Ugliest college football helmets

[Spearhead]

San Diego State and Illinois.

[otherwilds]

Folks "winghaz" made some valid poins. Bama has a less that attrractive helemt and Michigans's design may not bee cool but theya re traditional and effective. A basic letter (Minnnesota, Tennessee) or simplicity of design (Penn St, Bama, Ohio St) may do more than that by an imaginitive logo (SDSU, Oregon St, bowling green). So first weigh the "less is more" factor versus ugly as we critique. But we must recoginize the lazy and unimaginitive like those beautiful fresh New Mexico St Aggies helmets that will win the coveted Least Creative Use Of the Brush Script Font for 2005 award.

[TenaciousG]

Pac-10: Washington State - The new logo on the helmets are not very good. Logo really does not work when you look at it on the left side, as the cougar's mouth should be facing the front.

That "new" logo has actually been around in some form since 1936. But it is fairly new to the helmets, so you're not far off base.

And it would look bad on the left if the cougar mouth was facing the front. The hidden "WSU" in the logo would be reversed.

But I can understand people who don't like the new two helmet system. Plus these were pretty tight:

Worst in the Pac-10 by far is Cal and Stanford. Boring and boring.

[FirearmofMutiny]

SDSU

Minnesota. Logo's too small and the black outline makes no sense. Well, it's better than Goldy on the helmet. A solid "M" like in my sig would work, though. And I do like the idea of switching up the maroon and gold. (But please, late 60's gold and not Wacker gold )

Miss. St. A maroon version of this would rock, though.

To take a cue from ESPN, UL-U Pick 'em (Lafayette tries to fit too much text, and Monroe I bet has to clutter theirs to avoid any lawsuits from Florida State)

[Proc]

I've never liked plain helmets or those with just numbers, i.e. Penn State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Navy, etc., with the exception being Ohio State when the helmet has the buckeye stickers on it, which is pretty cool.

I love Texas' helmet. Simple and too the point with the Longhorn.

Michigan's is a classic too.

Florida needs the gator logo on the helmet.

I like the Spartan on Michigan State's helmet much better than the simple "S" they had on there for awhile.

Arizona State's helmet is cool too.

[Grish]

I still can't figure out why Kansas doesn't have the Jayhawk on its helmets.

and why does Oregon not use the Fighting Donal Duck on the side of theirs?

The Oregon schools have the worst helmets in the Pac10.

Arizona is not fair behind.

I don't like the new Oklahoma State look either. I liked the "branded" look of the old OSU...

This one...

However the worst still is the Oregon "Oakley O"

[HatCityEnforcer]

Might as well break em down by conference...

ACC--I know it's a kind of traditional and all, and it really doesn't look totally awful, but when matched up with the new jerseys they got recently, Maryland's white helmets with the red "Terps" in script looks WAAAAAAAAY out of place.

Big East--Don't have a prob with any of the 8...the only one that really kinda bothers me a bit is USF's "upgrade"...can we say "adding black for the sake of adding black"? IMO, the green version of this was nicer.

Big Ten--Most of these I don't have a prob with, but I'll hop on the 'wagon and say Minnesota, only b/c of the "black for black's sake" outline on the M.

Big XII--Another tough call here, seeing that all of these aren't bad in their own right (as in there's tradition behind it or any upgrades were pretty decent for the most part), but there has to be a winner, so to speak. Gonna lean towards Oklahoma State and the "updated brand"...not a huge fan of the bevel work on this.

C-USA--There's 3 contenders here, but in the end Rice's "blob-wings" win out. Dishonorable mention to SMU for trying to be trendy and going with a navy helmet with a silver outline around the red 'Stang, totally ruining a classic look, IMO, and Southern Miss for missing a golden opportunity to use that new Eagle mark...that and the stripes on the current helmet don't help it any.

Pac 10--No debate here...the leader in the clubhouse is Oregon and those ghastly highlighter yellow "Big O" helmets....yep, the Phil Knight Makeover? worked wonders for the Quackers (sorry, but the Donald Duck logo was classic)...

SEC--Another no-doubter in my mind...Mississippi State's new "M-State" logo isn't all that great...IMO, they could have kept the Sherrill era "MSU" one or even the "MS" one they had recently...

WAC--There's a few here that could use a serious makeover, IMO (namely Boise State (lose the wordmark and go with the horse by itself and it's solid).), but the "revamp" by New Mexico State is just well...boring. The font used in the "Aggies" script makes em look like a local HS from Las Cruces, not a I-A college team.

Mountain West--San Diego State and the airbrushing...ugh...this might be the ugliest helmet in all of I-A. UNLV's new look isn't all that inspiring, but at least it's not airbrushed, so that's a plus..I think.

MAC--There's at least 2 or 3 that could use a change around...Kent State's "Bird-Bolt" isn't all that great and Bowling Green's "update" wasn't all that inspired. However, we do have a winner...if you can call it that...and that would be Ball State. That cardinal logo they have is just ghastly anyways...putting it on the helmet doesn't help matters too much.

Sun Belt--Outside of Troy, Fla. Atlantic, FIU, and Middle Tennessee State, plop reigns supreme. LA-Lafayette's look could be as simple as using the main logo (the one with the Fleur-de-Lys) on the helmet instead of the "RAGIN' CAJUNS" wordmark (although, points for creativity for using a cayenne pepper as the apostrophe in the wordmark ). LA-Monroe should have stuck with the "ULM--Indian head in the L" mark they had on the helmets previously instead of going with the ultra wordy FSU knockoff they have right now. North Texas fluffed up bad by ditching the eagle and going with the wordmark (the new one isn't all that inspiring either)...however, there's is a king...and it's name is Arkansas State. Just awful.

Independents--I actually like all of these...traditional looks abound...therefore the Indys get a pass