Twitter sounds off as Big 12 vows to crack down on some ‘Horns Down’ taunts

The Big 12 is apparently cracking down on taunting this season and that includes making fun of Texas with a “Horns Down” hand signal.

Look, just about everyone enjoys seeing the Texas Longhorns lose. Part of that comes from the fact that UT has been very good for a very long time. Texas, historically, is a great college football program.

So, with their struggles over much of the past decade, a lot of folks have had some fun seeing the Longhorns fall on their faces. One common taunt that has been a long standing way of mocking Texas’ struggles has been to do the “Horns Down,” an inverse of Texas’ “Hook ’em Horns” hand signal.

Basically, the normal hand signal involves someone taking their pointer finger and pinky finger and pointing them outward while the rest of your fingers and your thumb are curled in. The hand is then lifted upward and you’re celebrating Texas with it.

The opposite, the “Horns Down,” involves pointing that hand signal downward. It’s very straightforward. UT fans and athletes have been tossing “Hook ’em Horns” up in the air for quite some time now, but when Texas falls short, opposing fans and athletes celebrate accordingly.

That is, unless the Big 12 has something to say about it.

According to the Big 12 coordinator of officials, Greg Burks, the league will be paying close attention to players taunt their foes. That includes the “Horns Down” gesture.

Emmanuel Acho, a former Longhorn himself, weighed in on the news from the Big 12, clearly expressing his displeasure with the decision from Big 12 officials. Acho isn’t wrong on this situation either.

It’s also worth noting that Acho isn’t alone on this one.

Plenty of people on Twitter were upset as the Big 12 has apparently decided to crack down on a fun part of college football

It’s always a blast to take shots at your opponent, regardless of who it is. But that’s especially true when it’s a team like the Texas Longhorns. The “Horns Down” taunt comes with the territory of taking on a team that is incredibly proud of its history.

You start beating them, you’ve earned the right to mock their tradition. That’s how college football has always worked, right?

Unfortunately, the Big 12 apparently feels a little different about the situation.

And that’s absurd.

Of course, the Big 12 probably can’t stop guys like Mississippi State’s Will Bednar from throwing a “Horns Down” gesture out there in the College World Series.

Kansas and Kansas State should absolutely throw a “Horns Down” out there if given the chance this season

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian inherited a team with plenty of potential and resources, but it remains to be seen if he can actually get his team going and winning sooner rather than later. As with most teams who get a new head coach, it’d be reasonable to expect for there to be something of an adjustment period for the Longhorns.

We’ll see just how quickly Sarkisian and Texas can get rolling. In the meantime, if there is any sort of adjustment period and some first year struggles in Austin, I hope every team and player possible throws out a “Horns Down” this year.

That includes Kansas and Kansas State.

The Jayhawks will face the Longhorns in Austin on November 13. Kansas State gets Texas a couple weeks later in Austin on November 26, the final game of the regular season for the two teams. If either of these teams, somehow, are able to get ahead of Texas and can hold onto that lead, I hope they get a taunting penalty or two.

Just because.

OR! They can head out to their fans and celebrate there with them and make fun of Texas with that opportunity! It’s possible that that right there might not be a penalty! This whole situation is absurd.