I've really enjoyed going through all of the teams over the course of this project. This post should be the most fun, though. Yes, I've enjoyed tearing into some teams' poor decisions, but celebrating the best uniforms is the most fun. You'll probably disagree to some point, but I feel like I've done a good job of being objective enough that there shouldn't be any major issues.
#25 - Iowa State Cyclones
Once again, simplicity rules the day in Ames. I preferred the old helmet logo a little more, as it's one of the rare good goofy logos (along with Oregon State and Boise), but there are no major gaffes here.
#24 - Arizona Wildcats
The Wildcats' uniforms are in the same vein as Kansas', but they benefit from a slightly better logo and a deeper shade of blue. Arizona also gets bonus points for the nice gold alternate helmets they wore this year, proving that you don't need to completely reinvent the wheel to have successful alternates. The cherry on top is the nice bi-colored double stripe down the pants, which is a look that not enough teams try to pull off.
#23 - North Carolina State Wolfpack
All-red uniforms can make for a tricky balancing act, but the Wolfpack pulls it off handily. The thick stripe on the helmet and the sublte "S" logo on the chest are nice touches to make this more than just a plain red uniform.
#22 - Navy Midshipmen - Commander-in-Chief Trophy
I'm not a fan of the Nike collar that's also sweeping the NFL, but everything else works on these classic uniforms. I especially love the anchor on the sleeve. Navy also tends to have the classiest alternates of anyone.
#21 - Boise State Broncos
In the past decade, Boise has done as good of a job building an identity through their uniforms as anyone other than Oregon. The fact that they've designed trick plays where a player blends into their blue turf is simultaneously shady and awesome. Boise does a good job with their alternates as well, making some small changes without losing their message of blue is good.
#20 - USC Trojans
In spite of the whole rivalry thing, I love these uniforms. The single shoulder stripe and simple block numbering is great. The only thing that mars these sharp uniforms is the weak logo.
#19 - Florida Atlantic Owls
I could probably do without the wings on the sleeves, but at least it fits well with the shape of the logo. Everything else is quite sharp on these uniforms. Blue and red will never get old.
#18 - Rice Owls - CUSA Champions
The stylish font used in the logo and team name is both extremely classy and a reminder that Rice is a baseball school. The all-blues are great as well. One day, when there's advertising on all uniforms, Rice will likely climb up the rankings with their Uncle Ben logo.
#17 - Virginia Cavaliers
They've been wearing these uniforms a lot this season, so they get a bit of a downgrade from where they would have been (likely the top 10). The new uniforms aren't too bad (mainly because they keep the nice interplay of blue and orange), but they just don't match the classiness of the normal helmets. The all oranges aren't too bad either, thought they're better with the superior blue helmet.
#16 - Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State loses a few points for adding names to the back of the jerseys, but these are still some of the best duds in the game. The other reason that they're not higher is that, in spite of my praising of simple uniforms, there may be such a thing as too simple.
#15 - Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
The red version of Penn State's uniforms in terms of simplicity, with a truly unique helmet logo to boot. The red towel comes from an old basketball coach who was upset that their towels were getting stolen, and thus ordered that they be made red.
#14 - Illinois Fighting Illini
In spite of the striping, Illinois checks in at #14, largely on the strength of their helmet. A great shade of orange and a nice plain font make for a sharp helmet. The blue and orange combination is pretty much always a winner when executed this well.
#13 - San Diego State Aztecs - Mountain West Champions
In my opinion, these are the best black uniforms in college football, largely because of the helmet. The deep shade of red on their helmets allows them to overcome a fair number of deficiencies, such as the thin stripe all the way down the side. I like the old logo a little better (as well as the red trim on the numbering), but I think the darker color more than makes up for any downgrade.
#12 - Indiana Hoosiers - Big Ten Champions
These are basically the same as Oklahoma's uniforms, except for a superior logo. The thicker letters, symmetry, and unique design make it one of the best logos in the game. They also get bonus points for improving an insane amount over their previous outfit.
