College Football 2011 Uniform Report Card: Maryland, Oregon and More

It's been an interesting first two weeks of the 2011 college football season, and we don't just mean on the scoreboard.

The tunnels leading to the field have looked more like fashion show runways lately, as many teams are sporting new looks this season. Heck, some teams are even sporting a new look every week these days!

Even tradition-packed programs like Michigan have, at least for one game, shown a new look.

So which new duds are failing to make the grade? Whose threads are passing with flying colors?

Let's take a look at the College Football Uniform Report Card following Week 2.

Oklahoma State, Part I

The Oklahoma State Cowboys got their season under way at home on Sept. 3 with a game against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.

As expected, Oklahoma State torched the Cajuns for touchdown after touchdown, eventually winning 61-34.

The Cowboys also displayed some new uniforms on this opening Saturday of college football and added a new color to their typical orange, white and black.

The gray uniforms were certainly unusual for Oklahoma State and took some getting used to. But once the initial shock wore off, there was something about this orange-on-gray combination.

It's certainly not a bad look, but the uniforms seemed to play down one of the biggest identifiers of Oklahoma State—the color orange.

Uniform Grade: C

Oklahoma State, Part II

For Week 2, the Cowboys came out in their second uniform combination of the season, replacing the gray with black.

Okie State also traded in their white pants from Week 1 for matching black pants.

With an orange-on-black scheme, you might think it would look “Halloween-ish,” sort of like Oregon State.

Surprisingly, it didn't. It actually looked pretty cool in the night game atmosphere at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Uniform Grade: B+

Georgia

So the game against Boise State didn't turn out to be the signature win over a Top Five team that Bulldogs fans were hoping it would.

At least the Bulldogs turned some heads with their uniforms and helmets!

Georgia didn't shy away from its traditional Georgia red, and the intensity of that red was apparent to anyone watching the game on a television made after 1959.

What stood out most about Georgia's new getup was the helmet.

The traditional red was replaced with a gray helmet with a red center, and the Georgia “G” was placed on the gray background.

The uniform didn't help Georgia win the game, but at least the Bulldogs lost while looking good.

Uniform Grade: B+

Boise State

The Broncos from Boise State also sported new unis during the season opener at the Georgia Dome.

Seeing the Broncos in white isn't that unusual, but seeing them in all white took a little getting used to. On top of the white, there was surprisingly little blue. If there's one thing Boise is known for, it's blue. Blue helmets, blue pants, blue uniforms, blue turf. Blue.

For the new 2011 uniforms, Boise went with surprisingly little blue. Only the trim and socks were blue.

The helmet, also white, sported a stylized Broncos logo, and only on one side of the helmet.

One of the coolest things about this uniform setup was actually the orange shoes on the blue socks.

Uniform Grade: B-

Maryland

This new uniform for 2011 probably got more press than all of the others combined.

At first, one doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.

In a homage to the flag of the state of Maryland, the uniforms were split into two halves and patterned after the heraldic patterns on the flag.

The University of Maryland has often had state flag-related things around its football team, typically taking the form of end zone decorations or on-field logos. But never before has the team so blatantly told the world it is from Maryland in such an eye-assaulting manner.

In the end, the uniforms are just way too busy. But the Terps get credit for showing some boldness...

Uniform Grade: C-

Michigan

At first glance, we were reminded of LeBron James' tweet about Maryland's uniforms: “Ewwwww!”

But as we grew more accustomed to the new, one-time look for the Maize and Blue, it seemed less and less out of place.

The old classic M was front and center, and the striped shoulders truly gave the uniforms a old-timey feel.

The addition of the uniform number to the side of the helmet was also a nice touch, but that gray face mask that Bo Schembechler did away with all those years ago needs to stay retired.

Uniform Grade: B+

Notre Dame

If you're the equipment manager for the Notre Dame football team, and you're reading this, we have one piece of advice for you: Banish everything green from the football uniforms.

What was once seen as a color of boldness and luck for the Irish has turned into a curse. It seems as if every time the Irish come out in something green these days, it leads to a Notre Dame loss.

That was again the case this past Saturday, as Notre Dame came up just short against Michigan in what could only be described as a classic finish for the ages.

Notre Dame, like Michigan, adopted an old-style uniform for the first-ever night game at Michigan Stadium.

The nearly 115,000 people at the Big House not only saw Notre Dame in a rare away uniform with green, they also saw a extremely rare Notre Dame helmet with something other than 24-karat gold paint. The helmet included a green shamrock on the side.

Maybe they should have given the clover four leaves instead of three...

Uniform Grade: B

Oregon, Part I

Oregon has never been shy about trying new uniforms. If you're a Ducks fan, you probably think everything they do is magic and every single Ducks uniform ever should be included in the Sports Uniform Hall of Fame.

Oregon started the 2011 season, not surprisingly, with new uniforms. For their epic Week 1 battle with LSU, the Ducks went with green as the overwhelming color.

The total green was a nice change from what we've come to expect from Oregon. There were no fluorescent yellow socks or shoes to draw the viewers' eyes from the player, and there were no shiny silver highlights.

In fact, the Ducks scaled back the yellow to the trim on the numbers, socks and gloves.

To top off the new look, Oregon went with matte black helmets. The matte black gave the Ducks an air of edginess that made them look more determined than ever.

Unfortunately, the Ducks lost to the LSU Tigers in Week 1—but in the fashion department, the game wasn't even close. Oregon won hands down.

Uniform Grade: A-

Oregon, Part II

Oh, Oregon. Just when we thought you were going to be impressing us all season with great new uniforms, you have to go and play a game in this travesty.

After an absolutely great ensemble in Week 1, the Ducks seemed to have had the sense knocked out of them by the loss to LSU. In Week 2, Oregon was back in retina-burning ambulance-reflector yellow.

Additionally, one of the points we praised about the Week 1 uniforms—the absence of reflective silver—was back, front and center.

The gray pants and helmet completed this new look, and Oregon completed its turnaround, pummeling Nevada, 69-20.

Uniform Grade: D+

Arizona State

The Sun Devils entered the 2011 season with high hopes. After all, the 6-6 team was pretty much returning every starter from last season, and most of their losses from 2010 were by razor-thin margins.

The first real test for Arizona State came against a ranked Missouri team in Week 2 at home. The Sun Devils needed to take advantage of the opportunity and called for a “black out” game in Tempe.

The fans responded by blacking out the stands, and the team followed suit by taking the field in all-black uniforms.

The black shoes, the black socks, the black pants, the black jersey, the black helmet...it was pretty impressive.

Even more impressive was Arizona State's thrilling overtime victory.

The new matte black helmet, as we mentioned with Oregon, gave the Sun Devils a “no-nonsense” look, and the cartoony Sun Devil logo was replaced with his trident pitchfork on the side of the helmet.

The jersey numbers were also a highlight. If you didn't think playing football in the desert was hot enough, the numbers seemed to represent the feeling for most first-time visitors to the Phoenix area. The bottom of the number was white hot and “cooled” to a burning yellow at the top.

Maybe ASU can keep some of the momentum created by this monster win over Missouri and really make some noise in the Pac-12 this season.

If nothing else, its uniforms are impressive.

Uniform Grade: A