Best Uniforms-College Football

[rockymtn devil]

Inspired by the "Back in Black" thread, and as yet another way to kill time before Duke-JMU, a thread dedicated to the best in college football uniforms.

Here's my top 10:

10. Colorado (black jerseys, gold pants)
9. Michigan state (green jerseys, white pants; must have the Spartan head on helmet and will be dropped from list if the "S" makes a return)
8. Arizona State (maroon jersey, yellow pants)
7. Alabama (red jersey, white pants)
6. Auburn (blue jersey, white pants)
5. Texas (all whites)
4. Notre Dame (blue jersey; gold pants)
3. Duke (blue jersey, white pants; being a homer, but I love the new uniforms)
2. Ohio State (red jersey, silver pants; best when helmet is covered with buckeye leaves)
1. Penn State (all whites)

Thoughts?

[RainingThrees]

UGA black uniforms.

[Stray Gator]

Aside from my two favorites--Florida and Duke--I'll begrudgingly admit that I think Georgia's uniforms (the traditional ones, not the black--ugh!) look sharp. But I can't imagine any Top 5 list of college football uniforms omitting LSU's. And I would have to include Southern Cal and Michigan somewhere in the Top 10.

[Scoring Point]

Inspired by the "Back in Black" thread, and as yet another way to kill time before Duke-JMU, a thread dedicated to the best in college football uniforms.

Here's my top 10:

10. Colorado (black jerseys, gold pants)
9. Michigan state (green jerseys, white pants; must have the Spartan head on helmet and will be dropped from list if the "S" makes a return)
8. Arizona State (maroon jersey, yellow pants)
7. Alabama (red jersey, white pants)
6. Auburn (blue jersey, white pants)
5. Texas (all whites)
4. Notre Dame (blue jersey; gold pants)
3. Duke (blue jersey, white pants; being a homer, but I love the new uniforms)
2. Ohio State (red jersey, silver pants; best when helmet is covered with buckeye leaves)
1. Penn State (all whites)

Thoughts?

Only a few comments/quibbles:

- I am not a fan of the all white look, especially with white shoes (Texas)
- While I am a traditionalist, I think Penn State's unis in general are just too plain (though the Navy home jerseys are OK)
- IMHO, USC and Florida State make much better use of the deep red jersey/gold pants combo than does Arizona State
- While it probably reflects the fact that I am a Bears fan, I really like UVa's home uniforms (navy jersey/white pants); I think their helmets are pretty cool, too
- UCLA and Washington are 2 other Pac-10 teams with pretty distinctive home unis; I like the Bruins' a lot more now that they have darkened the shade of blue (was definitely a bit too Carolina-like for awhile), and am glad that U Dub's experiment with purple helmets was short lived
- Notre Dame home would probably be #1 on my list; whatever you think of the program, those define classic

[rockymtn devil]

Only a few comments/quibbles:

- I am not a fan of the all white look, especially with white shoes (Texas)
- While I am a traditionalist, I think Penn State's unis in general are just too plain (though the Navy home jerseys are OK)
- IMHO, USC and Florida State make much better use of the deep red jersey/gold pants combo than does Arizona State
- While it probably reflects the fact that I am a Bears fan, I really like UVa's home uniforms (navy jersey/white pants); I think their helmets are pretty cool, too
- UCLA and Washington are 2 other Pac-10 teams with pretty distinctive home unis; I like the Bruins' a lot more now that they have darkened the shade of blue (was definitely a bit too Carolina-like for awhile), and am glad that U Dub's experiment with purple helmets was short lived
- Notre Dame home would probably be #1 on my list; whatever you think of the program, those define classic


UVA would've been 11th on my list (agree 100% about the helmets). Georgia would've been 12th. The Dawgs are essentially a lesser version of Ohio State's, IMO.

I like the simplicity and classic look of Penn State's whites over ND. And, the scarlet and gray of Ohio State is bold and traditional, which puts it above the Irish for me (full disclosure, I'm a Buckeye fan). Michigan would be on there if not the for the atrocity that Adidas is outfitting them in this season. LSU has great helmets, but it stops there. Yellow and purple are a bad combo. Anything and purple is a bad combo.

[wolfpackdevil]

Inspired by the "Back in Black" thread, and as yet another way to kill time before Duke-JMU, a thread dedicated to the best in college football uniforms.