#11 - Auburn Tigers
Here's another good use of blue and orange. What makes it superior to the others is a great shiny off-white helmet that looks great at night.
#10 - Cal Bears
I could do without the slashes on the legs and jersey, but the helmet is one of the best in the game. Script lettering on a beautiful deep blue with a great yellow accent makes for a beautiful design. The white helmets are an unfortunate disappointment compared to their regular ones.
#9 - Tennessee Volunteers
A unique shade of light orange, and a helmet logo much like Indiana's in spirit make for a fantastic uniform. My love for these uniforms goes all the way back to when I was first watching football and rooted for Tennessee for that reason (having Peyton Manning didn't hurt either). The black alternates are as bad as Georgia's. Just replacing your jersey with a black one is not clever nor a good idea.
#8 - Kansas State Wildcats
We've reached the portion of the rankings where there aren't really any negative things to say about the remaining teams. The Wildcats sport my favorite shade of purple in the game (not too light, and not too Vikings' blue-ish purple), a nice silver helmet, a simple yet effective logo, and a nice standard design with the shoulder and pants stripes.
#7 - Texas Longhorns - Big 12 Champions
As unique as Tennessee's orange is, Texas' burnt orange is even uniquer (that's a word, right?) Texas also wins bonus points for being even better dressed on the road.
#6 - Florida International Panthers - Sun Belt Champions
Didn't expect this one, did you? Of all the teams that have come up to FBS in the last couple of decades, FIU has the classiest uniforms, by far. The all-blue color is gorgeous, and nothing is out of place anywhere on the jersey or pants. They also boast the rare combination logo that works well.
#5 - Florida State Seminoles
My favorite touch on this set is the secondary Seminoles logo on the hip. The unique collar is a close second. Everything else works great on this classic red and gold look.
#4 - Alabama Crimson Tide
If not for the brilliance of the three teams ahead of it, Alabama would get my vote for the best uniform because of the unmatched combination of simplicity and classicness, highlighted by the numbered helmets. Alabama's refusal to compromise their classic design is perfectly reflected in their old codger of a coach Nick Saban, who would probably rather turn his team into a hurry-up attack than change one inch of the Tide's uniforms. And he isn't going to a hurry-up attack.
#3 - UCLA Bruins - Pac 12 Champions
UCLA has just about everything going for it in the uniform department. The script logo. The beautiful baby blue jersey. The relatively straightforward design of every part of the uniform. The only reason they aren't higher than #3 is a very nit-picky reason (there's going to be nits to pick at this point of the rankings): Their uniform doesn't translate very well on the road. UCLA and USC do get bonus points for both wearing home uniforms when they play each other.
#2 - Ole Miss Rebels - SEC Champions
Not only are helmets with script lettering great, but when they're paired with an old-timey name like Ole Miss and displayed in blue and red, they're extremely appropriate. The red jerseys are a step down from the blue ones, but still fit the aesthetic well. Probably the most impressive accomplishment of these uniforms is that they make grey pants work well, which is not easy.
#1 - Clemson Tigers - ACC and National Champions
I imagine that many who read this will disagree with my selection of Clemson for the top spot. I would guess that the most common reason would be a dislike of orange. I think we could at least agree that if we accept the prior condition of me liking orange uniforms a lot, then it would stand to reason that I would put Clemson at the top of the list.
Of all the great shades of orange in college football, Clemson orange is one of the most straightforward and perhaps the best. I prefer white pants over the all orange look, but you can't go wrong with either. Furthermore, when you combine that orange with one of the best logos in the game, you get the best helmet.
Of course, you don't just get the orange with Clemson, you also get the Regalia. Regalia is dangerously close to the Vikings purple that I abhor, but it stays just far away enough from the blue end of the spectrum to work well. I can see how even orange-lovers might not like the combination of colors, but I think it works quite well, mostly because of it's audacity.
Up next: Probably something other than college football uniforms.
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