Uniform-ity

On Friday I presumed that I'd spend this chilly Monday morning penning an ill-spirited polemic against both the BCS and the growing army of Ohio State-Michigan rematch supporters. However, the so-called "Game of the Millennium" turned out to be...well...almost exactly that. Trailing last year's Texas-USC epic only slightly, this weekend's game left me utterly perplexed as to who should be #2, #3, and so on.

Thus, I'm going to withhold my rankings for now and instead use today's space to address a completely unrelated topic: uniforms. Ever since my good friend Mike began following (and occasionally contributing to) the UniWatch blog, I've given a great deal of thought to the question, "What makes a good football uniform?" Time and time again, I find myself reaching the same answers: simplicity (in both color and template) and timelessness.

Here are my (currently worn) Top 5 college and Top 3 pro football uniforms:

College
5. Ohio State: As you'll discover in the forthcoming rankings, I'm a sucker for solid-colored, logo-less helmets. The Buckeyes' classic silver, combined with a simplistic shirt (whether home-field red or on-the-road white), makes for a sharp look.

4. Notre Dame: Gold helmets. Nameless jerseys. Recognizable from anywhere. Enough said.

3. University of Texas: While I don't care for ornate and/or cartoonish logos, I enjoy a simple, muted icon. The burnt-orange longhorn, which is set against an otherwise all-white helmet, provides a strong complement to both the burnt-orange-on-white home uniform and the white-on-white road version. Hook 'em horns.

2. Penn State: I flip-flopped on my #1 and #2 selections several times before ultimately leaving Penn State as runner-up. The Nittany Lions' get-up is the epitome of class. The road uniforms are practically pristine, with the lone (navy blue) color coming from a single helmet stripe and the numbers on the shirts; the home uniforms, which are even sharper, include a blue shirt. Undoubtedly this uniform is anchored by the seemingly boring yet singularly appealing white helmet.

1. Alabama: No logo. Basic colors--crimson and white. And, the kicker: numbers on the helmets! If every team adopted this uniform template with their own school colors, I would not argue. Best in class...Roll Tide.

Pro
3. San Diego Chargers: Two words: lightning bolts.

2. Chicago Bears: The combination of the legendary 'C', the orange-ish trim, and the stylish socks render this one of the most classic uniforms in all of sports.

1. Cleveland Browns: The Browns demand respect for maintaining the league's only logo-less helmet. The home uniform--solid brown shirt and orange helmet--exudes the toughness and cold-weather feel of the old AFC Central division. (You'll have no trouble seeing these guys in the snow.) Indeed, this uniform is one of the most underrated in the sports world.