Oops!Paul Ryan can’t tell a Longhorn from a Cowboy

A good photo op gone bad. (AP photo)

Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan had his own “oops” moment today — and Texas A&M grad Rick Perry is probably getting a good laugh out of it.

While visiting the Cleveland Browns practice field in Berea, Ohio, Ryan confused back-up quarterback Colt McCoy, a University of Texas grad, with starting signal-caller Brandon Weeden, a proud Oklahoma State Cowboy.

The Associated Press reported:

No. Colt McCoy is not a Cowboy — either Dallas or Oklahoma State. (AP photo)

As Ryan spoke, it became obvious that while he was looking at McCoy, he was talking about Weeden, the rookie from Oklahoma State who got his first NFL win last Sunday on his 29th birthday. A few of the Browns players began laughing quietly while others looked away before the candidate realized his mistake.

“I think he saw the red (practice) jerseys and got us mixed up,” Weeden said. “But he’s got more important things on his mind right now than me and Colt. It was a good laugh.”

Weeden’s Cowboys and McCoy’s Longhorns are rivals in the Big 12 Conference. Perry’s alma mater, Texas A&M, fled the Big 12 this year for the Southeastern Conference.

It’s the second Ohio-related football fumble in a week for Ryan. His first goof came when asked whether the Ohio State Buckeyes or his home-state Wisconsin Badgers would prevail in their upcoming game. Instead of answering, he opted for obfuscation.

Having Ohio State fans mad at you and Cleveland Browns fans laughing at you can’t help the Romney-Ryan ticket in a must-win battleground state.

To Browns’ cornerback Joe Haden, the political significance of the moment was outweighed by the disruption of the team’s practice.

“It was crazy, man,” Haden said. “I was nervous. All these Secret Service coming out to practice, I didn’t know what was going on. I stepped off the field, got out of the way. I was legit scared. I didn’t want to get too close to people with earpieces looking at me.”