Here's my top 10:

10. Colorado (black jerseys, gold pants)
9. Michigan state (green jerseys, white pants; must have the Spartan head on helmet and will be dropped from list if the "S" makes a return)
8. Arizona State (maroon jersey, yellow pants)
7. Alabama (red jersey, white pants)
6. Auburn (blue jersey, white pants)
5. Texas (all whites)
4. Notre Dame (blue jersey; gold pants)
3. Duke (blue jersey, white pants; being a homer, but I love the new uniforms)
2. Ohio State (red jersey, silver pants; best when helmet is covered with buckeye leaves)
1. Penn State (all whites)

Thoughts?


The best you don't even have on that list.

Anyone of Oregon's jereseys, West Virginia's Gold over Gold and NEbraskas simple red over white

[Stray Gator]

... LSU has great helmets, but it stops there. Yellow and purple are a bad combo. Anything and purple is a bad combo.

Purple is, by far, my least favorite color. But I still think LSU's uniforms are among the best in college football. (For that matter, I loathe Georgia, but can admit objectively that their uniforms look great.)

As for the rest of your list, I would eliminate Nos. 1, 8, 9, and 10 altogether. I would agree on Texas, but only with the burnt-orange jerseys and white pants; I think the longhorns make their helmets one of the most distinctively suited to the team's nickname--much like the wolverine stripes on the Michigan helmets.

[DevilDan]

Stray Gator, I'm down with LSU too. It started over 40 years ago, when the Tigers played almost all of their home games on Saturday nights. I could pick it up on radio, where I started following Billy Cannon, Johnny Robinson, Paul Dietzel, The Go Team, The White Team, and The Chinese Bandits.

I only knew them as an image throughout the season. The papers only ran an occasional B/W picture with the stories. Then later I saw them in color, and was blown away. (Side note, they were consensus #1 in the country, but had to hold off a last-ditch Clemson drive to edge them in the Sugar Bowl, 7-0 -- props to the ACC ! ! )

The new DUKE uniforms are GREAT -- now bring back and add that classic helmet from the early 60's -- when WE were a force !

[Jim3k]

Purple is, by far, my least favorite color. But I still think LSU's uniforms are among the best in college football. (For that matter, I loathe Georgia, but can admit objectively that their uniforms look great.)

As for the rest of your list, I would eliminate Nos. 1, 8, 9, and 10 altogether. I would agree on Texas, but only with the burnt-orange jerseys and white pants; I think the longhorns make their helmets one of the most distinctively suited to the team's nickname--much like the wolverine stripes on the Michigan helmets.

I'd guess you've never seen Colorado and Washington at home and in person. Those unis really have power. Colorado's gold on black and UDub's gold on the dark purple. Very impressive. I loved the old CU helmet with the gold streak. (Of course I grew up in Colorado and lived in Seattle for a long time -- I might harbor some old time homerism ;) )

OTOH, the Duke uniforms of the early 60's were indelibly printed on me. I even liked the outsized numbers. Maybe Jay Wilkinson's 15 or Mark Leggett's 47 crossing the end zone numerous times did that to me. Or Mike Curtis's 33 both carrying and tackling.

[TheRose77]

My thoughts? The UNC uniforms make me puke.

[Stray Gator]

My thoughts? The UNC uniforms make me puke.

Excuse me, but I believe the purpose of this thread is for expressing opinions, not for stating incontrovertable facts, the truth of which is inherently manifest to all right-thinking individuals. :D

[rockymtn devil]

Purple is, by far, my least favorite color. But I still think LSU's uniforms are among the best in college football. (For that matter, I loathe Georgia, but can admit objectively that their uniforms look great.)

As for the rest of your list, I would eliminate Nos. 1, 8, 9, and 10 altogether. I would agree on Texas, but only with the burnt-orange jerseys and white pants; I think the longhorns make their helmets one of the most distinctively suited to the team's nickname--much like the wolverine stripes on the Michigan helmets.

