Brian, Make This Happen: Home vs Home Uniforms for The Game

Submitted by Swayze Howell Sheen on November 18th, 2018 at 11:43 AM

We are lucky to be part of the greatest rivalry in all of sports. But there is one thing missing: home vs. home uniforms.  As a rando on the internet, I have no power to bring about such a change. But, perhaps our dear leader does? 

In any case, here's a picture from USC vs UCLA. Home uniforms are so much better; why don't we do this for The Game?

Screen-Shot-2012-11-17-at-2.02.50-PM.png

Of course, I am just one rando. What do you other randos think?

SF Wolverine

November 18th, 2018 at 11:48 AM ^

Play in any damn uni you want.  Bring back some of the shitty uniformz, for all I care.  Just win.

And yes, home and home would be a visual treat.  But only if we finally get the W.

J.

November 18th, 2018 at 11:52 AM ^

I think “rando” is nearly as bad as “natty,” and I think that Brian, while a well-known blogger, probably doesn’t have the pull to get Michigan or Ohio State to change jerseys, even if he agreed with you.

FWIW, Red vs Blue would be awesome.

Bando Calrissian

November 18th, 2018 at 12:12 PM ^

USC and UCLA were so devoted to this tradition that they agreed to take the penalties and even it out between them when the NCAA changed their uniforms to penalize teams (I think it was a timeout and/or yardage at the beginning of the half?) for not going white vs. color. And thanks to them, the rule was changed.

Make it happen. Pretty sure OSU has to agree as the home team, but I have to think if Michigan presses the issue, they'd allow it.

J.

November 18th, 2018 at 12:47 PM ^

Likely, nothing.  The most common form of color-blindness is red-green colorblindness; blue-green colorblindness is also somewhat common.  Red-blue colorblindness and total colorblindness are both extremely rare, and people with those conditions are used to finding alternatives to color for identification purposes.

Something like the most identifiable helmet in college football would probably work.

Richard75

November 18th, 2018 at 12:20 PM ^

Home vs. home uniforms makes no sense for Mich-OSU. It does for USC-UCLA because it’s rooted in the fact that they once shared the same stadium for decades (the Coliseum), and thus were both at home when they played.

Michigan and OSU, of course, are hundreds of miles and a state line apart; neither visitor has been or ever will be at “home” in the series.

Also, games without white jerseys are awful for color-blind people, as the NFL has found out. Other than all that, it’s a fine idea.

Gulogulo37

November 19th, 2018 at 3:48 AM ^

Agreed. It's a cool thing for their rivalry both being LA teams. I like rivalries and teams with their own unique things. That's what makes college football great  Let them have it. Thank God we didn't get a turnover thing when that all happened. Miami had a cool one and then everyone joining in just made it lame.

Chitown Kev

November 18th, 2018 at 12:30 PM ^

Neither USC nor UCLA play in stadiums on their campuses; they play in stadiums pretty much for something else...so for both USC and UCLA to wear home uni's makes since...if Michigan and Ohio State played game in Toledo or Ford Field, it would make sense...but USC-UCLA did look kinda of awesome in their home uni's

ST3

November 18th, 2018 at 12:31 PM ^

That’s their thing because they share a city. Let them have their tradition. We don’t need to do anything but show up to make it The Game.

M-Dog

November 18th, 2018 at 12:56 PM ^

This would be an actual legit throwback.

Newspaper accounts of the opening of Michigan Stadium in 1927 speak about the blue jerseys of Michigan and the scarlet jerseys of Ohio State.

Pictures of the famous "Snow Bowl" in 1950 clearly show that both teams were wearing their color jerseys.  

This is how every edition of The Game was played, and indeed all football games played, until black and white TV forced the change to color versus white jerseys so they could be distinguished. 

I tried to do a little research once to see when The Game switched from color versus color jerseys, to color versus white jerseys.  If I recall correctly, it was in either 1955 or 1956.  I was able to see evidence of color versus color jerseys in 1954, and I was able to see evidence of color versus white jerseys in 1957.

Somebody did a photoshop mock up several years ago of Michigan versus Ohio State in their current color versus color jerseys.  It looked pretty cool.

We should definitely do it.

Bando Calrissian

November 19th, 2018 at 2:12 AM ^

Away-team white jerseys were not a thing until the advent of television, when it was realized that two teams in dark-colored jerseys were impossible to discern from one another in black-and-white. Theres also a reason why numbers on sleeves are called "TV numbers," because those weren't universally a thing until being able to figure out a player's number from a stationary sideline angle was a necessity.

funkifyfl

November 18th, 2018 at 5:54 PM ^

Ridiculous nature of the OP aside, I'm a huge advocate for home v. home unis in The Game. It would make it even more special from an aesthetic standpoint.

JWG Wolverine

November 19th, 2018 at 1:42 AM ^

I don’t like this. I never want OSU to wear red at The Big House. Never ever.

These home road uniform matchups are still one of the most iconic in college football.

Why fuck with that to mimic another rivalry? Let them have their traditions, we’re fine with ours.