Best Uniform Matchups of Week 11 & 12 – 2021

Another uniform post X2! Let’s jump right in.

Week 11

Honorable Mentions:

-Washington State @ Oregon

-UConn @ Clemson

-Northwestern @ Wisconsin

-USC @ California

-TCU @ Oklahoma State

10. Wyoming @ Boise State

The all blue on the Smurf Turf never fails. These two complement each other quite well, featuring two of the better helmets in the country.

9. West Virginia @ Kansas State

K-State goes with their modern classic traditional home uniforms. WVU uses its best road combination in my opinion. The yellow and silver really pop off one another.

8. Notre Dame @ Virginia

UVA going with the orange is always a nice change-up, and I wish their basketball team would follow suit now and again. The orange looks even better against a navy-heavy team like ND. The Irish’s gold helmets clash with the white of the Hoos quite well.

7. Oklahoma @ Baylor

OU does its normal thing here, which is perfect in my eyes. Baylor uses a rare combination here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s used much more moving forward. This home set showcases their new shades of green and yellow wonderfully.

6. Colorado @ UCLA

The Buffs avoiding gold against a team like UCLA is very smart. Not to mention the Throwback Ralphie logo. This is magnificent. Oh, and UCLA is also always magnificent.

5. Arkansas @ LSU

Two teams with excellent helmets face off here. Arkansas throwing back to the older uniforms makes this matchup infinitely better than it was with the Hogs’ previous set. So many wonderful colors on display in Baton Rouge.

4. North Carolina @ Pittsburgh

Two shades of blue. Neither of them navy. The royal blue and Carolina blue. There’s no confusion here, and the we fact they’re paired with their own unique color of yellow and white makes it all the more appealing.

3. Georgia @ Tennessee

Two of the more classic uniforms in the sport are showcased here, and there’s not to omuch to say here. Classic logos, helmets, and uniforms from head to toe.

2. Miami (FL) @ Florida State

This vicious rivalry features two of the best brands in the sport as well. Miami made the necessary changes to develop a modern classic. If FSU just cleans a couple things up, this could easily be #1 of Week 11. Still, the Seminoles have plenty working for them. The all-white UM look is so clean.

1. Michigan @ Penn State

While the maize pants would be awesome here, I can’t complain too much. Absolute best of the best on all levels here. You can’t ever go wrong with these two. The best two uniform sets in the conference.

Week 12

Honorable Mentions:

-Wyoming @ Utah State

-California @ Stanford

-Auburn @ South Carolina

-Michigan @ Maryland

-Iowa State @ Oklahoma

10. South Florida @ Tulane

I do like USF’s road kits a good deal. I just wish they’d stay a little more consistent and not change so much. The all white is a pretty good look though. While powder blue is a trendy color lately, there’s no doubt Tulane rocks it with the best of them. I mean seriously. Look at this pelican featured on the helmet. Insanity.

9. Purdue @ Northwestern*

Purdue’s uniforms are good, and I really do like the shade of gold they use for their pants.  Northwestern avoids black, which is smart.  I do like the new helmets with the larger “N” and white face masks as well.  It’s a good switch-up and ties the whole uniform together much better.

8. Vanderbilt @ Ole Miss

Remember what I said about powder blue?  However, the Rebels have been throwing back to this for 7-8 years now, and for good measure.  The jerseys are still relatively new, but these are pretty sweet.  Vandy’s uniforms are solid, and the helmets are fantastic, featuring that lovely anchor.  Ole Miss carries this matchup, though.

7. Arkansas @ Alabama

There isn’t much contrast here.  I’ll admit that in a heartbeat.  However, Arkansas tries their best by donning the white lids.  They’re pretty slick, and both teams have old-style uniforms that they absolutely own.  I really enjoy the looks of this one, even if the teams don’t differ all that much.

6. Louisiana @ Liberty

These rivals both went with combos that define them as programs. If Liberty shying away from all usage of red was smart against the Ragin’ Cajuns.  While the Flames look best in red, I do think the all-navy is pretty solid by itself.  ULL wears their normal road unis, which are great.  Together, this is a very aesthetically pleasing matchups featuring two of the better G5 sets.

5. Oregon @ Utah

Two very intricate designs are featured in this Mountain West Utah’s uniforms are pretty great.  They’re not quite at the top of the sport, but they definitely pull their own weight.  The white-red-red set is one they don’t wear a whole lot, but it looks fantastic.  Oregon has definitely had better uniforms in their day, but they’ve definitely had worse as well.  The numbers are big, and the Nike logo in the middle of the jersey will never not be odd to me.  However, I do like the helmets, and the colors are really strong. 

4. Washington @ Colorado

We have another throwback Ralphie alert in Boulder.  This one looks even better with the all-black look.  The Buffs avoid gold, which is smart against the Huskies.  UW’s road set never looks bad, and this week is no exception.  It’s a strong uniform that gives me modern classic vibes. 

3. Nebraska @ Wisconsin

Similar to Alabama-Arkansas, this game features two red and white teams from the same division.  While it would be nice to see some difference between the two, these teams aren’t black or gray, and I’m glad they don’t try a gimmicky alternate in this spot in one of those two colors.  Regardless, contrast is secondary to everything else, and these are two of the to 20 uniform sets in the sport.  Absolute classics from both schools here.

2. Michigan State @ Ohio State

These might be two more Top 20 sets, but OSU’s helmets push this one just ahead.  The classic OSU home set is amongst the best out there, and MSU’s whiteout look is a welcome surprise.  The white Spartan helmet was one of the greatest innovations brought out in the last ten or so years.

1. UCLA @ USC

Color vs. color is a polarizing topic.  I don’t love it, but these two do it frequently enough, so I’ll give it a pass.  The different colors here are on full display, and I’m here for it.  The helmets are wonderful, as are the dueling shoulder stripes.  There’s so much to love here.  No surprise this tops the list.  Don’t be surprised if this is in the Top 10 at the end of the season.