The Buckeye’s history with the Nike “Pro Combat” Uniform has been a tumultuous one. I personally have never been a fan, and I’d like to explain why.
I’ve never felt the Buckeyes play very well when donning the alternate “pro combat” uniform, going back to the first time we saw them at home in a last minute win in 2011 against Wisconsin. I’m not referring to the “throw-back” unis we saw in 2009 & 2010 against the team up North and last year's championship run, only the “pro combat” style.
As I said, we first saw these uniforms in 2011 against Wisconsin, where if not for a last second hail-mary by Braxton Miller, the Buckeyes would have lost at home. The Buckeyes continued to sport these uniforms throughout the following football seasons, including the loss to Virginia Tech and the win against Illinois last season.
Excluding the 2 lop-sided wins against Penn State in 2013 and Illinois in 2014, the Buckeyes are 5-2 wearing the “pro combat” with an average win margin of only 4.8 points. Of course if you were to include the 2 previously mentioned wins, the victory margin jumps to over a two touchdown average. Typically, these games have been nail-biters, too close for comfort, and sometimes down right frustrating.
On the other side of the coin, the 3 most famous games that the Buckeyes wore the famous “pro combats” were the 42-41 win in Ann Arbor in 2013, the 2014 Orange Bowl, and the infamous VaTech game of 2014. In all three games, the alternate Nike uniforms where supposed to give our Buckeyes the edge, excite the fanbase, and of course sell more jerseys. Again, we all know how those games turned out.
Here’s a list of the Buckeye’s history with the Nike “Pro Combat”. (I did my best to research every game since 2011, so if I’ve excluded one please comment.)
- Wisconsin 2011 33-29
- Michigan 2012 26-21
- Wisconson 2013 31-24
- Penn State 2013 63-14
- Michigan 2013 42-41
- Clemson 2014 35-40
- VaTech 2014 21-35
- Penn State 2014 31-24
- Illinois 2014 55-14
Call me superstitious, call me a “traditionalist”, but I simply cringe every time the athletic department announces an "alternate" uniform for the football team. That includes the recent news regarding the all black edition against Penn State on Oct. 17th.
Although the idea of our mighty Buckeyes running out of tunnel wearing an all black uniform excites me, I can’t help but feel apprehensive.
