The season is flying by, and unfortunately in a week filled with huge matchups, the uniforms were not quite the best this week. There were plenty of great matchups, but we hit a point where they dropped off pretty quickly. It was not a bad week by any means, but I expected better for late November.
Honorable Mentions:
-Louisiana @ Missouri
-North Carolina @ Boston College
-Miami @ Georgia Tech
-Georgia Southern @ Ole Miss
-Utah State @ Colorado State
10. Louisiana-Monroe @ Arkansas
I’m very happy that ULM has finally found their way on my lists. They’ve been close to cracking the Top 10 in many different weeks. But their recent rebrand to throw it back operantly was a home run in my opinion. They white helmets are so clean and their unique template is classy but a little different, which I like. Speaking of full time throwbacks, that certainly seems to look to be the case for their opponent in this game as well. The Hogs have worn their throwback uniforms for every home game this year, and it looks like that will be the trend moving forward. ULM’s yellow pants offset the dark crimson of Arkansas so well.
9. Colorado @ Washington
Colorado goes with the stormtrooper look in this cross-divisional matchup. This was the same uniform they wore against this UW team back in the 2016 Pac-12 Championship. Unfortunately for the Buffs, this one went pretty similarly to how that one went. Results aside, CU looked pretty dang slick in these icy whites. Washington busted out the all-purple look for the first time this season, and I’m a big fan. I definitely think the purple over gold is superior, but this is nice to see every now and again as an alternate look. It was a great choice to use a little less gold against a fellow gold team.
8. Utah @ Arizona State
Both of these teams have a plethora of designs and combos to choose from, and although these do not contrast the best, they both look very sharp. ASU went with the yellow helmets with the yellow fork and facemask, anchored by the maroon jersey and pants. The simplicity in the uniforms balances old the boldness of the helmet. This is one of the Utes’ better combos, although I really wish they would have went with white pants here. Regardless, the busy stripes of Utah work here, and especially against the minimalistic Sun Devil jerseys and pants.
7. Iowa State @ Texas
Texas makes it on my weekly countdown for seemingly the 184th time this season, and it’s no secret why. The classic burnt orange and white always has the potential to be included. It’s what the opponent brings to the table. Iowa State is a squad that has had a bit of an identity crisis over the years. I am a big fan of their recent redesign, although I think they should ditch the black entirely. These road kits are quite sharp, and definitely one of their best combos. The crimson sandwiches the white jerseys, and it all flows very nicely. This is a nice, simple, clean, matchup.
6. Florida State @ Syracuse
This is a matchup I did not expect to see here, but the colors actually work pretty well with one another. At this point, I’m sure you all know how big of a fan I am of the FSU helmets. The spear is one of the best secondary logos in sports, and if the uniforms were cleaned up just a tad, they might be my favorite uniforms in CFB. Still, they do a pretty swell job currently. Syracuse’s rebrand was a huge success, and it shows they’ve grown past the trendy phase they were in before this redesign. What gets this so high on my list is the combo chosen by the Cuse. Orange-Navy-Orange is Syracuse’s home look, and they don’t use it enough. These uniforms remind me of Donovan McNabb, and that is great news for Syracuse fans.
5. Texas A&M @ Alabama
Texas A&M’s uniforms are not my favorite, but I do like them a good deal. They are sharp and classic enough that they have built a pretty decent brand with them. Also, pairing a uniform this solid with Alabama in a week like this makes a top 5 appearance almost a lock. Again, the colors don’t offset a ton, but they don’t really need to. Both teams emphasis darker shades of red, but they’re different enough and they both own those colors. They always have, and they always will. I’m interested to see how frequently these teams show up at my year’s end lists. Best thing about this matchup you may ask? The helmets, as the simple numbers from Bama and A&M’s elite logo are just the contrast we need.
4. Boise State @ Wyoming
Yes, it was a bit of a light week, but this matchup is quite visually appealing. I know the Cowboys are brown, but they pull it off in such a clean and classic fashion. The circus font, the omnipresent white helmet, and the classic horse and cowboy logo make Wyoming’s set one of the consistently better ones in the Group of 5. BSU isn’t afraid to change things up, but this combo is one of their best. The shiny blue facemask makes these helmets tie in so much better to the rest of the uniform than the usual white one would. This is not the best #4 matchup ever, but it sure is good enough, and both teams get A’s here.
3. Oklahoma State @ Kansas State
Both teams went a little out of the box here, and I am a huge fan. K-State actually did it. They stepped away from the silver helmets and pants and went with white ones for both. Not only that, they kept the Powercat logo on the helmet, which should always be the case. I do like the silver better, but the white looks pretty sharp too, and I’m all for a little experimentation now and again. OK State went white a white-white-orange combo, which is a little rare, but nothing crazy. But with the full, standing Pistol Pete on the helmet, you know OK State wasn’t going to let the Wildcats take all the spotlight. Also, look at how beautiful those helmet stripes and facemask are for both teams. Those really are the little details that bump this matchup so high up on the list.
2. USC @ UCLA
Color vs. color is always a bold move, and it always garners a lot of attention, for the good or for the bad. This matchup has went this route quite often over the years, and it makes sense why. The powder blue and scarlet are two distinct colors, and both own their own unique shade of gold (although USC’s is yellow, don’t get it twisted.) Anyways, the shoulder stripes of both programs are fantastic, and they are both definitely some of the best home uniforms in the country. It’s bright, flashy, and unique. It’s an LA thing. Even if the football kind of sucks.
1. LSU @ Auburn
Once again, the traditional SEC uniform matchup takes the top spot. But seriously, what can I say? These are 2 of the top 10 uniform sets in the country in my opinion. Everything pops here. All the colors, all the stripes, they are similar but all contrast perfectly. Except the nickname of course. Regardless, these two teams are at the top of the class uniform-wise, and this is a prime example of what you want to see in a top 10 game in late November.
-Scott
NCAA 2020 Football Simulation 