As another football season wraps up, it’s time to do what any true fan would – dissect and discuss the Oklahoma State Cowboys uniforms. This season brought a fresh wave of jersey combinations, sparking excitement and debate among fans. Did they live up to the hype? What were the standout looks, and which combinations missed the mark? Join us as we dive into the 2016 Cowboy Uniform season, rating the hits and misses.
(Just a quick note on our format: we’ll be using a Color/Color/Color system to describe the uniform combinations, representing helmet/jersey/pants. For instance, the Alamo Bowl look was black helmet, white jersey, and orange pants – or B/W/O. Got it? Great!)
1) Top Oklahoma State Cowboy Uniform Combo of the Year?
Brodie Smith: For me, it’s about tradition. Stick with what works, and the W/O/W (White helmet, Orange jersey, White pants) combinations against Southeastern Louisiana and Pitt were the winners. It’s a clean, classic look that really pops with the orange jerseys. Definitely has that “wow” factor.
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Oklahoma State Cowboys in white helmet, orange jersey, and white pants combination.
Cade Webb: This is almost impossible to answer! Honestly, there wasn’t a single combination this season I disliked. Huge credit to the equipment staff for that. But if I absolutely had to choose, I’d go with the O/W/B (Orange helmet, White jersey, Black pants) combo worn against Kansas State. I don’t understand the negativity towards the orange chrome helmet; it’s way better than that paisley one. This combination was a favorite of mine with the older uniform styles, and it’s even better with the updated designs.
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Football player in Oklahoma State Cowboy uniform with orange chrome helmet.
Phillip Slavin: Homecoming game, hands down. B/O/W (Black helmet, Orange jersey, White pants) with the old-school logo throwback helmet. It was clean, simple, and just beautiful. I just wish we’d see that throwback helmet more often. It’s a fantastic piece of cowboy uniform history.
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Oklahoma State Homecoming football game with player wearing throwback cowboy uniform helmet.
Tyler Wiederhoeft: This might sound strange, but my favorite uniform actually appeared in the non-conference game against CMU. The B/B/G (Black helmet, Black jersey, Gray pants) combo looked surprisingly sharp. I do think they should have debuted the marshal’s badge helmet with this combo instead of against Texas, as the Shadow Pete logo gets a bit lost on a black helmet. I love the chrome facemask and helmet stripe with the gray pants. It felt a little out of place when paired with the blackout uniforms for the Texas game.
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Oklahoma State football player in black and gray cowboy uniform combination.
2) Least Favorite Oklahoma State Cowboy Uniform Combo This Season?
Brodie: Anything with gray pants just didn’t work for me. Both combinations using gray were misses. But to be more specific, the all-black look against Texas Tech was a bit much, especially when the Red Raiders also heavily feature black in their uniforms. While the new paisley helmet was cool and reappeared in the Alamo Bowl, the barbed wire stripe felt out of place because it’s not incorporated anywhere else in the cowboy uniforms. Ditch the gray and the barbed wire, and most combinations would be an improvement.
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Football players in all black cowboy uniforms during a game.
Cade: Like many, I’m just tired of seeing W/O/W (White helmet, Orange jersey, White pants) in any game, really. They wore it against Southeastern Louisiana and again versus Pitt. It’s just become too predictable and doesn’t excite me anymore. It’s time to retire this basic cowboy uniform combination for a while.
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Oklahoma State football team in white and orange cowboy uniform combination.
Phillip: Anything with the Giant Chrome Orange Pete (GCOP) helmet. I’m just burned out on it. Specifically, the O/B/O (Orange helmet, Black jersey, Orange pants) with the GCOP against Iowa State. I like O/B/O in general, but not with that helmet. It’s sad because I used to really like the GCOP helmet, but not anymore.
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Football player in orange and black cowboy uniform with chrome helmet.
Tyler: Cade will disagree, but the Kansas game uniform was a monstrosity. O/W/G (Orange helmet, White jersey, Gray pants) with GCOP? Really? It was just Kansas, but still, come on. The white and gray combo just doesn’t work for me. I didn’t like it last year against West Virginia in Morgantown, and I still don’t like it. I’m not against three-color combinations, just this specific one. This cowboy uniform combination was a definite miss.
