College Football Week 9: Uniform Watch

It seems as though every week in college football, there are new crazy, cool, retro and stylish uniforms.

The whole movement started two years ago after University of Oregon's Nike deal. Since then, almost every college-football team has caught on.

Look at Michigan and Notre Dame; even they have deviated from their traditional uniforms. 

Helmets have become a major component of uniform appearance, as metallic-colored and bizarre-looking styles are taking over. 

As Week 9 approaches, I wonder what team has worn the most noteworthy uniform this season...

Oregon

Could we do a "uni-watch" without mentioning Oregon?

The Ducks and Nike pioneered the movement and continue to push the frontier in terms of what is possible in a football uniform. 

Their metallic-silver helmets, the perfect blend of the dark green to yellow, the wings on the shoulder pads and the matching metallic-silver pants make for a football game that is very easy on the eyes. 

So many pieces of this uniform go unnoticed, like the touches of yellow in the sneakers, socks and gloves. The wave-like design on the helmets is also unappreciated.

This is perfection in a college uniform.

Maryland

What Oregon and Nike have been to improving football uniforms, Maryland and Under Armour have been the opposite.

Their flag uniforms have not gotten any better in the last two seasons, and the entire ACC is hoping that they put the failed experiment to rest. 

The yellow, almost as bright as Michigan's maize, clashes with the black of the pants and the toned-down red.

Checkering the yellow and black trim down the side of the pants and socks makes them look like bumble bees. 

The colors on the cleats clash terribly, but the worst part is the helmet.

A charcoal black that is clearly different than the black in the pants along with a loud and bright Maryland flag screams confusion. Under Armour needs to put these uniforms to rest. 

Michigan State

Michigan State got it right.

These uniforms were great, as they blended the Spartans' traditional green and added a touch of style with the shiny metallic helmets to create a new, subtle design. 

Other teams looking to spice up their uniforms should take a page out of Michigan State's book.

Keep it toned down, but make a statement at the same time.

The inclusion of the dark grey/silver color on the helmets and gold on the trim of the numbers gave the normally plain green and white an intense feel on the field. 

Rutgers

Like Michigan State, Rutgers hit the nail on the head with these uniforms.

It kept touches of the traditional scarlet, white and silver, but intensified it. 

The shine on the helmets (a new theme that almost every team is catching onto) makes the scarlet "R" stand out, and the design of the scarlet around the shoulders and down the side of the pants makes for a cool, but traditional look at the same time. 

Good work, Scarlet Knights. 

Georgia Tech

I can't decide how I feel about Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets definitely went out on a limb with the hexagons all over their uniforms, from the numbers to the shoulders and helmet, but is it too much? 

I like the color scheme and think that like many of the other uniforms on this list, it gives them an intense feel. 

However, the hexagons stand out to me.

Their helmets look like turtle shells. I don't think that's what they were going for.

It doesn't stand out as much on the shoulders and numbers, but the helmets kind of ruin the whole thing for me. 

Boise State

What?!?!

Boise State went away from its traditional blue? 

The Broncos went with an all-black look this past weekend, and I have to admit that I like it.

The helmets are genius, with the Bronco in all black on one side and player numbers on the other, and the Bronco has an evil "I'm going to hit you" kind of feel.

The fading-from-blue-to-white numbers on the uniforms complement the black nicely, while the names in dark blue also contribute to the effect of the fade in the numbers just below them. 

The only part I don't like is the orange trim around the numbers. Boise's orange and blue always contrast, but adding the black throws off the look that it usually has with those two colors.

Northwestern

Northwestern and Under Armour made the Wildcats exciting to watch on Saturday. Similar to Boise State, they went with an all-black look and nailed it.

Since their only major color is purple, there was no other color (like Boise's orange) to contrast the style. The purple and black gave them a dark feel, but they kept it very simple at the same time. 

The helmets are great, with the wildcat and a lightning bolt on the side, as opposed to their normal odd-looking "N." 

Arizona State

Arizona State also went with a blackout last weekend against Oregon, but I'm not so sure I like this one. 

The yellow-and-black contrast reminds me of Maryland's uniforms, and again, they look like bumble bees. The design is great on the shoulders and helmets, while the fade on the numbers is similar to Boise State's. 

The idea was a good one and they did as solid of a job as they could, but the color scheme doesn't work here. 

Duke

Duke's uniforms garnered the school some attention in something other than basketball. The Blue Devils went with two very different looks within the same uniform, but it works in its own way. 

The top is a traditional blue with silver numbers and little design innovation. It's plain, but intimidating at the same time.

The pants incorporate a simple black with a white-and-blue triple-stripe down the side. Again, plain and intimidating. 

The helmets are similar to those of Arizona State, Boise State and Northwestern. Black with the famous Duke "D" on the side. 

Texas Christian

TCU's uniforms are very similar to Northwestern's with the blackout-and-purple scheme. The head-to-toe black look is great and brings intensity to the table, while the purple complements it very nicely. 

My favorite part about these uniforms is the chrome "frogskin" helmets. These are a great design and they stand out, while also keeping the traditional "TCU" on the side above the horned frog. 

The silver numbers and purple on the gloves are subtle, but contribute in a big way to completing the look.