EUGENE, Or. — Back in 2020 Ohio State debuted the first of three jerseys featuring a single color in a 52-12 win over Michigan State.
The jerseys featured the Buckeyes’ traditional white away tops along with a new white bottom for an all-white feel. The next year they debuted the home version of that with an all-scarlet jersey against Penn State. Last season OSU debuted the all-gray version against Michigan State with those being the first to be worn twice once again wearing them against Iowa last weekend.
Now the all-whites will get a second look only this time with a lot more people in the stands.
The last time Ohio State brought out the all-white was in the middle of a global pandemic meaning stands in the Big Ten were often limited in terms of who was in attendance. It didn’t take away from how cool they looked but limited how many people actually saw them in person.
Even head coach Ryan Day had to watch them on television after a positive COVID test forced him to miss the game. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson filled in as acting head coach while then-offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson — now the head coach at Tulsa — called plays.
Day will be on the sidelines this time around in a much more high-profile game. This time the jerseys will be worn in a top-three matchup against Oregon who is also pulling out alternate jerseys. The Ducks will where what is called their Fly Era jerseys as part of their ‘Generation O’ series.
OSU and Oregon have built reputations for having some of the best uniforms in college football. With both choosing to pull out alternates in a game that means so much to the Big Ten standings, it add one more thing the two sides are competing for.
Now Colorado coach Deion Sanders once said, ‘If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play well. If you play well, they pay well.’
On Saturday, the nation’s No. 2 and 3 teams will have checked off the first step in looking good. The ability to check off the rest of that statement will decide who walks away victorious.