I don't think they're wolverine stripes. The winged helmet was a Spalding design and the different colors were used to help QBs see WRs. Coach Crisler brought the idea with him from Princeton (who still uses a winged design).

http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/helmet/mhelmet.htm

I can see eliminating Colorado, MSU, and ASU from my list (they are 8, 9, 10 after all). But you wouldn't have PSU at all? As for LSU, they don't even like their uniforms. They choose to wear white at home (and inevitably on the road) ;)

[Stray Gator]

I don't think they're wolverine stripes. The winged helmet was a Spalding design and the different colors were used to help QBs see WRs. Coach Crisler brought the idea with him from Princeton (who still uses a winged design).

http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/helmet/mhelmet.htm

I can see eliminating Colorado, MSU, and ASU from my list (they are 8, 9, 10 after all). But you wouldn't have PSU at all? As for LSU, they don't even like their uniforms. They choose to wear white at home (and inevitably on the road) ;)

Okay, in that case I'll withdraw Michigan. But that still doesn't mean I'd put Penn State's unis on my list. Though I've always liked the Nittany Lions and Coach Paterno, I think their "generic" uniforms look like something the staff had to borrow at the last minute from the folks who made those Bud Light commercials because the truck carrying the real uniforms got lost on the way to the stadium. At least Bama puts the players' jersey numbers on their helmets.

Regarding LSU's preference for wearing their white jerseys--which is the only way I ever envision LSU uniforms--I still snicker about Spurrier's Sun Tzu stunt: In alternating years when LSU visited The Swamp, Spurrier always elected to have the Gators wear their road whites so that LSU would be forced to wear their "home" purple jerseys--which the LSU players reportedly hated.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I'd guess you've never seen Colorado and Washington at home and in person. Those unis really have power. Colorado's gold on black and UDub's gold on the dark purple. Very impressive. I loved the old CU helmet with the gold streak. (Of course I grew up in Colorado and lived in Seattle for a long time -- I might harbor some old time homerism ;) )

OTOH, the Duke uniforms of the early 60's were indelibly printed on me. I even liked the outsized numbers. Maybe Jay Wilkinson's 15 or Mark Leggett's 47 crossing the end zone numerous times did that to me. Or Mike Curtis's 33 both carrying and tackling.

Your mention of Mike Curtis caused me to remember that he played for the Colts when they were in Baltimore..... the new uniforms' similarity to the Colts' uniforms certainly is a positive association. As for the uniforms of the early sixties, they were memorable as were the teams who wore them.

I think it's time for our stadium to be filled with fans wearing Duke Blue. Maybe white is impressive for Penn State's fans to wear en masse. I prefer the true blue: Duke blue!

[Jim3k]

Your mention of Mike Curtis caused me to remember that he played for the Colts when they were in Baltimore..... the new uniforms' similarity to the Colts' uniforms certainly is a positive association. As for the uniforms of the early sixties, they were memorable as were the teams who wore them.

Duke had it before the Colts.


I think it's time for our stadium to be filled with fans wearing Duke Blue. Maybe white is impressive for Penn State's fans to wear en masse. I prefer the true blue: Duke blue!

Yeah, but is it Royal Blue (as I once knew it) or is it Prussian Blue?

[wilson]

I don't mind purple at all. In fact, I think it's a nice color. I think it's done pretty well in some unis (LSU comes to mind first). I also love the Penn State uniforms. Finally, I really, really, really like white football helmets. I dunno why, I just think they always look good.

Are all of you familiar with Uni Watch (http://sports.espn.go.com/keyword/search?searchString=Paul_Lukas) on ESPN.com? It's among my favorite regular internet reading.

[1Devil]

This is easy. Michigan home uniforms: blue jersey, maize pants.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Duke had it before the Colts.



Yeah, but is it Royal Blue (as I once knew it) or is it Prussian Blue?

Most of the Duke apparel you'll find among licensed merchandise will be more or less the Royal Blue. Coach Cutcliffe says to fill the stadium with blue. Time to buy something for the football games if you don't have any Duke apparel.

The countdown for the first game is displayed on goduke.com. 21 days, 9 hours, 41 minutes and 35 seconds. Got Blue?

[miramar]

This thread reminds me of a similar list that appeared in Sports Illustrated a few years back. The author chose the best and the worst football uniforms and explained why.

The best was Penn State (classy, timeless, understated, etc.).

The worst was Penn State (blah, boring, practice uniforms, etc.)

