The best college football play card signs: Emojis and memes and cartoons and all

The communication game has been raised by a college football team yet again. Oregon State dropped this play card in its 2017 opener.

That is your friendly neighborhood Crying MJ meme, the internet sensation that’s photoshopped onto any and every unfortunate thing that happens to someone.

The incredible irony of Oregon State’s Crying MJ play card is that on the very next play, the Beavers fumbled.

And they’re much more compelling visually than the way things used to be done:

Sometimes the giant play cards are decoys; other times they may be conveying a message with one of the pictures. Here’s one of Clemson’s from this year’s national championship game.

They serve a dual purpose of conveying a complex message into something simple while simultaneously making the NFL upset. That’s a movement we can all get behind.

These signs are unique to college football. They’re used to help teams run their offenses faster. It eases the mental workload on a quarterback because players can look to the sidelines instead of going into a huddle. They’re also used in a lot of concepts that don’t require the quarterback to change the call or decipher the complexities of a defense.

The proliferation of the sign is becoming bothersome to some in the NFL. Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider said it’s making it harder to evaluate quarterbacks.

But the play cards can be broken into a few distinct categories. We’ve grouped those right here for you, the reader.

Some are clear references to sport. Others are a little backhanded, but still work.

Speaking of Auburn, Samford put former Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee on one of their play cards. He had some fun with the whole situation.

Lookin’ at you, Clemson.

Clemson opponents are getting in the act too.

I think this has something to do with the Sugar Bowl. I think.

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