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15 for '15: College football's best historical uniforms
CFB 24/7's "15 for '15" series continues with a look back through college football history to dig up the best historical uniforms and helmets. Some are still in use today (with various tweaks) but they still find a place here thanks to their link to the past.
The skinny: The school recently returned to the famous "Pitt" script on their helmets recently after years of using a different design, but have used it with their gold color scheme. The more yellowish tinge combined with the script logo was made famous during the heyday of the Panthers when players like Tony Dorsett and Dan Marino made the helmet recognizable in the college football world from coast-to-coast.
The skinny: The Sooners have had the same basic look for decades, but really became intertwined in college football lore when Barry Switzer was guiding the team to titles left and right back in the 1980s. The team's uniforms were simple in an era when flashiness was abundant and, thanks to players like "The Boz" and Jamelle Holieway running the option, quite recognizable.
The skinny: Before Nike's creative designers really sunk their teeth into the Ducks' uniforms, the team was just starting to turn the corner from CFB afterthought into Northwest power by sporting a classic green and yellow look. What really makes the uniform standout is the fighting Donald Duck bursting through the "O" logo on the sleeves and the cool interlocking UO helmet. Marcus Mariota and the 2014 team wore a throwback that was quite similar to what the team used to wear.
The skinny: The Seminoles went through dozens upon dozens of interesting (and infamous) designs for their helmets prior to Bobby Bowden arriving at the school. Though the design has been tweaked in recent years -- including an update in 2014 -- the basics remain the same with the recognizable spear on a gold helmet signaling an iconic and winning brand of football the past few decades.
The skinny: Not much has changed for the Rebels since the days when Archie Manning roamed around Oxford and led the team to victory. The team used to sport a powder blue helmet with a different logo, but switched to the current Ole Miss script on a navy lid to complete an iconic look.
The skinny: Hard as it is to imagine, but there was a time when Texas didn't have the famous orange logo on the side of the helmets and instead sported numbers or nothing at all. Famed coach Darrell Royal introduced the Longhorn decal on plain white helmets in the late 1960s and it has been a mainstay ever since.
The skinny: There was a time when NCAA rules prevented the Tigers from sporting their white jerseys at home, but thankfully for the team those rules were reversed in the early 1990s. LSU has sported the same basic look with their regular uniforms for half a century as they've made Tiger Stadium one of the toughest environments for any opponent.
The skinny: The college football powerhouse has sported the iconic red/white combination with the block "N" logo on the helmets for what seems like forever. Adidas has made some changes for alternate uniforms, but there's nothing better than the classic look the team normally sports.
The skinny: It can be hard to pull off a non-Navy shade of blue in a college football uniform, but there are few better looks than the traditional powder blue uniforms the Bruins have sported. They spawned the appropriately named 'UCLA stripes' in uniform design and look good with both rounded numbers and block numerals.
The skinny: Gray helmets with the classic red/white/black stripe down the middle is a look that would have been enough to earn tradition-rich Ohio State a place on this list, but it is really the addition of the famous Buckeye stickers that resonate with many. Woody Hayes originally introduced the stickers, and they've added the right amount of flair to a great look.
The skinny: Not much around Troy has changed when it comes to the uniforms that coach John McKay made famous nationwide with "Student Body Left" and "Student Body Right."
The skinny: Not much has changed for the Crimson Tide since the days when Bear Bryant roamed the sideline. The uniforms are simple and the numbers on the side of the helmets are quite simply iconic.
The skinny: Few things say college football like Michigan's classic helmet design that has been a part of Wolverines lore since the days of leather helmets. The uniforms might change for the team occasionally, but the one thing that has been fairly constant is the great design up top.
The skinny: One has to reward simplicity and sticking to what works when it comes to the Nittany Lions' uniforms that have been the same for generations of players. The clean lines and great contrasting colors are a perfect fit for the team's hard-working nature.
The skinny: When it comes to historic uniforms, it's hard to go wrong with the literal gold standard set by the Fighting Irish considering that they occupy a unique spot in the history of the sport. There's just something about the light glancing off a simple yet elegant gold helmet that says "college football."
