A View from the Cheap Seats
I know why we’ve yet to win a national championship in football.
It’s a theory I’ve developed over my many years of watching far too much college football and retaining far too much useless information. While there is nothing scientific about it, I do consider myself a foremost expert on the subject; if only I’d had the athleticism and looks, I could have been the fourth member of Gameday.
And so, in light of our recent shameful ending to a dreadful season, I am here to tell you people it’s not coaching.
Nope, the reason we’ve never won a national championship (and probably never will) is because we don’t wear traditional uniforms. This is commonly referred to by the average football fan as the Style over Substance Theory.
The principle behind the theory is really quite simple: With few exceptions, only teams that sport a traditional uniform over time have and/or ever will win a national title.
Bear with me. Since 1975, twenty-one teams have won at least a share of the national title (due to the otherwise ridiculous nature of Division I-A college football, the only NCAA-sanctioned sport without an NCAA-sanctioned tournament to determine its champion, there are split titles in several seasons):
Alabama – 1992, 1979, 1978 (split); Brigham Young – 1984; Clemson – 1981; Colorado – 1990 (split); Florida – 1996; Florida State – 1999, 1993; Georgia – 1980; Georgia Tech – 1990 (split); LSU – 2003 (split); Miami – 2001, 1991 (split), 1989, 1987, 1983; Michigan – 1997 (split); Nebraska – 1997 (split), 1995, 1994; Notre Dame – 1988, 1977; Ohio State – 2002; Oklahoma – 2000, 1985, 1975; Penn State – 1986, 1982; Pittsburgh – 1976;
Southern Cal – 2004, 2003, 1978 (split); Tennessee – 1998; Texas – 2005; Washington – 1991 (split)
You’ll notice immediately that the majority of these teams are not only traditional powerhouses but that the underlying commonality among these championship programs is that they each wore what could be arguably classified as a traditional-style uniform when they indeed won the national title. And by traditional I don’t necessarily mean “plain,” as is the case with Penn State, Notre Dame, or Alabama, but rather, “time-honored,” as is the case with Southern Cal, Oklahoma, or Florida State.
With the exception of Brigham Young, who for a time allowed Nike to butcher one of the most subtly-stylistic uniforms in college football, and perhaps Washington, which has switched between gold and purple helmets over time, very little has changed with the aforementioned teams’ uniform designs.
Minor design changes have, of course, been made to Miami’s uniforms – green pants, green jerseys, weird patterns – but most of this has come only during their most recent span of success. They won four national titles with the basic orange jerseys on white pants, as well as the well-recognized “U” logo on the helmet.
Clemson has made slight changes over the years, throwing in some purple jersey/pants combos, but the Tiger paw and a basic orange-on-white design has remained the staple of their uniform. Florida State has flirted with garnet and white pants, but only on rare occasions, and the Seminoles are still best-known for their garnet on gold pattern.
Nebraska, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State, and Colorado have all tested different striping patterns on their pants for short times, but otherwise my research has shown that there have been almost no changes made to any of the other teams’ uniforms over time.
Thus, my ad hoc research has led me to postulate that these schools rely largely on substance rather than style, which must be quite the conundrum to certain coaches and fans that believe that the only way to build a winning program and land top recruits is to show an aptitude for trendy styles. The underlying theme among the national champions of the past thirty years is that they don’t bend to the marketing whims of Nike and Adidas and Under Armour every other year to keep national exposure on their program; they rely, oddly enough, simply on winning.
On the whole, these programs consistently maximize the talents of their players and win consistently based upon superior coaching and hard-nosed, disciplined and error-free football. What kind of ridiculous strategy is that? We need Adidas to put a different trim around our auxiliary numbers if we’re going to improve as a team next year!
It’s quite the paradox, actually; winning breeds more winning.
