Ohio State's new gray uniforms have taken the Buckeye football landscape by storm ever since Eleven Warriors first broke the news more than a week ago.
After the team released the new duds in their entirety yesterday, the Ohio State fan base appears to be warming up to the gray uniforms, as are the players.
Speaking for the first time since the athletic department released the new look, Jerome Baker said Tuesday that the jerseys bring an added excitement to an already big game.
"I love ‘em. I love wearing new jerseys. I love the LeBrons. Those are my favorite cleats ever," Baker, a Cleveland native, said. "I am excited to wear them, especially against Penn State. It adds a bit more swagger to you."
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The jerseys are based on Ohio State's 2016 mantra, "Land of the Wolves," and feature stripes on both the helmets and in the black numbers on the jersey itself.
As a fifth-year senior, defensive lineman Tracy Sprinkle has worn a number of Ohio State's alternate jerseys over the years. He said he likes the wolf theme, citing its distinctiveness.
"I like the thing with the wolves. It is kind of unique. It is something I haven’t seen before," he said Tuesday. "I like them. We got to see them yesterday, the same time you guys did. I like them. They bring a little energy to the game. Sometimes, when you feel good, you play good. So I hope that’s what we do on Saturday.”
Another fifth-year senior, Billy Price, has also worn a plethora of different looks in his time at Ohio State. While the new gray uniforms aren't his favorite of the group, he still was in favor of the idea.
"They are cool. They are not one of my favorite ones. The black ones were probably the best, hands down," Price said.
Baker, Sprinkle and Price were unanimous that their favorite alternates they have worn was Ohio State's all-black look against Penn State in 2015, a game that resulted in a 38-10 win.
Since 2009, when Ohio State first began wearing alternate uniforms, the Buckeyes have compiled a record of 18-5 when wearing uniforms that aren't their traditional single stripe sleeves, scarlet home jerseys or white away jerseys. Ohio State won its first seven games in alternate jerseys, suffering its first loss in new duds to Clemson in the 2014 Orange Bowl.
Ohio State last wore alternate uniforms in a 31-0 loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Those jerseys were not far from the norm, however, as the triple-sleeve look was worn by the Buckeyes throughout much of the 1970s and 1990s and into the early 2000s.
