Akshay Eye for the Uniform Guy: Week 9

#AkshayEye makes its triumphant reappearance and now it’s here to stay

By Akshay Easwaran@akeaswaran Oct 28, 2018, 2:30pm EDT

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NCAA Football: Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech football played on Thursday this week, but it’s not too late to talk about college football uniforms featured in Week 9. In this new weekly piece (inspired by /u/CockADoodleBOOM on Reddit), I’ll cover the uniform combination of Tech’s opponent for their upcoming game, as well as those from other selected matchups around the country. Please note: I am no trained uniform connoisseur; I call them like I see them.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Kit: Maroon/Maroon/White

Week 9 Result: L 28-49 vs Georgia Tech

“Chicago Maroon” and orange - a very unique color combination in college sports, but one that is...meh in practice (and I don’t just say that to hate on our Techmo Bowl rivals in Appalachia). A maroon top and white pants creates intra-jersey contrast here, but I would have liked to see maroon pants. Nonetheless, it’s still a solid combination, and design elements like added neck stripes on the jersey to invoke Hokie logos of old are cool - the kit as a whole just doesn’t pop to me. You know what does pop? A 21-point win - that really pops.

Grade: B

Oklahoma State

Kit: 1988 Throwback - White/Orange/White

Week 9 Result: W 38-35 vs #6 Texas

I am a sucker for well-done throwback uniforms. Texas Tech’s 1970s throwbacks last week for Homecoming? Fire, just for the old double-T logo on the helmet alone. Boston College’s return to “Hail Flutie”? Give me all of that. North Texas’s “Mean Joe Green” era uniforms? Simple, but awesome.

So when Oklahoma State announced they were wearing these bad boys earlier this week - naturally I drooled. This combination is very, very, very sharp. Everything from the tri-stripe on the shoulder to the old “OSU” logo on the helmet to the classic block numerals just works. White pants contrast nicely with the bright orange of the jersey, and a pants stripe that’s the reverse of the shoulder stripe creates a symmetry that pulls the whole ensemble together nicely.

Grade: A+

#19 Oregon

Kit: “Burnt” - Black/White/White

Week 9 Result: L 15-44 @ Arizona

For all the flack I’ve given Nike for making Oregon their own personal uniform design testing bed, they occasionally put out some really good stuff. Oregon has built their entire football brand on unique and flashy uniforms and jersey “innovation”, and it really shows in this week’s “Burnt” uniform combination. I’m still not a fan of the oversized jersey numbers or the unorthodox nameplate design (here, a black rectangle with the name in white), so the Ducks get a couple of points knocked off for those, but still - a very strong combination.

Grade: A-

Minnesota

Kit: “Fright Night” - Gold/Gray/Gray

Week 9 Result: W 38-31 vs Indiana

Bleh. This ensemble should not have had a gold helmet. I’m ok with the gray jersey and the gold helmet independently, but together.....no. Gray is not in Minnesota’s color palette - I checked. Minnesota maroon and gold is a great combination, and the Golden Gophers should stick to it.

Grade: D

South Carolina

Kit: “Blackout” - Black/Black/Black

Week 9 Result: W 27-24 vs Tennessee

NCAA Football: Tennessee at South Carolina

There’s nothing wrong with these “Blackout” jerseys from the Gamecocks — they’re just...basically what they normally wear. I’ve always been partial to special uniforms for themed games, but I understand that a base color palette of garnet and black leaves little room for innovation, especially for a “blackout” game. I have some qualms with the double shoulder stripe that the Gamecocks have going on, but otherwise, not too shabby. It’s just not different.

Grade: B

#7 Athens Community College

Kit: “Trash” - Red/Red/Silver

Week 9 Result: I don’t want to talk about it

Do I really need to talk about these further? Hopefully, Kentucky can show up in some flashy uniforms and run all over them next week. Additionally, the fact that this game was not Florida in their traditional blue tops vs that nasty red is a travesty in and of itself. Rivalry games should be primary color versus primary color, but I can’t say I’m particularly surprised that the school out east can’t do the simplest things right.

Grade: F

Got more uni thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!