ESPN College Football

To eliminate an opponent's strength, it must first be identified. As it pertains to quarterback Colt McCoy and the Texas offense, there are a couple of trends to consider.

First, McCoy is throwing just 36.6 percent of his passes more than 5 yards downfield, the lowest percentage of any quarterback in the FBS. Secondly, of the 182 completions McCoy has thrown this season, 58 have gone to wide receiver Jordan Shipley. By comparison, five other Longhorns who consistently rotate in and out of the game (Dan Buckner, John Chiles, James Kirkendoll, Marquise Goodwin and Malcolm Williams) have combined to catch 108 passes.

So, to take McCoy out of his comfort zone, it would appear defenses must accomplish two things: limit his ability to play pitch-and-catch on quick-hitting routes and give Shipley as much attention as possible on every snap.

As the following plays illustrate, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops and defensive coordinator Brent Venables clearly followed those guidelines while drawing up their game plan for the Texas game:

For a look at how the Texas passing game can be slowed down, the dangers of ignoring the blueprint and what specifically Oklahoma State needs to do, become an ESPN Insider.