Ohio State’s wearing 1916 throwback Nike uniforms and cannonball-like helmets

Ohio State is wearing these sweet 1916 throwback uniforms and new helmets Saturday night against Nebraska.

On Sept. 26, Urban Meyer hinted that an alternate uni may be coming for a game at some point this season. The duds were originally going to be a revamp of the 2013 alternate uniforms Ohio State wore, but instead the school has gone the throwback route.

It’s a 1916 look that’s rather timely a century later.

From Nike’s release:

In 1916, the Ohio State University football team, led by halfback Chic Harley, registered the school’s first undefeated season on route to claiming the conference title. To commemorate the 100-year anniversary of that season, the school will add a new throwback look to its uniform collection, complete with scarlet and gray-striped jerseys, gray pants and matte black helmets.

Nike’s release also references a sportswriter’s 1941 description of Harley as running like “music and cannon fire,” hence the helmets. Those words appear on the inside of the jerseys.

Unfortunately, with nice threads comes the inevitable uniform press release. There is nothing in sports more pretentious than a uniform press release. I don’t care about how the interwoven panels on your underarms wick sweat while invoking your national championships. Miss me with the collar logo woven from carbon fiber that’s on the inside of the jersey. Just read this:

The Ohio State’s Nike Vapor Untouchable uniform features an all-new chassis with minimal seams and fewer panels (five each in the jersey and pant) than traditional builds.

I’m not sure if this is a midsize SUV or a jersey you get your kid that costs $150. And yes, perhaps I’m proving my own point ambling on about football textiles, but, uhh, you’re not the boss of me.

Anyway, the Buckeyes will look good under the lights when they face Nebraska, and as Confucius said: “Look good, feel good. Feel good, play good.”