Tom Herman's 'OK cool, Hook Em' is now being used on Texas highway signs

Tom Herman’s response to former Ohio State receivers coach Zach Smith has made it to the highways of Texas.

The Texas Department of Transportation is using Herman’s “OK cool, Hook ‘Em” on its digital signs on the state’s highways in the leadup to Saturday’s Big 12 Championship Game vs. Oklahoma.

The highway signs follow t-shirts that were promoted by Herman’s wife Michelle earlier in the month with Herman’s text on them. The phrase has taken off as Texas’ favorite slogan over the past couple weeks.

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If you’re unfamiliar with the context of the phrase, here’s a short summary. Smith is the former OSU employee who was fired from the football program after accusations of domestic violence became public.

Herman, who was at Ohio State before he was the head coach at Houston, became associated with the scandal that surrounded Smith’s time with the Buckeyes after the school’s independent investigation referenced an alleged gentleman’s club visit by Smith and Herman in the report.

A report also surfaced that said Herman was a source for reporters as details of Smith’s behavior at Ohio State and in his personal life were becoming public. Herman denied that allegation.

That all leads to a tweet by Smith on Nov. 11. The former recruiting coordinator has tweeted erratically since his firing and posted a screenshot of a conversation with Herman in which he said he’d “expose” the Texas coach.

Alas, the only exposing that’s been done over the last 18 days is introducing the public to Herman’s now-legendary phrase.

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter

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