and #3 busted a big run.  I'm not suggesting that Colt's hollow signal to the WRs was the direct cause of the success of the play, but it seemed to, at very least, create a moment of hesitation among some on the OU defense.

Maybe this kind of stuff happens a lot during the game, and I just miss it all because I'm not seasoned enough as a football viewer/critic.  Aside from that, this moment of improvisation is yet another indication of Colt McCoy's comfort and sense of ownership within this offense.  A QB who thinks his way through every play doesn't have time to perform mind tricks on opposing linemen.  A QB for whom the offense is second nature can find the time to sprinkle that kind of creativity into a gameplan.  It gave me one more reason to trust this QB and this offense.  Stay tuned for more improv with Colt McCoy.

Hook 'em   

They loosened up some time during the 2004 season and let VY do his thang.  I thought this behavior signaled a shift in offensive coaching philosophy at UT.  I was desperately wrong.  Vince Young saved the Horns from their offensive coordinator, and it would take a one loss 2006 season to convince me otherwise.  I believed that it was ultimately Greg Davis more liberal approach to play-calling that had changed the atmosphere in the Horns' huddle, but clearly it was the one of a kind presence of Vince that kept the offense running like it did in 2004 and 2005.

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OU quarterback Rhett Bomar was cited for under aged drinking and he should be applauded for this.

I would also like to congratulate the OU coaches for maintaining an atmosphere of respect and accountability in Norman.

If there's one thing OU is known for, it's that the football team is a collective class act, top to bottom. When a player screws up, we can count on Bob Stoops to rectify the situation. He has too much respect for his colleagues, the University of Oklahoma, and the game to let this one slide.

Keep up the good work, OU. Here is the link..

Maybe he's been celebrating that National Championship a little too hard.  Maybe he's lost focus since VY went pro.  For whatever reason, Ramonce Taylor, apparently, hasn't lived up to his coaches' expectations regarding his academic responsibilities.  He has been relieved of spring ball duties in order to focus on his school work.  From the Dallas Morning News:

"I felt like he needed to focus on his academic work," Brown said. "He can now go work with (football academic adviser) Brian Davis and his staff. We want him to have full focus on that, and we want him to understand it's important for us that he do his work."

This is a bit disconcerting if you figure that RT will play a pivotal role in the 2006 offense.  It's too bad that he can't spend spring learning the rhythms and styles of the two QBs.  On the other hand, if this prevents a PJ Tucker, I can't really complain.  Here's the link to the full article, which isn't much of an article:  

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/topstories/stories/030506dnspouttaylor.85dd 9593.html

This is addressed to everyone, but mainly at TR, since he lives in little d.  I heard through the grapevine that a Texas fan has rented out one of the theaters at Movie Tavern on University for a Rose Bowl viewing.  I think it's something like 5 bucks to get in, and, obviously, no USC gear.  

Another thing, TR, where do you kick it usually?  We may have met at some point at a bar and made small talk about Texas, etc.

peace.

Michael Wilbon, columnist for the Washington Post published a piece last Saturday in which he advocated the position that Vince Young should declare for the NFL Draft after this season.  I enjoyed the read, as it was filled with glowing, almost homeristic, evaluations of our beloved Texas Two-Stepper.

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