The common theme among so many college football pundits and fans is that top south Florida recruits can only be landed through flashy offensive schemes, blaring intros, and trendy uniform designs. And yet, over the past thirty years, this philosophy just doesn’t add up. Teams like Southern Cal, Nebraska, Michigan, and Ohio State continue to win consistently without any of the flair or pizzazz.
So is there a solution to this madness?
Indeed.
State should cut out the fireworks and flashy, big screen intros, stop pumping noise into the stadium and simply put on what I’ve termed the “Philip Rivers” uniforms. Then, we go out onto the field and execute a well-defined game plan, hold onto the ball rather than the defensive end, and act more like Barry Sanders than Terrell Owens. We’ll define our own traditional style and get our winning ways started.
Some say it’s the old chicken or egg argument: we have to land top recruits to win and we can’t land top recruits with bland football. I just don’t buy it; winning takes care of itself, no matter how bland it is.
And with Ohio State or Southern Cal likely to be crowned the 2006 National Champion, my theory will hold true for at least another season.
Who knows, maybe Bill Cowher will read this.
And darn it, quit wearing those face masks and red teeth guards! Be a man! You need to be ugly when you look at your opponent across the line!
The uniforms went with the white glasses and red shoes, all that was missing was the fake flower squirting water. Plain and simple, clown uniforms. You want traditional, look at what Chuck wore in his day. It was traditional red jersey on white pants at home, and white jersey on white pants on the road. The “white shoe” defense was an id for that team and season. Traditional uniforms won’t mask an untalented bunch, but glitz and hype won’t make a talented bunch more than they are either. Most people I talk with think our uniforms have deteriorated and don’t represent tradition, but rather glitz and schlock. Of course I might be crazy myself. My login will tell you that once upon a time I did something crazy to protest changing a school tradition. It worked for awhile, they went back to a Homecoming tradition and then caved in. I don’t pay much attention to it anymore, but I’m still a traditionalist, maybe too much so. All this really makes no difference, however. Our good talent just needs a little direction and discipline and they’ll be fine in whatever is chosen for them to play in.
Florida has gone through major uniform changes. I know this because they wore their old uni’s when they played Alabama. They had way more orange than blue back then, and had a plain “F” on the helmet.
I agree about your argument though. Thats why I’m so happy that our basketball team is back to the simple “red and white”, without the black and the wierd looking style we had the past 4 years. Infact I wish we went way old school and only had “STATE” on our jerseys. You might call it plain, but when people think of a “state” college, I want them to think of NC State first, instead of “the” Ohio St, or a Michigan St.
Just as SFN said, our football team needs to do the same thing. I liked the PR jerseys, when it was just plain “red and white”, because thats who we are- “The Red and White from STATE”. I hope we never get as bad as Maryland, who completly sold out to Under Armour, and even having the “Fridge” in one of thier comercials. The more a program changes faces, the less and less it defines itlself in the public eye. Its like Penn St, their uniforms may look plain, but what does it symbolize? Consistancy and toughness, which is evident in their coach, JoePa. There really is a relationship and correlation between a teams uniforms and thier play on either the court or field.
Great entry–I agree wholeheartedly with the opinion that our current uniforms are too flashy…
One note, though, we can’t tell adidas to change our uniforms for next year–as we’re switching to Under Armor for the coming season–I’ve been told. So get ready for UMd-style uniforms–black jersey’s and weird color piping on the pants!!!
I going to get a set of gold fronts….
Our whole program is too flashy. And I, too, am convinced that it’s definitely part of the overall problem.
drhammando–you’re kidding right??? We sold out to under armor??? Their garbage is worse than anything Amato ever wore!
I do wish, for the Heritage game in Reynolds this year, the bball team would wear throwback uniforms with regards to the ’83 championship team.
to got with my old school red and white unis
I know this post is about football but since we’re talking uni’s here…..Went to the basketball game last night and it looks like they’ve fixed the names on the back of the jerseys now. Look much better than they did at the start of the season.
