Inside the Creation of Ohio State's New Black Uniforms

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Having been Ohio State's athletic director since 2005, Gene Smith is no stranger to criticism.

And when the Buckeyes buck tradition, he's come to expect it.

So when Nike revealed two weeks ago that Ohio State would be wearing all-black uniforms for the first time ever in this Saturday's showdown with Penn State, Smith was prepared. And sure enough, the messages flooded the OSU AD's inbox, a few of which summed up the primary concern about the most drastic change in Buckeyes uniform history.

"I got a couple emails from people saying, 'We're not Oregon,'" Smith said, a reference to the Nike-sponsored Ducks' propensity for wearing flashy uniforms. "You're right. We're not Oregon. We're not going to be Oregon. We're Ohio State University."

Only this Saturday, it might be tough to tell the difference between the two programs' fashion senses.

Not that Buckeyes fans are any strangers to alternate looks, with Ohio State having worn at least one non-traditional getup per season dating back to 2009.

Some of the looks have mimicked uniforms the Buckeyes have worn in the past, while others have put a more modern spin on their current sets, with chrome helmets, reflective numbers and enlarged striping.

But never before has Ohio State strayed from its traditional school colors of scarlet and gray.

According to Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer, he never planned on doing so.

Andrew Weber/Getty Images

While it's Nike that comes up with the designs for Ohio State's uniforms, nothing happens within the Buckeyes' football program without the approval of its de facto CEO. When its Oregon-based outfitter first proposed adopting an all-black look for Ohio State's annual alternate, Meyer's initial instinct was to stick with tradition.

"I don't really get involved with the uniforms, especially a place like Ohio State where you're knee-deep in tradition," Meyer said. "Nike came to us and [said], 'What do you think of this?' And my first reaction was, 'No way, no chance.'"

Meyer's opinion changed, however, when he got his first look at Nike's mockup of the proposed uniform.

"I looked and said, 'Whoa,'" the three-time national champion head coach recalled. "It looked pretty sharp."

Perhaps conscious that some fans—and even former players—aren't thrilled with the departure from the Buckeyes' traditional garb, Meyer was noticeably short and uncomfortable when discussing the alternate look earlier this week.

So much so, in fact, that Smith opted to hold an impromptu press conference, where he further explained the process that led to this weekend's look.

"[Nike will] bring a design to us. We'll look at the design, we'll kick it around, get some input and make some modifications based upon what we think or feel should be added," Smith said.

"This particular weekend, that occurred as well. So we looked at the original design, and they have some very creative people, obviously, but we did not approve the original design, so we added some of the elements that you'll see this weekend. And that's happened every single year we've done that."

Those elements, Smith revealed, were the addition of more scarlet, the Buckeyes' traditional primary color, which can be seen in the jersey's numbers, shoulder sleeves and the piping of the pants.

It's likely that Nike's original design looked something like the images that were floating around the Internet at this time a year ago, after an ESPN.com interactive tour of Meyer's office revealed an all-black mockup sitting on one of the head coach's tables.

As it turned out, those pictures weren't only revealing aesthetically, but also symbolically when it comes to why the Buckeyes will be wearing black uniforms in the first place.

"That was sitting out on his coffee table for a reason," Smith said. "That wasn't for you guys to come and look at so he could impress you. It's sitting on the table because the recruits saw it."

Which is what these uniforms are really all about in the first place.

Because while Nike may claim that the all-black outfit represents "the unyielding confidence of the eight-time national champions," the reality is that it's more about making a strong impression during what is expected to be one of Ohio State's biggest recruiting weekends of the season.

Those inside the Buckeyes program don't believe that a prospect would choose to come to Columbus just because of a uniform, but they have welcomed the opportunity to create a unique atmosphere for their bevy of visitors.

Smith didn't deny it either, admitting that while there is monetary value in putting a new product on the market, the primary purpose of the uniform is to help make the Buckeyes more attractive—literally—to high school prospects.

"Recruits are impressionable today and have a great deal of materialistic interest," he said. "So the reality is we're going to respond to that. Our job, our core mission is our student-athletes that we serve, first and foremost. And that includes the recruits we're trying to attract."

How successful the Buckeyes can be with this approach depends on whom you ask.

Star defensive end Joey Bosa—whose brother, Nick, is a 5-star prospect committed to Ohio State's 2016 class—said that neither he nor his brother are the types to be impressed by non-football factors.

"I don't know about other recruits, but my brother, that's probably the last thing he's worried about is the color of a uniform," the older Bosa said. "He'd go to Oregon if that's what he's worried about."

But Bosa later relented: "I'm pretty excited. They're going to be sick."

That seems to be the sentiment inside the Buckeyes' locker room, where players have been raving about this weekend's look since it was first revealed to them. According to Meyer, they were a part of the process of getting the black uniforms approved as well, although that was more of a formality than anything else.

"The leaders of the team, I asked them," Meyer said. "And I'm sure you know their reaction."

That reaction might've been more unanimous inside the halls of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center than it was outside of it, where some—including those who emailed Smith—have voiced displeasure with what they perceive as a radical change to one of college football's most storied programs.

While Meyer may try to distance himself from the decision to go all-black this weekend, the buck ultimately stops with him when it comes choices of this magnitude. 

And Meyer does have a track record of testing the boundaries of what Buckeyes fans have been used to in the past.

Whether it be the increased frequency with which Ohio State has worn alternate uniforms or the plethora of night games that have been played at The Horseshoe, Meyer has made one message clear since arriving in Columbus in 2012: Recruiting trumps all.

Meyer has said as much in the past, explaining that when it comes to tradition vs. the recruiting trail, he'll typically favor the latter.

"I love tradition," Meyer said during a Q&A session on the Buckeye Cruise For Cancer in 2013. "But I love recruiting better."

This weekend will be no different, as the Buckeyes trade in their traditional look for one that Meyer knows will be more popular with a younger demographic.

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

"You start thinking about the student body, the fans and the unique experience of recruiting players," Meyer said. "It's kind of a unique experience."

For some, it might be a bit too unique, but as long as Meyer's in charge, the Buckeyes will continue to explore every perceived edge that they can add to a program that's had no shortage of them under the direction of its head coach.

Oregon? Not quite. This is tradition mixed with as much modernism as Meyer can get away with.

And as long as he keeps winning, he won't hesitate to use the best of both to his advantage.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.