Ohio State is reportedly set to wear alternate uniforms for the College Football Playoff semifinal against Clemson. But don't worry Buckeye fans, these are both familiar uniforms and ones supporters cherish.
According to Buckeyes Sports Bulletin beat writer and founder of OhioStateUniforms.com Andrew Lind, Ohio State will wear the home version of its throwback to the 1968 uniforms in the Fiesta Bowl. These will be almost exactly the same, just a different template, to the uniforms worn by the Buckeyes against Oregon in the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
Lind also reports that there's a chance Nike returns the gray stripes on the sleeves to the Buckeye uniform full-time next year. This gray striping has been gone since 2006.
Furthermore, there’s also a chance the Buckeyes return to the old sleeve stripe full-time next fall with several of Nike’s top-tier programs moving to the new Vapor Fusion template.
— Andrew Lind (@AndrewMLind) December 9, 2019
Despite being an iconic brand, the Scarlet and Gray are not unfamiliar with alternate uniforms. Ohio State has worn a different uniform for at least one game each year since 2009. That season, the Buckeyes debuted a white jersey and helmet to pay homage to the 1954 team. In 2010, Nike put out a 1942 throwback uniform with scarlet tops and gray bottom. The following year, it was another scarlet jersey and gray tops with a wide scarlet stripe on the gray helmet that was similar to the 1961 uniforms.
Starting in 2012, Nike stopped making discernable reference to previous Scarlet and Gray teams. That year's alternates were not far off from Ohio State's normal uniforms but with black stripes on the sleeves and big gray numbers. The following season it was similarly designed alternates but the white road version. The 2014 alternate uniforms were not far off from the regular look either but will forever be remembered for their significance in the College Football Playoff as the Buckeyes went on to win the national championship. The 2015 season was the first look at an all-black uniform for the Scarlet and Gray. In 2016, Ohio State went with an alternate uniform that looked similar to the Chic Harley teams that were the first to beat Michigan and win a Big Ten Title.
In 2017, the Buckeyes wore two alternate uniforms, sporting a gray and black outfit against Penn State and a white and black look against the Wolverines to end the regular season. Last season, the Scarlet and Gray wore another black uniform against Nebraska at home and did the same this year when Michigan State came to Ohio Stadium.
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While alternate uniforms are often a topic of contention among Ohio State fans, most agree that the ones worn in the 2014 Playoff, which are essentially the same as these to be worn against the Tigers, are close enough to the traditional ones that it doesn't cause many issues.