Speaking of the game last night…the court looked phenomenal. Just looking at the court and seeing Sid and Monte over on the bench… Welcome back Wolfpack Basketball!!!
But back to the post at hand, I’d have to agree. I’d like to see simplicity in the uniforms and a good blue collar work ethic by our teams.
However, I do like the fireworks and the intro at the games. I always get goosebumps and tears in my eyes everytime our team takes the field.
Yeah the court this year looks much better with the red paint down low and behind the nets. As far as the football uniforms, I liked the old Nike jerseys Cotchery and Rivers sported. They were more simple and I think looked a heck of alot better. These new ones are too much.
I’ve read this discussion every year, and everytime it seems like a lot of fluff around a simple nugget of truth that nobody would even bother arguing about: substance over style leads to wins.
“State should cut out the fireworks and flashy, big screen intros, stop pumping noise into the stadium…”
Amen brother!
You cannot have a “Walk of Champions,” 10 minutes of players entering the stadium, fireworks, and big video productions unless you have earned them – and even then you must be careful. I always thought the team getting psyched up in the tunnel and then bursting out was good. The seemingly endless parade down the steps killed it. I hope that Coach Whoever fully revisits and revises this element of NC State football.
I wrote a column to this effect before the Disaster Season even started, so obviously I concur – with the caveat that not even the PR uniforms would have saved Amato this season.
Speaking of classic: http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/content/greatestplayers/NCSTromangabriel200.jpg
I could deal with some shoulder stripes.
Great read LRM!
Heysus H. Cheerist! You’re right. No bullshit. Don’t know how many of you guys ever played at State. Anytime I feel compelled to bring it up from a players’ perspective I get no back.
I played sporting block white S on red lid. Solid red jersey w/white trim at neck and sleeve…block white numerals. White satin front pants. 1″ red piping. High white socks, double red stripe. I challenge anyone to best winning% while clad in something else.
I loved the pic of Gabe. That was when “men were men” and played QB and defense at the same time! I think it was Sheridan who started all of this crazy crap with the different design on the helmets, etc. I hated that bastardizing of the State “S”. I was glad to see Chuck get it a little closer back to the “way it should be”, just plain and simple. That style was our “branding” and we should stay as close to it as possible.
The only thing I don’t want to see again is Norm Sloan’s ugly plaid sportcoats!
What would people think of going to red helmets with a white S as opposed to the white helmets with a red S?
Our heritage has it both ways.
I wouldn’t mind seeing a little more red in the helmets. That ONE season that Mike O’Cain had the red helmets I kind of liked.
Actually, Alabama went with White helmets for a time in the eighties. (Looked kinda good in road whites by the way) The pretense was to throwback. Penn State dropped the numbers from their helmets in the seventies. Florida made a change to Blues under Spurrier. USC has changed from their traditionals recently, and Georgia tech has added gold jerseys to their ensemble.
The common glue amongst all these traditionals is a GREAT COACH. Bear at Bama, Paterno and the black shoes, Bo and the Maize and Blue, Woody Hayes, Bowden, Spurrier, Jimmy Johnson, Osborne, Wilkinson, Rockne, Parsegina, Holtz, Heisman, and Lavell Edwards and so on. These men defined these powers. They are traditional powers because they are dedicated on every level to football the way we are to basketball. They are traditionals because their great coaches were many years ago, and many of these programs have Pack-like ups and downs today. Bama, for instance, fired a coach for going .500 and getting to a bowl game. Michigan went 6-5 last year, in a fashion State fans would find all too familiar and Carr had a ittle heat coming in this year. Penn St fans have been griping about the legend they have coaching for years.
But your point is well taken, we have to settle on the red, single stripe helmets of the ’70′s at home, and the white helmets we have on the road. Simple, different (only Wash St does this in reverse with silver and maroon) and with traditional uniforms, maybe pants with a big red stripe a’la Steelers and nix the wave stripe, Maryland and Lousiville can have it. And red pants for big games. High fashion, baby.