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          Oregon's 'Heroes' threads lead Week 6 of college football uniforms

          Oregon's "Heroes" uniform was assembled by Dan Lanning and his family. Oregon Ducks/X
          • Kalan Hooks, ESPNOct 4, 2024, 01:32 PM

          Week 6 of the college football season brings another selection of meaningful uniforms that go deeper than the game.

          The No. 6-ranked Oregon Ducks will host the Michigan State Spartans for the first time since 2018 in a Friday night clash.

          In their bout against the Spartans, the Ducks will debut their new "Heroes" uniform that serves as a nod to head coach Dan Lanning and his wife, Sauphia. The uniform, created by Lanning, his wife and their three sons, tells the story of Sauphia's battle with bone cancer which she beat in 2017.

          Each member of the Lanning family played a specific role in designing the look.

          Yellow, the official color for osteosarcoma awareness, on the jersey represents Sauphia's battle against osteosarcoma. Lanning's oldest son, Caden, had the idea of putting an ice cream cone on the uniform as a nod to the snacks the Lanning family ate after Sauphia's appointments for treatment. Titan, Lanning's youngest son, thought of adding a multicolored look to the cleats to represent the various groups of cancer patients.

          Lanning's contribution to the uniform is the molecule design on the gloves and sleeves that refers to the "Red Devil" chemotherapy treatment.

          The shoulder wings and diamond plating on the jerseys represent the journey and hope that lies beyond the condition.

          Composition of the "Heroes" uniform began in 2022, when Lanning was announced as head coach of the program.

          Here are the best uniform combinations from Week 6 of college football.

          Unique looks

          The 1989 Virginia Cavaliers cemented one of the best seasons in program history. With a 10-3 overall record, Virginia won the ACC championship over the Maryland Terrapins 48-21. In a showdown against ACC foe Boston College Eagles, the Cavaliers will don a throwback uniform to honor the 1989 team.

          "El Cucho" is a nickname for the city of El Paso, Texas, and a term of Mexican-Spanish dialect from the word "pachuco," which represents unity and, to most, style. The UTEP Miners will wear their orange threads on top of white pants with a special "El Chuco" helmet against the Sam Houston Bearkats.

          The Air Force Falcons are paying homage to the Special Air Force Special Operations Command with their Air Power Legacy Series uniforms when they take on the Navy Midshipmen.

          The threads feature details that put the spotlight on the AFSOC mission. The helmet contains the AFSOC emblem with the back stating the motto: "Any place, any time, anywhere." The Special Tactics Combat Control motto "First there" is on the front of the helmet.

          The jersey contains a nameplate for the players' names on the right chest. The left sleeve includes one of the three badges that refers to the Air Force Special Tactics with an American flag. The red trimming and accents on the uniform and pants symbolize the scarlet beret that Special Tactics Combat Controllers wear.

          Solid combinations

          The No. 3-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes have been on a roll, remaining undefeated on the season. They'll take on the 3-1 Iowa Hawkeyes in Week 6 in style, with an all-gray combination topped off with red lettering.

          The Iowa State Cyclones revealed several uniforms during the offseason, one of which will debut this week. On Saturday against the Baylor Bears, the undefeated Cyclones will sport a clean all-white look with black lettering and gray trimming.