Nick Saban learns about Big 12 'Horns Down' rule for Texas during press conference

During his press appearance on Wednesday, Alabama head coach Nick Saban admitted he wasn’t familiar with the “Horns Down” taunting penalty. When taking questions, Saban was asked how he had addressed his team about not flashing the anti-Texas gesture — which could be a 15-yard penalty for taunting.

Saban appeared to be confused by the question at first, admitting that he did not know that was a specific rule that could be focused on during the game. Saban then stated he would be discussing the “Horns Down” gesture with his team to make sure that they didn’t cost themselves penalty yards during the game.

Nick Saban on “Horns Down”

“What’s that? I have not addressed it with the team, but I appreciate you letting me know that,” said Saban. “So, you know, we’ve got a lot of other things we need to really worry about. But I think that’s a good thing for me to go over with the team so I appreciate that.”

While Texas fans may enjoy hearing that they won’t have to put up with additional needling from the Crimson Tide players on the field as they do with many of their opponents — knowing that Saban and Alabama are coming to Austin without distractions is a scary thought.

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Saban didn’t indicate whether or not he was initially confused about what the “Horns Down” gesture was or if he wasn’t aware that it was a specific penalty, but either way the Alabama coach seemed to appreciate the reminder to coach up his team on the specifics.

The Crimson Tide travels to Texas this weekend for one of the most highly anticipated games of the early college football season. As of Wednesday evening, Alabama was listed as 19.5-point favorites according to Vegas Insider. The matchup has great implications on top-25 rankings in the early season for both teams, while also serving as an early look at the atmosphere for future games as Texas moves to the SEC.