College Football Uniforms, Part 1: The Best Uniforms in the Game

Last night, #3 Boise State and #13 Virginia Tech (based on today's AP Poll) played a great game. There were big plays, lead changes, and anyone who tuned in last night got a match-up that lived up to the hype.

Something else fans saw were new uniforms by both teams.

Boise State's uniforms didn't really do anything for me, but I didn't have any particular issue with them.






Not the case with Tech's uniforms. I saw them, and immediately thought 'wtf?!?!' I made a joke on my facebook page the other day stating that they looked like they were designed by M. Night Shyamalan. Look, I realize with fashion and :::achem:::"artistic expression," it's a matter of opinion when it comes to whether they are good-looking or ugly. But these uniforms just looked so strange to me.

It made me think, and then I asked myself 'what are the ugliest uniforms in college football?'

To answer that question, a benchmark needs to be set. What makes a good-looking college football uniform?

The best uniforms represent what college football is all about - tradition and modesty. Good uniforms make you feel like you're looking at a photo album from decades past. They should remain relatively true to what previous teams from that school wore. They shouldn't be flashy. No cartoonish fonts for the numbers. No elaborate graphics. No flashy color schemes. Let the NFL teams use all of that to sell their products. The uniform should give off a vibe that these young guys love football, and are about what's good for the team. They don't need flash and glitz. They don't need to be noticed. They just want to play, share in whatever success they achieve, and respect and honor the traditions of the team.

Here are 5 schools that, according to what I described above, have the best uniforms. You'll find that all of them are based around a simple design of jersey color, normal font for the numbers, and a constant logo on the helmet:

Honorable Mention: Division III schools - Almost every small school college football game I've seen, the uniforms are classy. Block letter on the Helmet, maybe the mascot. Simple design. Understated. Here is where you'll find some of the best looks.

5) BYU Cougars - While they are a rip-off of the Yale jerseys, they still look good. The classic Oval logo with the 'Y' in the middle is displayed on the helmet. The rest is simple and dignified.

Here's why these jersey's are special: When the school changed them, it just didn't look right. Back in the early part of the Aughts, the team wore uniforms that looked more flashy and "with it" (whatever that means). The fans never liked them, favoring the traditional style the team wears today. Coincidentally (or not), the experimentation happened when the program hit a rough patch. Once they went back to the old unis, the bowl games returned.

4) Michigan Wolverines- Gold Pants. Wings on the helmet. 878 wins, good for the most in Division 1 FBS.

3) Nebraska Cornhuskers - The simple 'N' on the helmet to go along with the jerseys. Awesome.





2) Penn State Nittany Lions - If you want tradition, here it is. They wear plain helmets with just a single blue stripe going down the middle. Jerseys are a solid navy blue or white, depending on whether they are home or away. What sets these apart is the fact that the players' names aren't on the backs of the jerzeys. It symbolizes modesty. No one is above the team.

1) Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Whether you like them or not, Notre Dame's uniforms make the team look like kings. The gold helmet, the simple, navy blue jersey, and the gold pants make the team look like champs even when they have a losing season. Different from other teams on this list, Notre Dame has an alternate home green jersey that is reserved for special games. As a symbol of unity and modesty, there are no names on the backs of the jerseys. A nice get-up.


So there. Here is what college football teams should look like. My next post will concentrate on the ugly uniforms.

What should we take away from Week 1 of the College Football Season?

Week 1 of the College Football season is almost in the books. The two remaining games are The Crab Bowl Classic (Maryland v. Navy in Baltimore) and The Clash in the Capital (#3 Boise State v. #10 Virginia Tech at Fedex Field in Landover, MD). One is a rivalry game and one pits two ranked programs against each other who have "national championship" aspirations. Save for those two games, we now have something to go by when talking about teams in the context of the 2010 season.

With Week 1 almost in the can, what can we take away?

That's a tough one. Usually, this is the week when teams play the paycheck/tune-up games (whatever your nickname is for them). This year was no different, as there were enough of these games to shake a stick at over the weekend. These games usually don't tell much since the match-ups are usually uneven.

All the same, there was an abundance of interesting things that took place.

Florida struggled against Miami (OH) - In what was supposed to be John Brantley's coronation as the new King of the Swamp, Florida looked awful. They ended up beating the Redhawks 34-12, but the score doesn't tell the story. Going into the 4th quarter, the Florida offense had a total of 26 yards. That's not a typo. There were fumbled snaps. They were 3-12 on third down. Anyone who saw the game also took notice that Miami (OH) (a non-BCS team that plays in MAC) showed up to play, physically going tit for tat with the Gators. For a paycheck game, the Gators got a run for their money (cue the rim shot). Florida has work to do if they're going to be competitive against the SEC teams.

Michigan looked sharp - I know. They won big last year, too, and still had a lousy season. But this is different. This weekend, they played UConn, a BCS team who has an honest shot to win the Big East. They pushed around the Huskies and started to show the makings of an efficient offensive football team. Denard Robinson looked like Pat White, running the offense like an expert. Michigan showed some legit promise of a strong season.

Syracuse looked like a football team - If Encyclopedia Britannica had an entry on Bad Football, there'd be footage of the Greg Robinson Era streaming from the book. On Saturday, the opening game of Season 2 of the Doug Marrone Era, Syracuse beat the Akron Zips 29-3. The Orange displayed efficient offense, swarming defense, and looked like a tougher, more physical team. The Akron Zips are not exactly the Alabama Crimson Tide, but this was a win on the road, something the program has had difficulty with in recent years. The road to respectability is paved with victories over the teams you're supposed to beat, and this was a promising sign.

Nobody cares about USC - They played Hawaii late Friday night. There was no headline about their underwhelming 49-36 win over an average-at-best Hawaii team. None of the big network analysts talked at length about their game. To editorialize a bit, I say 'good.' They aren't eligible for a bowl game. They aren't eligible to play for the "National Championship" even if they do finish undefeated. They have little bearing on how the year will end, other than to play the role of the spoiler. Why they are ranked confuses me.

Texas Tech won without Mike Leach - Tommy Tuberville walked into a tougher situation than one may think. He took over at a winning program, making it somewhat hard to get players who already know how to win to buy into his new system. According to ESPN's Holly Rowe, there was a considerable amount of backlash from the parents of the players due to Leach's actions against redshirt Sophomore Adam James. If that wasn't enough, the fan base liked Leach, and were upset over his ouster. But, the Red Raiders went out today and beat a talented and feisty SMU team. The game didn't show any evidence of insubordination or defiance on the sideline. From the looks of this win, the team seems to be on solid ground from a standpoint of organization and structure. As far as the fans go, wins will ultimately decide whether they will embrace Tuberville, so today's victory is a step in the right direction.



We'll see what Week 2 brings.