College Football Rankings: 10 Best Uniforms We've Seen Unveiled in 2011

It has already been an exciting year in college football, especially for uniform aficionados.

Teams seem to be spending more time worrying about what uniform they will be wearing than executing the game plan.

However, the uniform is no longer a trivial matter. Being flashy on the football field can catch the eye of recruits and increase revenue from jersey sales. 

It also helps players and coaches stay relaxed by just having fun for a change.

While 2011 has seen many new uniforms, here are the 10 best that we have seen debut this season.

10. Notre Dame

Notre Dame went for a throwback look in its contest against annual rival Michigan.

Instead of the usual solid gold helmet, the Fighting Irish added a bit of a lucky charm that was hard not to notice.

It is also noteworthy when Notre Dame wears green on its jerseys. Call me insane, but I think a team with the name Irish should be wearing green every game, not blue.

9. Boise State

Boise State started the 2011 season in a marquee game on the road facing the Georgia Bulldogs. Not only did the Broncos come away with a victory, they also left with an entry in the uniform discussion.

The uniforms themselves are nothing special. Too much white is never a good look for a team.

However, this is a team that was unknown a few years ago. For it to become a household name that is big enough to play around with its jerseys is an accomplishment in itself.

Then again, the Broncos do not lose a lot regardless of what color they wear.

8. Michigan

Playing in their first-ever night game in the Big House, Michigan unveiled a "throwback" uniform against Notre Dame.

The Wolverines kept the usual maize and blue colors, but there were some tweaks to the uniform that made it a little too busy.

The added number to the helmet is overkill, but the giant "M" on the front of the jersey was an interesting change of pace from the normal block numbers.

It might not have been fun for the referees to catch the numbers, but a change of pace is always fun for uniforms.

7. West Virginia

It is always great when the team coordinates with the fans to fill the stadium with a certain color in big games.

Penn State often "whites out" its stadium, but it is more of a challenge when attempting a "gold out," as West Virginia did against LSU.

The fans all wore gold while the team released these gold jerseys with gold pants. Overall, it looked pretty good.

The downside was that the Mountaineers were facing an LSU team that also wears gold pants as well as gold helmets. When facing each other, it was like looking into the sun.

Next time choose a different opponent when breaking these out again.

6. Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State continues to win games this season, as it has made its way into the Top 10.

The Cowboys have also worn a few different uniforms this season, but none are better than the ones they used against Texas A&M in their biggest contest of the season.

The grey helmets look amazing with the orange lettering. This should not be understated because it is not easy to match a color with orange and make it look good.

The Cowboys continue to show that the best-looking team usually prevails (there are no facts to back that up).

5. New Mexico

With all the exciting new looks among college football teams, these uniforms by New Mexico went almost unnoticed.

The Lobos one-upped Oklahoma State in the grey department by using it head to toe.

Helmets, jerseys and pants all had grey with red trim, and the white outline of the numbers makes them stand out just a little more.

The best part about wearing grey jerseys is making the other team try to find a jersey to wear against you.

4. Georgia

The Georgia Bulldogs usually have a classic look for an old-school SEC team.

Against Boise State in Week 1, they unleashed this futuristic look that helped capture the eye of many across the country.

While they lost the game, they easily defeated Boise State in the uniform department with the silver and red helmets alone.

It is a shame they only wore these once.

3. Oregon

Of the many uniforms that Oregon has shown this year, the best one was used in Week 1.

The black helmets, jerseys and pants looked great and really caused the neon trim to pop.

Oregon is no stranger to uniform lists, as it has thousands of combinations and different options every week. Nike will keep the Ducks ahead of the curve, but these black uniforms are the best yet.

2. Arizona State

It does not matter what the school's natural colors are—the full-black look is always acceptable

Arizona State decided to wear these black and gold uniforms for its home game against Missouri, which it won in overtime.

The jersey numbers were two-toned, and the helmets had an interesting pitchfork logo.

While other teams on the list had a simple tweak, the Sun Devils completely changed the colors and style of the original uniforms. That gets bonus points in my book.

1. Maryland

The most talked about uniforms of the 2011 season are also the best.

On Labor Day on national television, the Maryland Terrapins came out in these flag-based jerseys and helmets to face Miami. The social media world immediately exploded.

Everyone from LeBron James to Jimmer Fredette posted a reaction to the uniforms on Twitter.

While many hated the look, it still created a buzz that Maryland has not received in recent memory. A win over its conference rival instantly became front-page news.

Since that week, Maryland has trotted out with a new look in each game this season. Under Armour is using Maryland as its flagship school as it attempts to compete with Nike.

While the Terrapins are still getting noticed, none of the uniforms have generated the polarizing views of this checkerboard look.