[rockymtn devil]

I don't mind purple at all. In fact, I think it's a nice color. I think it's done pretty well in some unis (LSU comes to mind first). I also love the Penn State uniforms. Finally, I really, really, really like white football helmets. I dunno why, I just think they always look good.

Are all of you familiar with Uni Watch (http://sports.espn.go.com/keyword/search?searchString=Paul_Lukas) on ESPN.com? It's among my favorite regular internet reading.

I think if you're going to use purple, it needs to be with a subtle other color. LSU's mix of it with yellow, and Clemson's with orange, are just too much. Kansas State does it well with silver (as do the Colorado Rockies) and even Washington's is okay with gold. I also love white helmets (PSU, Auburn, Texas, and Duke all made my list).

Uni Watch is a good read. Paul Lukas has a daily blog that is even more detailed than his ESPN column (www.uniwatchblog.com). He noted the Duke uniforms last week, but didn't comment on them.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I think if you're going to use purple, it needs to be with a subtle other color. LSU's mix of it with yellow, and Clemson's with orange, are just too much. Kansas State does it well with silver (as do the Colorado Rockies) and even Washington's is okay with gold. I also love white helmets (PSU, Auburn, Texas, and Duke all made my list).

Uni Watch is a good read. Paul Lukas has a daily blog that is even more detailed than his ESPN column (www.uniwatchblog.com). He noted the Duke uniforms last week, but didn't comment on them.

Guess Mardi Gras colors don't appeal to everyone. There is more than one version of how LSU's colors were chosen. Mardi Gras colors are part of life in the Bayou State and are symbolic of prized values (justice, faith and power). LSU took two of the colors and Tulane took the third color.

[Carlos]

My thoughts? The UNC uniforms make me puke.

Right, and by the second half of any UNC game you're left with the dry heaves.

As for football helmets, try your luck and see how many of these you can identify:

Helmet Quiz 1 (http://wikisend.com/download/516282/NCAA Helmets 1.xls)
Helmet Quiz 2 (http://wikisend.com/download/522674/NCAA Helmets 2.xls)

[novablue4]

Aside from my two favorites--Florida and Duke--I'll begrudgingly admit that I think Georgia's uniforms (the traditional ones, not the black--ugh!) look sharp. But I can't imagine any Top 5 list of college football uniforms omitting LSU's. And I would have to include Southern Cal and Michigan somewhere in the Top 10.

I love LSU in Purple jerseys but they are among about three of four teams who get permission to waer white at home, so you hardly ever see the purple jerseys. The yellow jerseys with yellow helmets and white pants is almost as bad as WVU's all Yellow execpt for the blue helmets.

I like Dukes newest uniforms on the road, I think they look good.

This is not going to be popular, but at one time VA Tech used to wear Maroon helmets, white jerseys and oragnge pants. I liked it!! I know that will be a rare vote:D

[gofurman]

This thread reminds me of a similar list that appeared in Sports Illustrated a few years back. The author chose the best and the worst football uniforms and explained why.

The best was Penn State (classy, timeless, understated, etc.).

The worst was Penn State (blah, boring, practice uniforms, etc.)

I think Wofford or Georgia Southern made that list. Classic Unis... Too many FBS Unis have gotten' too fancy. FCS has a lot like Penn State / Nebraska that are classic understated.

[Papa John]

The best you don't even have on that list.

Anyone of Oregon's jereseys, West Virginia's Gold over Gold and NEbraskas simple red over white

Agreed on Nebraska... No idea how they could have been missed... I personally prefer the Texas orange jerseys with white pants, rather than the pure whites... I also like UVa's home unis... How about Oklahoma? Bama? Tennessee?

[weezie]

This is easy. Michigan home uniforms: blue jersey, maize pants.


I agree, gotta go with the OG style.

[Jarhead]

Most of the Duke apparel you'll find among licensed merchandise will be more or less the Royal Blue. Coach Cutcliffe says to fill the stadium with blue. Time to buy something for the football games if you don't have any Duke apparel.

The countdown for the first game is displayed on goduke.com. 21 days, 9 hours, 41 minutes and 35 seconds. Got Blue?
Didn't somebody post a link to the Duke archives proving that the official shade of blue is Prussian blue? That would be my favorite shade. Think darker Wranglers or Lees.

[Indoor66]

Didn't somebody post a link to the Duke archives proving that the official shade of blue is Prussian blue? That would be my favorite shade. Think darker Wranglers or Lees.

