As another exciting Oklahoma State Cowboys football season concluded with an Alamo Bowl victory, it’s time to delve into a topic almost as debated as play calls: the uniforms. The unveiling of the 2016 Osu Cowboys Football Uniforms sparked considerable buzz and positive reactions before the season even began. But how did these uniforms fare throughout the games? Did they live up to the hype? What were the standout elements, and what could be improved? And, just for fun, which opponent sported the best look against the Cowboys? Let’s dive into the 2016 Cowboy Uniform Roundup!
(Quick note: Uniform combinations are listed as Helmet/Jersey/Pants, with color abbreviations. For instance, the Alamo Bowl combo of black helmet, white jersey, orange pants is represented as B/W/O.)
1) Top Oklahoma State Cowboys Uniform Combo of the Year?
Brodie Smith: For me, tradition wins. The W/O/W (White helmet, Orange jersey, White pants) combinations worn against Southeastern Louisiana and Pitt were the highlights. It’s a clean, classic look that’s subtly powerful, with the orange jersey providing a fantastic pop of color. It simply has that “wow” factor.
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Cade Webb: It’s almost impossible to pick just one favorite. Honestly, I loved every osu cowboys football uniform combination this season – huge props to the equipment staff! But if I absolutely had to choose, it would be the O/W/B (Orange helmet, White jersey, Black pants) combo from the Kansas State game. I’ve never understood the negativity towards the orange chrome helmet; it’s definitely superior to the paisley version. This combination was a favorite with the older uniform styles, and the updated threads just elevated it tenfold.
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Phillip Slavin: Homecoming was the winner. The B/O/W (Black helmet, Orange jersey, White pants) with the throwback old-school logo helmet was just perfection. Clean, simple, and beautiful. I really wish we’d see that helmet more often – it’s a fantastic piece of the osu cowboys football uniforms.
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Tyler Wiederhoeft: This might sound unusual, but my favorite uniform actually debuted during the non-conference game against Central Michigan. The B/B/G (Black helmet, Black jersey, Gray pants) combo looked exceptionally sharp to me. However, I feel they missed an opportunity by unveiling the marshal’s badge helmet against Texas instead of with this combo. Shadow Pete on a black helmet can be a bit hard to discern. I love the chrome facemask and helmet stripe paired with the gray pants – it felt slightly out of place when used with the blackout uniforms against Texas.
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2) Least Favorite Oklahoma State Cowboys Uniform Combo This Season?
Brodie: Any osu cowboys football uniform that incorporated gray pants just didn’t work for me. Both gray pant combinations were misses. But to avoid the easy answer, I’d say the all-black combo against Texas Tech was a bit much. While black is an official OSU color and meant to be intimidating, going all black against Texas Tech, who also heavily feature black, felt redundant. The new paisley helmet was cool and reappeared in the Alamo Bowl, but the barbed wire stripe felt out of place – an element not used elsewhere in the uniforms and, in my opinion, shouldn’t be. Ditch the gray and the barbed wire, and most osu cowboys football uniforms will be great in my book.
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Cade: I think many fans share this sentiment, but I’m simply tired of seeing the W/O/W (White helmet, Orange jersey, White pants) combo in any context. They wore it against Southeastern Louisiana and Pitt. It’s just become too predictable and doesn’t excite me anymore. The osu cowboys football uniforms are capable of so much more variety.
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Phillip: Anything with the Giant Chrome Orange Pete (GCOP) helmet is losing its appeal for me. I’m honestly burned out on it. Specifically, the O/B/O (Orange helmet, Black jersey, Orange pants) with the GCOP against Iowa State was my least favorite. I usually like O/B/O, but not with that helmet. It’s a shame because I used to really love the GCOP helmet, but not anymore. It feels overused within the osu cowboys football uniforms repertoire.
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Tyler: I know Cade will disagree, but the combination against Kansas was a monstrosity: O/W/G (Orange helmet, White jersey, Gray pants) with the GCOP helmet? Really? I know it was just Kansas, but still, c’mon. It’s the white and gray combination that just clashes for me. I disliked it last year when they wore it against West Virginia in Morgantown, and my opinion hasn’t changed this year. I’m not entirely against three-color combos, just this specific three-color combo within the osu cowboys football uniforms.
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3) Favorite Opponent Uniform Combo of the Year?
Brodie: Kansas surprisingly presented a better look than I anticipated, which is unusual for Adidas. However, Kansas State’s consistently simple and solid home uniforms in Manhattan stood out above the rest this year. West Virginia’s navy, gold, and white could be strong contenders, if they used numbers that were actually readable!
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Cade: Without a doubt, Texas Tech’s all-white uniforms. I’m a huge fan of all-white football uniforms, and Texas Tech executes the look flawlessly. Their uniforms are generally great when they avoid overdoing it, and they nail simplicity with their all-white set. They provided a stark and appealing contrast when facing the osu cowboys football uniforms.
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Phillip: Normally, I appreciate Kansas State’s uniforms, but I wasn’t a fan of their helmets this year. I liked Pitt’s clean look. However, West Virginia matching our tri-color scheme at Homecoming was fantastic. WVU might have one of the best overall uniform combinations in the Big 12. That throwback yellow helmet with the state logo is truly outstanding.
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Tyler: I also really favored Kansas State’s uniforms when they played us. I’ve always been a fan of purple, and Kansas State consistently rocks it every week. I know I just criticized white and gray together in osu cowboys football uniforms, but Kansas State makes it work by prioritizing the royal purple jersey and separating the white and gray elements effectively. The subtle white camo helmet was a nice touch – not overly aggressive, but tastefully done.
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4) Which Unworn Oklahoma State Cowboys Combo Do You Wish You’d Seen?
Brodie: Back in 2014, the Cowboys debuted white helmets with a bucking bronco logo against West Virginia. Last season, they switched to a black helmet version. The white helmet looked best and would be perfect at home with orange jerseys and white pants. When playing away from Stillwater, I wish they’d incorporate more orange than black. If OSU prides itself on “America’s Brightest Orange,” why not showcase it more on the road in their osu cowboys football uniforms?
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Cade: Where was the B/O/B (Black helmet, Orange jersey, Black pants) combo this year?! It’s been an OSU staple since they started alternating uniforms in 2011. Typically, they reserved it for their biggest home game, and we didn’t see it once this season. I was pretty disappointed because it’s been a long-time favorite within the osu cowboys football uniforms.
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Phillip: The black marshal badge helmet (only worn once against Texas – WHY?!?), paired with a black jersey and orange pants. I want to see that combo for a night game. Of course, we’d actually need a night game for that to happen, but still. It would be an amazing addition to the osu cowboys football uniforms.
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Tyler: I love when they wear orange pants, and we only saw that twice this season. I want more orange pants! I agree with Phillip here – pairing orange pants with the black marshal badge helmet and a black jersey would be incredible. That osu cowboys football uniform combination would be absolutely drool-worthy.
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So, what are your thoughts on the 2016 osu cowboys football uniform combinations? What combinations did you wish you had seen? While not every combination might have been perfect, Oklahoma State undoubtedly boasts some of the best uniforms in college football, and they always look sharp on the field. For many fans, anticipating the Cowboys’ gameday uniform reveal is a highlight. The anticipation is already building to see what the equipment managers will unveil next season!
