College Football's Best Helmets

Stephen Black follows up his look at college football uniforms with a few of his favorite helmets from around the nation. Feel free to weigh in with your picks!

by Stephen Black (Analyst)

2376 reads

Rankings/List

July 09, 2008

This is just one fan's opinion on the best helmets in college football. Tradition, distinctiveness, originality, and basically how cool they look are the basic criteria of how the helmets were chosen.

Air Force: You have to respect the blue lighting bolt. Very cool and unique. With these dynamic looking helmets, it is a wonder the Falcons don't score on every offensive drive.

Alabama: Anyone familiar with college football knows who is playing when the famous numbered helmets of the Crimson Tide appear on the gridiron. This is one of the more distinct, yet tasteful designs in the nation.

Arizona State: The smiling, mustached devil face peering out of what looks like a maroon cat suit is one of the more amusing team logos in sports. Complete with a pitchfork and pointed tail, ASU certainly forgot nothing with their version of a what a sun devil should look like.

Miami: The school now known simply as "The U" can thank this famous helmet for their suddenly well-known abbreviation. Seeing the white helmets with the orange and green "U" implanted on them takes fans back to when Michael Irvin, Bernie Kosar, Ray Lewis, and Russell Maryland stormed the college football ranks in the '80s and early '90s.

Texas: Simple, cool, classic. You just cannot beat the Longhorn silhouette on a solid white helmet.

Rankings/List

2376 views

comments (34) write a comment »

reply to comment by Sid
about 1 month ago

Those are all great-looking helmets, but so are BYU's "Y" and Army's gold helmets with the black stripe. JMO.
1. by Stephen
  from about 1 month ago
  
  I like BYU's but they changed them drastically a few years ago and then went back to a similar design, but with navy blue, not royal blue.
  
  Army is just another school with an almost all-gold helmet along with Navy, ND, GT, and others. Out of that list, only ND could be considered a great helmet, in my opinion.
reply to comment by Jordan
about 1 month ago

I like Kentucky's metallic blue helmets with the white interlocking UK symbol on them pretty good.

Air Force of course.

Notre Dame, gotta like the solid gold helmets.

Auburn and Arkansas as well.
reply to comment by
about 1 month ago

Go Gators! Ole Albert's noggin on the helmet is fine with me!
1. by James
  from about 1 month ago
  
  Albert isn't on our helmet... script "Gators" is.
reply to comment by James
about 1 month ago

Also, I don't know how Michigan's helmets didn't make it. They're maybe the most distinctive ones in the country. OK, so they were originally Princeton's helmets, and I know Delaware and probably some other teams have those helmets too. But everyone knows them as Michigan's.

Either way, those helmets have as much tradition, distinctiveness, originality, and coolness as any of the ones on the list.
1. by Stephen
  from about 1 month ago
  
  I beg to differ. While being traditional and distinctive, I don't find them original at all and don't find them to be cool. You said yourself that they copied Princeton. Of course, this is just my opinion and differing opinions are what this list is all about. Thank you for reading.
2. by James
  from about 1 month ago
  
  They didn't exactly copy Princeton... Herbert Crisler (who invented the design) coached at both schools and made his teams wear them. They've definitely original-- almost every other school has a logo stamped on the side of the helmet (or, in Alabama's case, just plain numbers). The Princeton/Michigan helmets have a different style altogether.
  
  And as for coolness, if you like the Plain Jane helmets of Bama and Texas more than the Tigers' and Wolverines', well, like you said, that's your opinion. I'll agree that those simple helmets are classy and timeless, sure. But cool, in my opinion, they are not.
  
  That said, I agree that Air Force's are probably the coolest of them all.
3. by Rob
  from 29 days ago
  
  you are right, james, a conversation about college helmets has to start with michigan!
  alabama's helmets are boring and don't idenify the team at all...they could be on any high school team in america whose colors are red & white and have no imagination.
  FSU's old design with the map of florida on it was kinda funky and I like texas helmet with the longhorn too.
reply to comment by Lanie
about 1 month ago

Notre Dame with the real gold in the paint. Nothing better.

West Virginia with the flying WV in gold on their blue helmets are also pretty cool.
1. by Stephen
  from about 1 month ago
  
  For some reason, I've never liked WV's helmets. They're not bad, but not great either.
  
  ND's are definitely classic, but just a gold helmet shows little originality and coolness, in my opinion.
  
  I just couldn't justify a helmet with one solid color making my list.
reply to comment by Justin
about 1 month ago

love michigan's.

also florida state.
reply to comment by A.J.
about 1 month ago

As much as I absolutely hate Clemson and Tennessee and the color orange their helmets are pretty cool. Also, when you think of that design Michigan has no one thinks of Princeton or Delaware. They think of one team and one team alone Michigan. Also, I love the Furman helmets. I know they're DIAA or FCS whatever it is but it is an awesome helmet.
1. by Stephen
  from 29 days ago
  
  I like Michigan's, but they are just not my favorite.
  
  Clemson ruined their's by making the paw logo smaller.
  
