Gundy called Anderson leading up to the game — Anderson said he talks to coaches all of the time about whether formations or plays are legal — and Anderson talked with Rogers Redding, the NCAA’s national coordinator of officiating.

They let Gundy run it as a legal interpretation of the scrimmage kick formation rule against TCU.

But the following Friday, the NCAA rules committee made a new interpretation, declaring that first and second down “cannot ever be considered as even remotely apparent that a scrimmage kick will be made,” Anderson said.

The formation could only be used on third and fourth downs.

"Some of the other coaches were already planning on using it the next week," Anderson said. "It went viral. I told them, 'Guys, don't set your game plan for being able to do this because I'm telling you, by Friday, there's going to be something that's going to come out on it.'"

That did not help Oklahoma State, which had planned to expand the formation's use. Gundy said OSU added four more plays in it for the Iowa State game and practiced them that week.