Lincoln Riley Promising Not to Do Horns Down Against Texas is a Gigantic Cop Out

This Saturday will bring with it another incarnation of the Red River Rivalry, as Jalen Hurts and the white-hot Oklahoma Sooners will do battle with Sam Ehlinger and the Texas Longhorns in what looks like a preview of the Big 12 Championship.

While trolling the Longhorns with the famed "Horns Down" sign, which is done by inverting Texas' "Hook Em" gesture, has become as commonplace as a 400 yard passing day in the Big 12, Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley is making it perfectly clear that he isn't going to needle the Longhorns in that way.

Riley is either uncharacteristically backing down and showing restraint ahead of one of the hottest rivalries in the sport, or he's simply speaking for himself and not his players.

The Big 12 has already made it a point of emphasis to consider "Horns Down" as unsportsmanlike conduct and punish it with a 15-yard penalty. While the conference's statement and Riley's decree might prevent the players from trolling the Longhorns, that doesn't mean that the fans are subject to the same warnings.

Make no mistake, if the likes of CeeDee Lamb breaks a 90-yard touchdown, you can bet Horns Down is getting thrown up when he reaches the end zone.