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          The best college football uniforms in Week 8, featuring outer space, monochrome and more helmet heat

          • William E. Ricks
          Oct 22, 2021, 01:00 PM

          This college football season has been a roller coaster ride.

          Top-ranked teams have fallen, unranked teams have pulled off some impressive upset victories, and the uniform selections by a lot of these teams have been fire -- to say the least.

          Week 8 brings more heat to the gridiron, as these teams take it up a notch with their game-day apparel. Some schools used color combinations, while others took a simplistic approach, opting for one color that dominates the look. Others used themes to curate their uniforms this weekend -- and that's where we begin as we highlight some of the best uniforms across the college football landscape.

          UCF starts us off with a concept that is out of this world -- literally.

          Space U

          The Knights call themselves "Drip U" because of their exceptional uniform collection. They might've outdone themselves with their ensemble for their Space Game this Saturday. Their outfits celebrate the 40th anniversary of the space shuttle program, and these threads are detailed and impressive.

          The numbers on the jersey have tiles within them -- each listing a mission from the space program. They've managed to insert codes for all 135 missions on the jersey numbers, according to the football team's website. The collar is supposed to resemble the nose of a space shuttle -- another subtle nod from UCF. The flag on the left sleeve is a tribute to Discovery, a shuttle that carried school alum Nicole Scott into space. Scott is an astronaut who graduated from the school in 1992.

          It doesn't stop there, however. The pants and lower shoulder design also pay tribute to shuttles and also feature UCF's space pattern. The nameplate features "Citronauts," based on the spacesuits connected to the International Space Station. The helmet bumpers honor those who died aboard the Columbia (2003) and Challenger (1986) shuttles.

          The right shoulder has two emblems inspired by Scott's actual mission symbols when she traveled in space for NASA. The top of the helmet has a stripe with more than 100 names of former students, fans and faculty who have worked on the space shuttle program. This fit stands alone this week because of its theme, details and overall quality. Well done by UCF.

          Continually innovating

          Just when you think the No. 10 Oregon Ducks have done it all in terms of uniform combinations -- they put out another distinctive look. In Week 8, they will debut their "eggshell" threads, featuring an earth-green helmet with a more vibrant hue of green serving as the wing color on the headgear. The jersey and pants are white but have speckles throughout -- similar to how some eggshells look. The look is unique for sure, and Oregon again separates itself from the rest of college football with this exclusive design.

          An eye for color

          Even though No. 14 Coastal Carolina played -- and was upset on Wednesday -- it still deserves a shoutout for its fire fits. The Chanticleers wore white jerseys accented with a teal hue that also colored the jersey numbers and shoulder stripe. The Chanticleers' logo is on the shoulder, and the helmet brings something new and fresh to this outfit.

          The teal helmet is new, as this is the first time they ever had headgear this color, per Matt Pearce, assistant director of recruiting & operations for the school. Those helmets are the same color as the pants, bringing together a vibrant and fresh ensemble for Coastal.

          Red is striking, and the Louisville Cardinals use just enough of it in their Week 8 threads. The helmet is a beautiful red hue, with the team logo stenciled in white. White numbers and letters accentuate the black jersey with a red shadow behind the text, helping it pop off the jersey, and red pants round out this cohesive and powerful look.

          This week, Ole Miss makes the cut with its uniforms, mainly because of coach Lane Kiffin's name for the powder blue look. He has poked fun at LSU coach Ed Orgeron for calling a UCLA fan's shirt color "sissy blue" in Week 1. The Ole Miss coach has now embodied that phrase for his team as they rock a similar shade of blue.

          Fans will see the light-blue color this week, right in time for Ole Miss' matchup against -- you guessed it -- LSU. The helmets are that soft-blue color, with the traditional Ole Miss cursive print standing out in red. The headgear is finished off with a red stripe down the middle.

          The jersey also is powder blue with white numbers and decals. Two stripes run along the shoulders as well. The pants feature the Ole Miss nickname again on the quadriceps pads -- a flex like no others. It's clear that the football team has leaned into their coach's joke with these game-day threads.

          Back in black

          The UNLV Rebels show how simple colors can be used so effectively in a game-day fit. A black jersey with white trim is menacing, and the matte black helmet only adds an element of fierceness to the ensemble. The logo on the helmet is outlined in gray, and the facemask is a clean-chrome finish. The pants are white with red decals, adding some brightness to this outfit. People might say this uniform is basic, but the use of black and white and the trim colors make this uniform exceptional.

          Arkansas State went dark with its all-black fit this week. The jersey features some kind of texture -- a ribbed type of look. Gray is used for the numbers and decals on the jersey, and glossy silver is the trim for the numbers. The pants also are black but have no symbols or imagery. The helmet is matte black that showcases a silver logo and silver stripe down the center. We've seen many impressive all-black looks this season, and the Red Wolves are among the top of that list.

          The Miami Hurricanes will have their latest installment of their "Miami Nights" on the field for their game against No. 18 NC State. The ensemble is a deep black, with thin stripes of the school's colors along the paints -- a "Miami Vice" feel to this look. The jersey has orange numbers to give a pop of color. The helmet is sleek -- as it has a black-chrome facemask and the same line pattern of the pants used down the center.

          They only need one color

          North Alabama used one color for the majority of its Week 8 look. A deep but not-so-vibrant purple is used for the jersey, and the helmet has a gold and white stripe down the center and 256 -- Northeastern Alabama's area code -- on the front.

          Citadel comes into the weekend wearing a soft-blue ensemble for the contest against the Western Carolina Catamounts. The jersey has unique texture along the shoulders and is all infantry blue outside of the white jersey numbers. The pants complete this somewhat monochromatic fit, and the Bulldogs have a beautiful look for their weekend action.

          Washington State takes on a look that resembles the Crimson Chin from the "Fairly Odd Parents" -- and that's in a good way. The team is going with an all-crimson look from head to toe this week. White is used in moderation for this fit -- only for the helmet logo, jersey numbers and decals. One interesting thing about these threads is that the number is on the shoulder. The crimson hue is subtle, but it does make the Cougars look pretty fly.

          Helmet heat

          Dartmouth unveiled a new helmet design that is simple but classy. The Big Green will don their new "Lone Pine Tree" helmets in their contest against Columbia. It pays homage to the Lone Pine, a tree that stood on campus for almost 150 years. According to Sports Logos, Dartmouth graduating seniors used to gather at the location. Unfortunately, the tree was cut down in 1985 after damage from wind and lightning. However, it was recognized as a famous tree in 1938 and was inducted into the American Forestry Association Hall of fame in 1922.

          The new headgear has a design of the pine tree on the right side. It fits the green uniforms that they are also sporting this weekend. When the team saw the new helmet design, players were ecstatic -- and there's video to prove that.

          The South Dakota Coyotes are honoring the armed forces with their headgear this week. For Military Appreciation Day, the team will brandish red and white uniforms with a cool helmet design. A paw logo is present on both sides and the American flag design is inscribed within the decal.