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Oklahoma State football player wearing orange, white, and gray uniform.
3) Favorite Opponent Cowboy Uniform Combo of the Year?
Brodie: Kansas showed a surprisingly good look this year, which is rare for Adidas. However, Kansas State’s consistently solid home uniforms in Manhattan were unmatched by any other team. West Virginia’s navy, gold, and white could be tough competition if they could use readable numbers. But Kansas State’s classic cowboy uniform style takes the win for opponents.
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Kansas State football player in purple and white uniform during game.
Cade: Without a doubt, Texas Tech’s all-white uniforms. I’m a big fan of all-white football uniforms, and Texas Tech nails this look. Their uniforms are great when they keep it simple, and their all-white combo is perfect in its simplicity. This is a strong and clean cowboy uniform look from an opponent.
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Texas Tech football team wearing all white cowboy uniforms.
Phillip: Normally, I really like Kansas State’s uniforms, but I wasn’t a fan of their helmets this year. I liked Pitt’s look; it was clean. But West Virginia matching our tri-color look at Homecoming was fantastic. WVU might have one of the best uniform sets in the Big 12. Their throwback helmet – the yellow one with the state on it – is awesome. West Virginia’s cowboy uniform style deserves recognition.
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West Virginia football player with yellow throwback helmet and navy uniform.
Tyler: I also really, really liked Kansas State’s uniforms against us. I’ve always been a fan of purple, and Kansas State knows how to rock it every week. I know I just complained about white and gray together, but Kansas State makes it work by focusing on the royal purple jersey and separating the white and gray. The white camo helmet was a nice subtle touch too. It’s not overly in-your-face camo, but a subtle camo, if that makes sense. Kansas State’s modern cowboy uniform with a camo twist was well-executed.
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Close up of Kansas State white camo helmet football uniform.
4) Which Unseen Oklahoma State Cowboy Uniform Combo Do You Wish You Saw?
Brodie: In 2014, the Pokes debuted white helmets featuring a bucking bronco when West Virginia came to town. Last season, they switched to black for that helmet. The white version looked better and would be great at home with orange jerseys and white pants. When on the road, I wish they’d use more orange than black. If OSU is proud to be “America’s Brightest Orange,” why not show it off more on away games? A white helmet cowboy uniform with more orange would be fantastic.
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Oklahoma State white helmet featuring bucking bronco logo.
Cade: Where was the B/O/B (Black helmet, Orange jersey, Black pants) combo this year?! That’s been an Oklahoma State staple since they started alternating uniforms back in 2011. They usually saved it for their biggest home game, and we didn’t see it once this season. I was pretty bummed, as it’s been one of my favorites for a long time. The B/O/B cowboy uniform is a classic that was missed this year.
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Oklahoma State football player in black and orange cowboy uniform combination.
Phillip: The black marshal badge helmet (only worn once against Texas – WHY?!?), black jersey, orange pants. I want to see that for a night game! We’d actually need a night game for that to happen, but still. A black and orange cowboy uniform with the marshal badge helmet is my dream combo.
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Oklahoma State black helmet with marshal badge logo.
Tyler: I love when we wear orange pants, and we only did it twice this season. We need more orange pants! I agree with Phillip here – pair the orange pants with a black marshal badge helmet and a black jersey, and it’s an absolutely incredible cowboy uniform look. That would be my ultimate dream combination.
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Oklahoma State football player wearing black jersey and orange pants.
So, what are your thoughts on the 2016 Oklahoma State cowboy uniform combinations? What combinations were your favorites, and what do you wish you had seen? While not every look was a home run, Oklahoma State consistently fields some of the best uniforms in college football, and they always look sharp on game day. One of the best parts of game day is the anticipation of seeing what the Cowboys will be wearing. We’re already excited to see what the equipment staff rolls out next season! Let us know your favorite cowboy uniform combos in the comments below!