  Tennessee's aren't bad. I don't have them anywhere near my favorites, though. The power-T is not a cool logo, in my opinion.
reply to comment by Samuel
about 1 month ago

florida's is the only helmet with cursive besides idaho but idaho's helmet says vandals with a big i in the middle
1. by Stephen
  from 29 days ago
  
  Samuel,
  
  A lot of people had cursive in the 70's and 80's. Then they changed the helmets......
2. by Nelson
  from 23 days ago
  
  Ole Miss
3. by Nelson
  from 23 days ago
  
  Tulsa does also i think
4. by Nelson
  from 23 days ago
  
  I know Norht Texas has within the last few years, I dont know if they still do
reply to comment by Michael
about 1 month ago

Thanks for the Texas love.

Mine would include Michigan for sure, maybe Penn State and ND. OSU maybe.
1. by Stephen
  from 29 days ago
  
  Thanks for reading, Michael.
  
  No problem on the UT love. I've always liked Texas uniforms. Classy and cool.
reply to comment by Jeff
about 1 month ago

my top 5..

#1 Florida State
To me the perfect helmet. The spears on the sides are one of a kind and can put fear into the Noles' opposition. The gold looks great under the lights and nothing looks better than when they are covered in tomahawks late in the season.

#2 Texas
The white and burnt orange looks great. plain white helmet with the burnt orange longhorn head on the side. as soon as you see it, you know who you are playing

#3 Oregon
I might get some flac for this one, but while some of their uniforms are hideous, the ducks' helmets are just plain cool. honestly, given the school's colors could you come up with a better design? A FAR upgrade from the rediculous things they wore in the early 90's

#4 Miami
Even though their uniforms seem to change every year, the white helmet with the "U" on the side seems to always fit.

#5 Michigan
Tradition is the first word that comes to mind. It's a classic and the 3 stripes look great. Besides, what would Michigan's helmet look like if it were different? blue with a big maize "M" on the side? I think not

Honerable mention: Notre Dame, Auburn, Virginia, Kentucky, South Florida
1. by Stephen
  from about 1 month ago
  
  That's a pretty solid top 5, Jeff. The only one I don't particularly like is Oregon's.
  
  I liked their old ones with the interlocking "UO" on the yellow background.
2. by Jeff
  from about 1 month ago
  
  i get what you're saying stephen, but im sorry man, the bright yellow helmet (via 1994) is HIDEOUS!
  have you seen Oregon's white helmet with the green "O" and green facemask? very sharp with the solid white uniform. check it out...
  
  http://images.wikia.com/openserving/sports/images/thumb/c/c4/Oregon_Ducks.jpg/500px-Oregon_Ducks.jpg
  
  I like the green helmet too. The yellow/gold helmet is rediculous, as are 90% or their uniforms
3. by Stephen
  from 29 days ago
  
  I just don't like the O logo, Jeff. It doesn't do anything for me. If I had to pick, I would say their green helmet is their best look.
reply to comment by James
29 days ago

I like simplicity, so I would disagree, but I love discussions like this. How bout this top ten:
1. Michigan
2. Alabama
3. USC
4. Texas
5. Notre Dame
6. Miami
7. Florida State
8. Ohio State
9. Penn State
10. Florida
1. by Jeff
  from 29 days ago
  
  Very descent list if you like simplicity as you said. I can see 80% of those on alot of lists. I would have to disagree with two of those no matter what though.
  
  Florida....not because i hate the gators, which i do, but any team with a orange helmet cant be on the list! and to be fair, i did like the white throw-backs they had a few years ago. they should've stuck with those.
  
  USC....red helmet, plain yellow emblem on the side, no outline color or anything, and a grey facemask? to me they look like "urban" pee-wee team that every league had growing up. PLEASE DONT THINK IM TRYING TO AFFEND ANYONE, just trying to give an example. :)
2. by Stephen
  from 29 days ago
  
  I definitely wouldn't put Florida's up there, James. They look like Sunkist cans. : )
  
  I like all of the others you listed. Michigan's are solid and I can see why so many people love them. They just don't quite make my top 5.
  
  If I did a 6-10 it would look like this:
  
  6. Georgia
  7. Ohio St.
  8. Nebraska
  9. USC
  10. ND, if only because of their tradition.
3. by Michael
  from 23 days ago
  
  I like this list, although I would move Texas to #2, USC way down to maybe 10 and Florida off, although I can't immediately tell you someone who's obviously better.
reply to comment by Alex
29 days ago

Univ. of Louisiana - Lafayette - The Ragin Cajuns
reply to comment by Thomas
25 days ago

Notre Dame
reply to comment by Silver
23 days ago

Texas, Notre Dame, Alabama, Michigan, and Georgia for me.
reply to comment by Nelson
23 days ago

some that havent been mentioned, Southern Cal, the throwback Miami with the hurricane warning flags on it, Nebraska (even though it looks like they were taped on there right before kickoff), Texas A&M
reply to comment by tennhogfan
4 days ago

You got to put the razorback helmet on one of those lists...C'mon baby one of a kind!
Other than that probably florida state, michigan, SMU and yes, texas longhorns. You're very welcome. LOL