To refresh your memory on the Duke blue history, go here (http://library.duke.edu/uarchives/faqs/duke_blue.html).

[miramar]

I agree with Scoring Point that UCLA's blue and gold uniforms look pretty good, especially now that the darker shade of blue doesn't remind you of somebody on the wrong side of 15-501.

Unfortunately, the basketball team has gone in precisely the opposite direction. Under Coach Wooden (and at least through the 1980s), they had some of the best looking uniforms in the country. Now they wear some ill-fitting outfit that looks like somebody's old pajamas.

[blazindw]

I'm also biased, having grown up around the program, but the home Michigan jersey is by far the greatest in college football.

[gvtucker]

I'm also biased, having grown up around the program, but the home Michigan jersey is by far the greatest in college football.

Agreed. the Michigan home jerseys are my favorites. Also, the jerseys that Michigan copied, the orange and black of Princeton, are just as good.

Another classic is the USC Trojan home jerseys.

Duke blue jerseys with white pants is a great look.


I love LSU in Purple jerseys but they are among about three of four teams who get permission to waer white at home, so you hardly ever see the purple jerseys. The yellow jerseys with yellow helmets and white pants is almost as bad as WVU's all Yellow execpt for the blue helmets.

I like Dukes newest uniforms on the road, I think they look good.

This is not going to be popular, but at one time VA Tech used to wear Maroon helmets, white jerseys and oragnge pants. I liked it!! I know that will be a rare vote:D

Actually, there's no permission needed. The home team gets their choice of whether they want to be white or dark. It's just that in football the home team usually chooses to be dark.

[wilson]

Right, and by the second half of any UNC game you're left with the dry heaves.

As for football helmets, try your luck and see how many of these you can identify:

Helmet Quiz 1 (http://wikisend.com/download/516282/NCAA Helmets 1.xls)
Helmet Quiz 2 (http://wikisend.com/download/522674/NCAA Helmets 2.xls)

99 of 100 (Army stumped me at first). Too bad you have to spell Connecticut wrong in order to get credit.

[devildeac]

99 of 100 (Army stumped me at first). Too bad you have to spell Connecticut wrong in order to get credit.

How did you have to spell it? conn-victicut?:o;)

[blazindw]

As for football helmets, try your luck and see how many of these you can identify:

Helmet Quiz 1 (http://wikisend.com/download/516282/NCAA Helmets 1.xls)
Helmet Quiz 2 (http://wikisend.com/download/522674/NCAA Helmets 2.xls)

100/100. Straight cash, homey! ;)

[DevilAlumna]

Glad to see some love in the later posts for the Nebraska uni's. Very classic, simple. Plus, it's got that shining symbol of a Husker education on the helmet - the "N" for 'Nowledge!

I also love the Navy jersey/white pants look for PSU.

[Classof06]

As an OSU fan, the Scarlet & Grey has to be #1 but I absolutely love Duke's new uniforms and the white helmet is awesome as well; so much better than the old blue helmet with the "Duke" in cursive.

I especially like Duke's white jerseys.

[rockymtn devil]

I'm also biased, having grown up around the program, but the home Michigan jersey is by far the greatest in college football.

So what are your thoughts of the new uniforms? My first thought when I saw them was that it wasn't enough to steal their coach, Michigan had to steal West Virginia's look too? (actually, the blues are still acceptable, but the roads? c'mon).

Ohio State did some minor tweaking a few years back and, although people in Columbus freaked, the new look is great (actually more traditional). My guess is that Michigan changes that road uni before next season.

[blazindw]

So what are your thoughts of the new uniforms? My first thought when I saw them was that it wasn't enough to steal their coach, Michigan had to steal West Virginia's look too? (actually, the blues are still acceptable, but the roads? c'mon).

Ohio State did some minor tweaking a few years back and, although people in Columbus freaked, the new look is great (actually more traditional). My guess is that Michigan changes that road uni before next season.

The road jerseys I'm not sold on. I'm lucky to have purchased a road #1 jersey last year on a discount (I really liked last year's road unis), but I won't be getting this years...maybe the home one again. I think it should be changed back to something simple like last year's, but I honestly think they may roll with this design for a couple of years, unfortunately.