Buckeyes in Black
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COLUMBUS, Ohio - Rumors and whispers of the Buckeyes electing to wear black uniforms have circled around Ohio State for seemingly as long as the concept of alternate jerseys have existed. The idea has been greeted in turn with fear, anticipation, anxiety, excitement, and above all else plenty of hand-wringing.
Everyone has heard the arguments and counter-arguments. Staunch traditionalists stamp their feet and say that the color black belongs only on Woody Hayes' hat, not the uniforms of the Buckeyes. Some new-age fans would have the Buckeyes wear purple if it brought more five star recruits to Columbus. However even Urban Meyer, a coach some say would do anything for an edge in recruiting, was hesitant about allowing his Buckeyes to don the black uniforms.
"Nike came to us and what do you think of this? And my first reaction was no way, no chance. And I looked and said whoa, and it looked pretty sharp. Then Gene [Smith] looked at it, and granted I think there are some channels that everybody has to run them through to make sure that they're on par with what's expected at Ohio State," Meyer said. "Then you start thinking about the student body, the fans and the unique experience of recruiting players, and it's kind of a unique experience."
Part of the reason Meyer came on board with the idea to put the Buckeyes in black jerseys was the care with which athletic director Gene Smith and the athletic department as a whole took in implementing the design. They worked carefully with Nike, the team's uniform and gear supplier, to make sure everything down to even the lining of the numbers fit the Ohio State brand.
"[Nike] will bring a design to us. We'll look at the design, we'll kick it around, get some input and make some modifications based upon what we think or feel should be added. This particular weekend, that occurred as well," Smith said. "So we looked at the original design, and they have some very creative people, obviously, but we did not approve the original design, so we added some of the elements that you'll see this weekend. And that's happened every single year we've done that."
Cultivating that proper look is a difficult balance. Smith knows all of the tradition that comes with operating at Ohio State and had to walk on eggshells to outfit the "men of the scarlet and gray" in a uniform just a little bit different than that.
"We're blessed here, an institution has such great tradition and history. You have to make sure you respect that," Smith said. "And there are certain things that become untouchable in that regard. It becomes untouchable."
Yet despite the rich tradition that accompanies Ohio State, the Buckeyes do not operate in a vacuum. Columbus is not a land separate from time where the cheerleaders wear poodle skirts and the fellas all head down to the diner for a milkshake before kickoff. Smith knows that as the landscape of college football grows ever more competitive, so must the Buckeyes.
"At the same time, you have to recognize that our demographic is changing. Our world is changing. We have 30,000 students that come to our football games, and then recruiting has changed, our competitors have changed," Smith said. "So there is that balance of respect, our history and tradition, but also moving ourselves further into the 21st century, which kind of the landscape defines that for you, and the uniforms are part of that."
Smith has the unique experience of ushering in alternate uniforms at another college football powerhouse and tradition-rich university - Notre Dame. Smith was present in the locker room as an assistant when the Fighting Irish ushered in their alternate green jerseys for the first time, a surprise that the staff kept from players.
"I was blessed to have a personal experience when Notre Dame had played USC at Notre Dame, and we went to the green jerseys. I was actually coaching at that particular time," Smith said. "And Dan Devine kept that secret to really three people, and the coaches, none of us knew… To go in there and see those guys and the excitement on their face, it was just -- it was something that you never forget."
Meyer knows how important that player experience can be. While stars of the Ohio State team like Joey Bosa and Braxton Miller said they have not seen the final official designs yet, both are heavily anticipating the chance to wear the black jerseys. Meyer made sure that some of the key players on his team approved of the jerseys before implementing them.
"Not the whole team, because there are a bunch of guys that I don't care what they think," Meyer said. "But the leaders of the team, I asked them, and I'm sure you know their reaction."
Yet, for all of the excitement surrounding the program and its step forward into the land of alternate uniforms and black jerseys, Smith knows he will be treading carefully. It is one thing to have the Buckeyes embrace the black uniforms for a game and another entirely for it to become routine for Ohio State to abandon scarlet and gray multiple times per season.
"I get a couple emails from people saying, 'We're not Oregon.' You're right. We're not Oregon," Smith said. "We're not going to be Oregon. We're The Ohio State University, and we're going to pick one game every year where we try to do this."
As the moment of truth arrives for the Buckeyes against Penn State on Saturday night, it's clear that it could be one of the most anticipated jersey reveals in Ohio State and Big Ten history. Whether the Buckeyes manage to strike the right balance of tradition and the cool factor remains up to the court of public opinion.
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