[bdypdx]

"I catch his eye for what couldn't have been more than a split second, but we know each other's game so well that I felt almost positive that we were thinking the exact same thing: i.e. the only way one of us was going to take down this sizeable pot was for us to bully out MP2 who we both felt nearly certain held an overpair based on his tightness.."

Yeah, it's definitely collusion; basically because you're talking about how "one of us" should take down the pot and a situation where neither of you would have otherwise. It's way worse than buddies playing together who will check to the river when they're heads-up together, but then not giving other opponents the same courtesy.